How to cope with post-trip blues

Views like this in Greece make it hard to come home.

You spend months, maybe even years planning and dreaming about your big adventure. Maybe it’s your first time on a plane or to Europe or you just need a fucking break from work already.

The lead up is intense. So. Much. Excitement. Your brain is buzzing with all the last-minute details. Get the house ready for the pet sitter. Did I print off that confirmation? I hope I downloaded the offline Google Maps properly. Where is my fucking passport? Should I bring two pairs of shorts or one pair of shorts and two pairs of jeans?

It’s like waiting in a long line to get on the world’s most awesome rollercoaster. You’re getting closer and closer to the front of the line, you can hear the screams, you can feel the rumble beneath your feet. Heart pounding. Palms a little sweaty. Maybe I should read that guidebook again…

Suddenly someone in a bright red shirt is smiling all teeth and telling you to hang on and then you’re out in the sunlight and going up, up, up and—down. Holy fuck it’s the most fun you’ve ever had in your entire life and you could do this forever and oh my god wasn’t that meal amazing and look at that church! Look at that church! And where the fuck are we on this stupid fucking map. And oh look there’s a pretty fountain I want two croissants this morning and let’s take a bottle of wine in the day pack and hike up that super high hill why the fuck did we hike up that super high hill I’m so glad we have this wine and oh let’s stop in here for a beer. Those little croquettes look amazing let’s order a whole plate and where the fuck is the hotel? Are we going the right direction? My feet hurt. Oh this tart is so good let’s get another oh that statue is amazing. Is that Da Vinci’s tomb? What day is it tomorrow? What? Are you serious? Ugh this airplane food is the worst. Our house smells weird. Mom I got you some fancy Portuguese olive oil. Want to see our photos?

That pretty much sums up every travel experience I’ve had.

All these little moments are adventures because they take us out of the repetition and routine that surround (if not power) our daily lives.

When I get back from a trip, I crave the history, the exercise (both physically and mentally), the unfamiliar.

But reality eventually sets in. I have to work so that I can travel. And as much as I think living in Italy would be next-level awesome, I’d have to work there too. And the people that live there? They’re working. They come home and make supper. They wash their cars.

I wish I could say I have the answer to getting over the post-trip blues—I don’t. There are some things I find that help ease the transition back into “regular” life.

Get back into a routine. Daily life can be a great reminder to be thankful for what you have. Invite friends over for drinks. Take a yoga class. Go to the Farmer’s Market. Do some laundry. Make pancakes. Draw with kids. These are things that, because they are accessible, become mundane until they aren’t easy to do (like when you’re travelling).
When you’re ready, cook a few of the favourite meals you had on holidays. Rotate them into your dinner plans throughout the year. It’ll keep bringing you back to “remember that time when we…” It might not be exactly what you ate, but the point is to get you back to that place without buying a plane ticket.
I find it kind of heartbreaking to look back through photos. I usually wait a couple weeks. Print off some of your favourites and hang them. I make a photo calendar with our travel photos, so that we’re inspired to plan the next trip.
Don’t stop the adventure. Look for opportunities to try new things where you live. Even something small like going left instead of right on your walk. Park on a different street and stop for a coffee. Try a new restaurant or bar. Find little ways to shake up your routine.

And then start planning your next trip.