Home Sweet Home After a Trip

Going away on a trip has its good and not-so-good points, depending on the reason for the travel, the destination and the mode of transportation with its various complications. One thing’s for sure, it’s nice to come home after a week in another world. The re-entry into the atmosphere can be a little tricky after being gone more than a couple of days.

Here are some tips for making the transition as smooth as possible:

• Give yourself and your family grace. It takes us a week to get back into a routine and feel like the fog has cleared.
• Plan on easy meals for a couple of days after you get home. Paper plates are good.
• Unpack immediately. If it’s late or you’re tired, first thing next morning. Don’t continue to live out of your suitcase after you get home.
• Put your suitcase away (most of our big suitcases are stored in the attic).
• Connect with your family. Spend time getting all the details of what happened while you were gone, go out to dinner with your husband, read aloud to your children.
• Realize that you’ll be more tired than usual. Novel idea: rest.
• Re-hydrate: drink plenty of water, take your supplements to recover.
• Tie up loose ends within a day or two of arriving home, while the trip is fresh in your mind. Keep track of expenses, look over and file your notes if you attended an event, write in your journal.
• Do your laundry. And put it away.
• Know that adjustments are normal. After going out to eat and having someone else make your bed for a few days, you may sigh when it’s time to return to real life.  But don’t water and fertilize thoughts of self-pity or overwhelm.

Being in a new place and situation for a while can help us appreciate our home and family. Getting out of the routine gives us new perspective, but it might cause some turbulence in the routine when you get home. Don’t get discouraged. Take it for what it is, do the best you can and know that productive days are just ahead.

Your re-entry into the atmosphere of home may take some adjustments and extra work, but it won’t be long before you’re flying high after your travels!

I bet you have some tips to share on what to do when you get home from a trip.  Please leave a comment below….