I’m just back from being gone for four weeks. We attend a family Bible camp every year in northwestern Iowa, and this was the seventh time in eight years that we made the 13-hour journey to Okoboji. Then, I was in Denver for five days—a combination of business and pleasure.

I no sooner got back from Denver, and we were off to Europe, for a 14-day family vacation in Germany, Austria and France. What a great trip, and a wonderful experience—especially for our children! It truly opened their eyes to another part of the world, which was a big reason I wanted to go.

Before I go too much further, I want to stress that such extensive traveling is not the norm for me. Sure, we travel a fair amount. But this is the longest I’ve been gone in a long time!

That said, it was nice to have such a lengthy break. While you certainly don’t have to travel to Europe to get a break from it all, I highly recommend vacationing there if you haven’t already.

Although I wasn’t “working”, per se, I must confess that did view some of my time in Europe through the lens of the relationship between work and life. Here are some things I noticed:

1. Balancing Work and Family. A high level of importance is placed on meals, and the pace of meals is much slower in Europe than in the United States. It’s still common for Europeans to enjoy a lengthy lunch at home with their families, then return home later for a leisurely family dinner. Even in restaurants—where Americans are used to being rushed so the next party can be seated—the pace was uncomfortably slow.

2. Rich Culture. Europe is surrounded by art and music, and Europeans have a great appreciation for their rich heritage. In Salzburg, Austria, my daughter and I enjoyed a piano concert at Schloss Mirabell. (You might remember Mirabell Gardens from “The Sound of Music”.) Jörg Demus, a 79-year old Austrian pianist, treated us to an amazing concert, which took place in a room where Mozart, his sister and their father performed.

Paris is one of the most beautiful cities in the world, and is very rich culturally. The museums alone would take weeks to visit thoroughly. Our children, whom I would not describe as museum “patrons”, were awestruck when walking though the Louvre.

3. Work to Live. There is great debate regarding the work habits of Europeans, and whether trading productivity for leisure is a good thing. I know the Europeans suffer economically because of the choices they make regarding work. But one thing is certain—they have far more leisure time than Americans. The average European enjoys five weeks of vacation per year. Americans, on the other hand, are taking fewer vacation days, and not using the time off they earned. The distinction for me is that Europeans work to live, whereas Americans tend to live to work.

The key here, in my opinion, is balance. I don’t necessary need to take a five week “holiday” (as they call vacation in Europe) every summer. But it is important, on a variety of levels, to take time off. It’s also important to enjoy time with our family and friends.

I’m glad to be back in the United States. It’s always nice to get away, but it’s comforting to return home, too. I’m thankful for the lessons learned about work life balance in Europe, and for the experience I was able to share and enjoy with my family.