Americans/ do many different things/ during their vacations. Some people/ stay at home/ and enjoy time/ with their families. They may go to a local swimming pool, zoo or museum. Other people/ travel to enjoy large national parks, the mountains, the ocean, or large amusement parks. Many people/ visit interesting American cities/ or historic areas. Some people/ visit family members/ in other states. Still/ other Americans/ visit foreign countries.

We recently heard about a new use/ for vacation time -- learning about a new kind of job. This program/ is called Vocation Vacations. People/ pay between six hundred and five thousand dollars/ to work at a job/ for a few days or a week.

Brian Kurth of Portland, Oregon, started Vocation Vacations. He says/ it serves a valuable purpose. It gives people/ a chance/ to try out a job/ they always wanted/ without leaving their present job.

People/ use Vocation Vacations/ to try many kinds of jobs/ around the United States. These are jobs/ that anyone/ can learn to do. For example, they can learn/ how to make beer, wine, cheese or cakes. They can help train dogs or horses. They can learn/ how to be a hunting and fishing guide or a gardener. They can work/ with a sports announcer, television producer, wedding planner or photographer. Or they can learn/ how to operate a very small hotel, called a “bed and breakfast.”

Vocation Vacations/ recently added several new jobs. They include comedian, dog sled driver and hair stylist. The company says/ the most popular job/ so far/ is winemaking.

The Vocation Vacations Web site/ recently asked visitors/ what prevents them from working/ at their dream job. More than two thousand people/ answered. Forty-two percent said/ the main block/ is money. Lack of the right education or experience/ was the answer/ given by twenty-five percent. Other answers/ included fear of failure/ and lack of family support.