From Vacay to Everyday: the Return to Reality Bootcamp
We as a society fixate on the laundry list of things that need to be done pre-travel. There are millions of blogs, videos, posts that dive deep into the strategies to master the clothes to pack, the must-dos for itineraries, when to buy airline tickets, on and on and on! (Lowkey only one source really nailed it *cough cough*) But NOBODY talks about the strategies and techniques to master life post-travel.
Maybe because it’s not fun? wallow
Nah, but it can feel good!
Getting life back on track is definitely rewarding even though I’ll admit it’s not the most exciting. Look, we just spend our first full weekend day back cleaning our fridge. Not just tossing the moldy ish. We SCRUBBED that MFer cleannnnnnnn! Overall, the fridge was real nasty but not likely something that HAD to be near the top of our “getting life back in order” list. So what needs to be?
Well that’s where the dilemma sits.
Before we leave for most trips, I make an effort to build into our pre-trip must-dos time to clean the house. Bedding washed. Carpet vacuumed. Dishes cleaned. I’ve always felt it helps the transition back home a bit easier when you’re not slapped in the face with a mess that needs to be taken care of the second you walk through the door. It eases the workload to just focus on settling back into reality. But that is about where the post-trip planning ends.
Normally, we can juggle everything when we get back. I wouldn’t say it’s the smoothest approach, but it had worked so far. HAD. That play has run its coarse because we’ve STRUGGLED!
Chantel thankfully had the foresight to buy some mini corn doggies as a lunch for our first day back since we’d be jumping right into work. Those were quickly deleted. Stumbling around like zombies we were in no condition to grocery shop. Chantel snagged two frozen pizzas after picking up the pug to help keep us running but the jet lag was winning and a true trip to the grocery store was a near impossible feat.
We doordashed Taco Bell. Yes, ordered fast food for delivery. If Kilimanjaro was my peak moment, this was the yang to that. I love me some Taco Bell but the cost and length of time of delivery were truly hard to swallow. In fact, our order was delayed so long we filed a complaint and began ordering from somewhere else. Thankfully (was certainly not a thankful moment at the time), my grumpiness had taken control and I was prepared to enter a hunger strike and head off to bed. The strike came to an end as the Taco Bell eventually arrived…cold…but arrived.
While I’d love to sit and argue the economics and sanity of fast food delivery, we must venture back to the main point.
An overlooked part of our trip - a trip we had been planning for 11 months with very extensive detail and steps - was the post-trip preparation. Had we planned out a few frozen meals or something along the lines of pasta, we may have been able to recover quicker and had a more peaceful transition. (As I age, my hanger gets worse. I’m working on it)
So from this moment forward, I as a co-founder of this travel venture, will begin advocating the importance of post-trip preparation! From Vacay to Everyday the Return to Reality Bootcamp!!!!
Okay, but give me a little bit to get that section of the site up and running. Still tryna get back to organized because well…..