The Day After a Trip
Ever return from a trip and feel like you accidentally left your soul somewhere between Duty Free and the customs line? Yeah. That’s me right now. Trapped in the weird post-travel limbo where everything feels a little… gray. Not sad, not mad, just meh. Like I could stare at a wall and emotionally match its paint swatch for hours. Not a thing people say, but hey, it’s the best I got.
We just got back from a whirlwind weekend in Vancouver. Gorgeous city, highly recommend. But we did what every overachiever does with limited time: crammed in as much as humanly possible. Usain Bolt, running through the city. And to cap it off, we hit border traffic that delayed our return to late Sunday night with the need to still record this week’s pod. Yes, dedication, thy name is Bag Tag.
Now it’s Monday. Sunday Scaries were politely postponed but have arrived fashionably late and are making themselves very comfortable. It’s back to the cubicle. Back to “what’s for dinner?” Back to needing to respond to HOA emails. And I’m sitting here trying to feel something, ANYTHING but mostly just feel like a beige crayon.
Trips like this always bring on a weird funk. Not because the trip wasn’t amazing. It was. But because it reminds me of what lights me up: traveling, exploring, learning, experiencing. Basically being a full-time Reluctant Traveler. Shoutout to our podcast throwback—Taggies, you remember. That show made me realize: that’s the dream. And every trip reinforces it. This is the life I want to build. A travel lifestyle brand. A company that brings this magic to others. But today? Motivation is in its flop era. Existential questions are the main course.
While at Indigo, a bookstore serving aesthetic, I re-stumbled upon Ikigai: The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life. It's all about that sweet spot between what you love, what you're good at, what pays the bills, and what the world needs. And somewhere in the chaotic, coffee-fueled skies of Cruisin’ Altitude and The Bag Tag, I know our Ikigai is hanging out. Probably sipping a cortado and waiting for us to catch up.
I should probably read the book, huh?
Anyway, that’s where I’m at. Slightly funked. Mildly inspired. Deeply needing a nap.