Is it normal i don't believe work = life?

I have only been on vacation once in my life when I was 6. I don't remember it very well but we went to another state for a week. I am in my twenties now. I went to high school, worked summers during my teen years, went to college, got a degree, then worked full time a few days after graduating.

Since then, I have moved into two other full time jobs. I have worked weeks where I had 6 days a week, 1 day off (thursdays i was off but worked both weekend days), then worked a 5 day week with 2 days off saturday and sunday and now I have been in this job now where I work 7 days a week most of the month. Like I'll do monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday saturday sunday monday tuesday wednesday thursday friday and then get saturday off.

Anyway, every time I try to look for another job, I fail. Because they either don't hire, are bad hours or are far away so I am stuck. I don't know what to do. I worked 29 out of the 30 days last month in June and only got one day off. When I tell people how this should be illegal, they just tell me I'm selfish and that at least I have a job and that I have to suck it up. But why? Why do I have to work my life away like this.

Why is life about work and not pleasures? I only see my friends once every 3 months and I have never been anywhere other than locally in my state for the past 20 years of my life. I have wanted to go camping for a week, go to florida to see universal studios/disney, visit canada, visit england, ireland and so many more countries. I want to be able to have a day off where I can enjoy and not doing laundry, buying groceries, cleaning, preparing my work for the next day. I want to be able to have a day off to just relax, go to the beach or visit the pool but I work 9-5 and get home close to 7.

My parents just tell me "we haven't been on vacation in 20 years and we're doing okay." and "you're selfish because you have a job, just work and save up for retirement if you want to do all those things"

They just keep mentioning how when I turn 67, I can use all the money I saved to buy whatever I want. But why do I have to wait another 40+ years to live and what if I die not living? One of my friends laughs when I ask that. They say that I should have had fun in college because you never have fun again once you turn 21. :( Why can't life come before work? Why is work = life?

Voting Results
82% Normal
Based on 17 votes (14 yes)
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Comments ( 3 )
  • RoseIsabella

    That sounds awful, where do you work?

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  • thegypsysailor

    You must have enough money saved to quit your job and go play for a few years. Or start a business. Or whatever you wish.
    A lot of my career has been spent working 24/7 every single day of the season, then having 5 months to do as I please. Oil rig work was 30 on (24/7) and 30 off, also a nice gig.
    I guess the difference is I enjoyed my work (all except the cruise ship) so it wasn't toil, but pleasure, even fun.
    Perhaps that is your problem.
    You are an adult now, so make of your life what you please, but stop bitching if it doesn't meet with your approval, because you have no one to blame but yourself.

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  • reminiscent

    i dont understand why you're working so much.
    me my daughter and my bf for 6 years managed on only one persons income. thats 3 people living off of only one person actually working.
    i recently got a part time job...not because we needed it for bills but because i want to buy a sewing machine and things for my hobbies.
    we had a vacation kinda for a bit for my moms wedding. we just went to tx and visited with family. But we also took this time to move and my bf quit his job. (he has a new one now)

    my mom took us kids to six flags almost every summer (she is not rich) she has also taken many vacations in her life.And she often just sent me on a plane to vacation with family for the summer.

    next summer i am planning on a vacation to fly to tx to visit with family again.

    life is about balance work with play.

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