We've given you loads of travel inspiration this month but what about when you return home? Let's face it, coming back home can be the worst part of a vacation. Here are some tips to help with a smooth reentry back to everyday life.
• Unpack right away. Throw your dirty laundry in the machine and put your toiletries back in the medicine cabinet. If you brought back souvenirs, find a place to temporarily stow them until you're ready to find them a permanent home.
• If at all possible, give yourself a recovery day before going back to work. Arriving home at 11PM and then being expected at work at 8AM the next day is one quick way to kill the vacation buzz.
• Follow the time zone. If you traveled across many time zones, try to jump right back into your home time. Go to bed at your regular time and get up when you usually do the next morning.
• Upload your vacation photos to your computer. You may have to wait to go through them, but getting them off the camera and onto your hard drive is half the battle.
• Order your favorite carry-out meal. Ah, the familiar tastes of home. While you're unpacking and settling back in, order your favorite meal to be delivered.
• Schedule a grocery delivery. Chances are your fresh produce and milk didn't survive while you were away. Consider ordering groceries to be delivered the day you return or the next morning. Nothing makes you feel more at home than a fully stocked refrigerator.
• Sit down and go through your mail. I prefer to open the bills (and other bad news) first and save all the good news (magazines and letters) for last.
• Wash away the travel stress. A long hot bath or shower and your favorite, most comfortable clothes (or even your birthday suit) will help you feel right at home.
MORE TRAVEL TIPS ON APARTMENT THERAPY
• Don't Forget: Checklist for the Perfect Getaway
• The Organized Traveler: Packing Tips
• 5 Tips for Packing Light
Image: Flickr member bluebirdsandteapots licensed for use by Creative Commons
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Comments (16)
I'm usually ready to come home after a vacation. It's going back to work that I have a hard time with.
If I'm staying someplace that has laundry, I wash my clothes before I head back home so once I unpack, I'm simply putting fresh clothes away.
The only way to deal with coming home from vacation is to not come home from it at all.
#vaca4eva
Great tips! I always look forward to sleeping in my own bed after time away.
WEll I would add to make sure your house is straight and clean before you leave because it is great to come home to a clean house.
WEll giving yourself a day at home before you go back to work would be nice but if you only have 2 weeks vacation a year and you want to see the world then that isn't realistic.
I find you can elongate that vacation feel by sharing pictures with all your colleagues and friends. It's a win-win situation. They haven't seen you a while and want an update, and you have these awesome stories to tell them.
Definitely, take a shower, order in dinner, unpack. The mail can wait another day. It's never good news, especially bills.
Good grief, sometimes I wonder if I lived any place with grocery delivery, if I would ever go anywhere at all.
@Ingdesign-- I've tried that, but then wondered too much about what the TSA does to luggage. And what's down in the baggage hold on the plane...
Good advice. I got back Sunday after a long weekend and my suitcase is still sitting open on the floor of my closet - still not unpacked! But, I have washed the dirty stuff. I use hotel laundry bags to store worn items - which makes it a since to pull them out of the case and in to the wash. Now to do the ironing ....
Agreed - the key to easing back into everyday life is to leave everything clean and tidy before you go. I like to unpack in my spare bedroom so I can sort the laundry into loads (whites, colours, delicates, etc) so I can do it over the course of a few days, as I only have limited space for drying. I like to come back on a Saturday, order in for that evening, go out for brunch on Sunday morning and do a big supermarket sweep afterwards. It's nice then to cook something homely and simple for supper in the evening.
I've found that if I schedule myself to come back to work on a Thursday or Friday, the following week isn't so long and difficult.
Grocery delivery? If you're under 65 and don't live in big shiny city where might someone find that? Sometimes I wonder if your writers are aware there are places in the country besides Chicago, NYC, LA and Boston.
Schwan's has delivered to my suburban neighborhood for at least 15 years. Now there's AmazonFresh in Seattle
Nobody's delivering in Vermont unfortunately.
Walmart and Amazon are good for home delivery of shelf goods - and delivery nationally.
Schwanns is great for meats, snacks.
I use all three.
Grocery delivery is not realistic for the majority. And lots of people never order out. I try to have the pantry and freezer stocked so something simple and comforting can be easily prepared. I also make sure my outfit for returning to work the next morning is ready BEFORE I leave on my trip. No rush to do laundry then.