topic Re: Post Travel Slump in Community Chat

Post Travel Slump

JeanLouiseFinch — Mon, 09 May 2022 00:51:36 GMT

Don't get me wrong, I love traveling, seeing friends, staying at a nice hotel. However, I don't care if we're gone for a couple of days, a week, or more, it seems like I fall into a slump when it's over. I'm tired, I stall on unpacking, and I feel pretty lazy for a few days. I'm sitting here thinking and planning meals for this week and everything I come up with is something that takes very little effort. Is it an age thing or what? Anyone else experience this after traveling or do you bounce right back into your normal routine?

Re: Post Travel Slump

fthunt — Mon, 09 May 2022 00:55:32 GMT

Don't travel and certainly don't bounce much either.

Re: Post Travel Slump

beach-mom — Mon, 09 May 2022 01:09:25 GMT

@JeanLouiseFinch - We don't travel as much as we used to, but we still travel to visit family and good friends.

I'm like you. Usually there's nothing in the refrigerator, until we stock up again. I do unpack wet swimsuits, but the rest waits until I feel like unpacking. Obviously I do get the essentials we need unpacked!

But I usually am a little "down" for a few days, especially if we'd recently stayed in a nice hotel!

Re: Post Travel Slump

SurferWife — Mon, 09 May 2022 01:15:09 GMT

@JeanLouiseFinch

When we travel I typically like to return on a Thursday or Friday so I have time to unpack, do laundry & ironing before having to go back to work on Monday. I "build in" a few "bounce back" days because I can't stand for things to be undone especially knowing that once Monday rolls around my get caught up at the office post-vacation is not going to be fun.

Re: Post Travel Slump

deepwaterdotter — Mon, 09 May 2022 01:18:28 GMT

@fthunt wrote:
Don't travel and certainly don't bounce much either.

Me neither. But I wish I did bounce, especially when I fall down.

Re: Post Travel Slump

CoffeeNut — Wed, 15 Apr 2026 23:04:44 GMT

Re: Post Travel Slump

JeanLouiseFinch — Mon, 09 May 2022 01:23:16 GMT

@CoffeeNut wrote:
We are the the point now that we need a vacation from taking a vacation. We are exhausted by the time we get home from being on the go all the time.

Exactly!

Re: Post Travel Slump

JudyL — Mon, 09 May 2022 01:24:04 GMT

@JeanLouiseFinch - oh absolutely know exactly what you are feeling. I go through a big slump after I travel. Its normal - at least I think it is.

Re: Post Travel Slump

RedTop — Mon, 09 May 2022 01:54:03 GMT

I do not travel well at all, and do not enjoy it, period.

I am wiped out after a trip to the VA for my husbands appts, whether he's there for one appt or multiples. One appt can take us to multiple floors.

Every month I go with one of my daughters to an appt 2 hours away; we ride for 2 hours, her appt takes nearly 2 hours, and the drive back is 2 hours. I am worthless after this trip, and we go again tomorrow.

To me, being home is wonderful!

Re: Post Travel Slump

smoochy — Mon, 09 May 2022 01:49:05 GMT

Although we're retired, because we have two little dogs and don't trust anyone to care for them, we don't travel. It was a decision we made together. Sometimes hubby flies to Virginia to see his daughter and his grands. About once a year I fly to Michigan to visit my grandson. That's about it. We would never get over it if we paid someone to take care of our doggies and something bad happened.

Re: Post Travel Slump

Kachina624 — Mon, 09 May 2022 02:22:20 GMT

@JeanLouiseFinch Perhaps after the fun of planning and enjoying a trip, the return home is a bit of a let-down. Call it a minor posts-vacation depression maybe.

Re: Post Travel Slump

JeanLouiseFinch — Mon, 09 May 2022 03:08:25 GMT

@smoochy wrote:
Although we're retired, because we have two little dogs and don't trust anyone to care for them, we don't travel. It was a decision we made together. Sometimes hubby flies to Virginia to see his daughter and his grands. About once a year I fly to Michigan to visit my grandson. That's about it. We would never get over it if we paid someone to take care of our doggies and something bad happened.

I understand that, sort of, @smoochy. We do plan our day trips for assorted errands with our boy in mind. We try to keep them within a general time frame so we can be home in consideration of his usual eating and/or potty schedule. We're fortunate that we have two excellent local kennels to choose from for boarding. Both are super conscientious and love him. I trust both and they always have our authorization to take him to a vet if needed. So far, so good. He's healthy right now, but I can see us being more mindful of him and making different choices, at some point, as he ages.

