Family Travel Girl

Great Barrier Reef - U.S. and British Scuba Divers Rescued

Scuba Diving and Snorkeling Safety:  Scuba divers and snorkelers, listen up!  Don't get lulled into a false sense of security just because you're diving or snorkeling with a chartered group.  Two scuba divers went missing from a scuba excursion in Australia, near The Great Barrier Reef.  You can read a full article about the scuba diver rescue in Australia at this AOL News link.  Apparently, the divers ended up spending 20 hours floating in the ocean, waiting for rescuers.  Luckily, they were rescued, but it's still not a great way to end a vacation!  Please listen to and follow all instructions given by your dive master or snorkel guide.  The ocean holds beautiful sites for tourists like us; just remember to put safety first!

Photo by Tim Sheerman-Chase via Flickr (Creative Commons)

Employee Benefits: Why Aren't You Using Your Vacation Time, America?

Your Cubicle - Home Away From Home!  Tell me it's not true!  I recently read an article from www.bizjournals.com which claims that Americans aren't using all of their available vacation time.  According to a recent employee benefits survey taken by Expedia, Americans get an average of 14 paid vacation days per year.  But, for reasons largely related to work responsibilities, they're leaving an average of 3 days untaken.  This has got to stop!  Isn't it bad enough that Germany receives 27 days, Spain gets 31 days, and France gets 37 (that's right thirty-seven) days of paid vacation?  The least we can do is use the measly 14 days that we're given.  You deserve a vacation, so take it, America! 

Photo by cloneofsnake via Flicker (Creative Commons)