Need A Vacation From Your Vacation
We all love planning trips, booking trips and the endorphin inducing anticipation we feel in the days that lead up to them. While we are on the trip we pack in as much as we can to ensure we see, and do, everything the location has to offer. We did all that research for a reason, right? You know one thing we usually forget about? The days following the trip. You know, the days when exhaustion sets in, depression maybe even hits a little bit, and that work clock needs to get punched once again. That is what I like to call the feeling that you need a vacation from your vacation. I figured I would share some tips on how I try my best to avoid this feeling. Let me know if you have any tricks of the trade you use yourself down in the comments.
How To Avoid The After Travel Exhaustion & Depression
There are a lot of mixed emotions when you get back from a trip. This could be for a visit to the in-laws or a globetrotting adventure. The emotions usually end up about the same no matter the trip. A lot of this has to do with exhaustion setting in. You had a week or two of amazing experiences, adrenaline coursing through your veins the whole time, and a will that allowed you to never say no. But when that wears off it hits hard. Here are 5 tips to soften your landing back to reality.
Plan A Mini Vacation At Home
I usually try to pack in a few days at home to reacclimate after a trip. After an action packed adventure there is nothing better than sleeping in your own bed and lounging on your couch. Hotel rooms are not set up to be a relaxing, lounge worthy experiences. They want you to sleep and then get out there to spend money on and off property. That is why I will even cut my trip a day or two short just so I have a breather before jumping back into “life”.
It doesn’t always work out though. Our family reunion was a mess a few weeks back that added stress to the situation. It also messed up our weekend before we went back to work, which was supposed to be relaxing. We ended up having to shuffle around things and cram more into the weekend than we wanted to. This left us feeling completely drained and worse off then when we started the vacation. Monday and Tuesday were ROUGH!
Pick The Right Flights & Classes
If you can’t park your butt at home for a few days then be sure to pick good flight times for your return home. Try to avoid super early flights or redeye flights if possible. I have done my fair share of redeye flights that rolled right into the work week. That was okay in my 20’s but it destroys me for days if I try it now.
If you can’t avoid the super early, or super late flights, then try to splurge for the best class of product you can get. If you are in a lie flat bed on the flight home then that softens the blow quite a bit. Even Comfort+ etc. domestically gives you a bit more room to stretch out so you can hopefully get some zzzz’s.
Start Your Itinerary With The Strenuous Stuff
Properly planning your travel itinerary can make all of the difference. If you want to do the Road to Hana then do it first thing during your trip. Don’t have a stressful, and long, drive back to the airport right before heading home. I like to go to the furthest point right away and then work my way back as the trip goes along. This way you don’t have anything crazy to do right at the end of your vacation. Adding stress before flying, or driving home, which is already stressful, is a recipe for disaster.
Make Your Last Day Of Your Trip Serene
This goes hand in hand with the previous point but take it easy the day before your flight. Don’t party into the early morning hours, easier said than done, I know. This will allow you to get plenty of rest. I like to have the last day be a day to just roam the area near the airport. No tours, plans or expectations in any way. Just let the city, or town, show you what it has to offer and have a relaxing, stress free day.
Clean Your House Before You Go
My wife will fight me to the death on this one, but guess what? She’s wrong! Before you head out on your travels make sure the house is spic and span. You know what adds to angst when traveling? Knowing you have a mess to deal with when you get home. Coming home to a clean house allows you to just chill out for a bit before life gets in the way once again.
Bonus Tip: Take Throw Aways
I have never done this before but have heard of others that have. When they go on a longer trip they take old clothes and underwear etc. that they had planned to throw away anyway. Then as they travel they leave it behind in the trash. This means you have less mess to deal with when you get home and you decluttered the house a bit too I guess.
Need A Vacation From Your Vacation: Final Thoughts
Hopefully you found some of these tips useful and they help you avoid the feeling that you need a vacation from your vacation after your next trip. This way you can enjoy your travels to the fullest and not have the pain of exhaustion & depression set in after what was an otherwise amazing trip. We all know reality can suck sometimes, but this helps you have a soft landing into that chaotic environment.
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