Re: Post Travel Slump

JackieHN — Mon, 09 May 2022 05:53:15 GMT

We stay in Airbnb's and there is always a washer/dryer. My last trip 2 years ago was to the UK. I wash everything before I come home. That trip wasn't bad except for the tube. They tease you. Oh sure there is an escalator and then you have to walk a million steps to the street. .

The trip before that was to Melbourne, Perth and Sydney a year before.. That was a horror when I returned and this was my 3rd trip trip Australia. Sydney to LA 15 hrs. Running around in LA airport. Then 5 hrs to JFK. I said never again and lord I mean it. It took me a week to recover. Very happy sitting in my house except I do want to go on a cruise down the road. Just let me lie around and feed me.

Re: Post Travel Slump

OKPrincess — Mon, 09 May 2022 11:48:05 GMT

Since we are retired, we prefer to take bus trips that are planned for you.

We are disappointed our NYC trip in July was cancelled again. I know that trip would have worn us out but how else am I going to see the East coast? 🥲

Yes, just going simple places takes a lot of preparing and planning.

Re: Post Travel Slump

twinny70 — Mon, 09 May 2022 11:59:52 GMT

We will probably have post travel slump tomorrow, but it's so worth it.

My dh & I left home two weeks ago tomorrow to celebrate our 50th +2 anniversary as we chose to go on shutdown the day before our 50th wedding anniversary because of Covid 19.

The plan was to go out to a nice restaurant for dinner, go dancing to the place where we went to on our wedding night and take a two weeks road trip to Louisiana as it's the only state we haven't been to.

We live in S. WI & got to Louisiana last week. We had two great meals and a nice motel. We spent 3 days on the Natchez Trace Pkwy which was a lot of fun.

We are now in Branson, MO & looking forward to a good breakfast at the motel.

Then driving as safely as we can and get back home sometime tomorrow.

Glenda

Re: Post Travel Slump

Nataliesgramma — Mon, 09 May 2022 12:04:54 GMT

I know the feeling...all the planning and excitment and then it is over.....

Re: Post Travel Slump

LindaSal — Mon, 09 May 2022 12:59:49 GMT

Actually I still love to travel and I have missed it immensely! We actually leave on Saturday for the Azores and I cannot wait. It's only a week, that feels short as we generally travel for 2 or 3 weeks at a time. Trying to ease back into it though. We haven't really traveled since April of 2019 so we feel a bit rusty. I have never felt any kind of slump when I get home. I just get into the frame of mind I need to be in for the present.

Such as "woohoo, it's laundry time" LOL!

Re: Post Travel Slump

nyc1 — Mon, 09 May 2022 13:18:09 GMT

I really miss traveling. Our last trip was to London and Paris... with a riverboat cruise up the Seine. LOVED IT. Then our Greek Island trip in 2020 was cancelled. I have not booked us for a major trip yet because I'm still not comfortable doing so. We are going to NY the end of Sept to visit my sister, family and friends. CAN'T WAIT. That will be only a 5 day trip. Before we make any arrangements or book anything we check to make sure our Airedale can go to her regular boarding facility. They are wonderful... very small and owned by people who are major dog lovers, trainers and trustworthy.

With a short trip like that, I'm fine getting home and going back to work the next day. If we are going on a longer trip, I like a day in between our return and going back to work for the reasons you mention. Unpack (in the garage ... nothing comes into the house until it's washed), laundry, etc. When we take our short trips (like to NY) we always come home early enough so we can pick up our baby the same day. On the longer ones, that's normally the first thing we do the next day.

Since I haven't travelled since the end of 2019, I'm not not sure how I'll react, but I hope I'll spring back into action like I used to. We are all so different. As long as you eventually get back into your routine, give youself the time you need to do so.

Re: Post Travel Slump

millieshops — Mon, 09 May 2022 13:19:48 GMT

What I remember most from the years we traveled often is that I loved pulling away from home but liked returning even more! For me, it didn't seem to make a difference in my feeling whether we were setting out for weeks dragging a trailer behind the pickup or heading out in the car on a weekend trip closer to home.

Re: Post Travel Slump

Jacie — Mon, 09 May 2022 13:37:16 GMT

I travel occasionally. My issue is with air travel. The last couple of times, my short 3 hour flights turned into 15 to 18 hours of a travel day. I said no more with that particular airline. Switched airlines and upgraded to first class.

I am a much happier traveler when I don't spend days sitting at the airport! I come home and am ready to go on with my life again! No slump.