Why we need more vacation. A case study in productivity.

Tomorrow is my last day in the office for almost exactly two weeks.  I don't think I've ever been away from work for that long of a period, and that alone (the no work part) makes my vacation lovely...everything ITALIAN is just a cherry on the gelato.

 

The reason I bring this up, however, is that my impending vacation has not only made me more productive, but many people around me.  The "sense of urgency" of me being gone is finally getting people to do things they've promised, and I've been tasked to clear a few things off of my plate before leaving imposing must-meet deadlines that probably wouldn't exist if I wasn't taking off.  It's really quite a lovely system, making me think that if Americans had more vacation time to take these long "holidays" like they do in other parts of the world, we'd ultimately be a much more productive workforce.  Who is with me?