We flew across country and the time difference was not the only adjustment we had to make. We were out of our normal schedule, sleeping in different beds, trying to work out how to get enough activity, sleep, and quiet time to cuddle and read his chapter books. It took a few tired days to sort out, but we got there. And when we hit our stride, we had an amazing time.
We walked the beach and dipped our toes in the ocean. We stayed on a friend's blueberry farm, where we wandered through the acres of bushes, picking berries and chasing dogs. We went to a Japanese garden and found parks for him to climb, slide, and burn energy. When it was time for him to go with his dad for a week of their vacation, it was hard for us to say goodbye. We'd had this precious week with old friends and all their pets and many places to see, but still, all our own.
He is doing new things, seeing the other part of his family, and I am home now in a very quiet condo, getting back to business. But since I am not ready to let go of the week we had just yet, I devised a list before I flew back home of how I would take all the good stuff we shared into my daily, hectic, over-scheduled life. That way, it won't be another year until I feel all that calmness, relaxation, and joy again.
1. Before you sort through the mail, check your email, and listen to voice messages, take a nice, long walk around the neighborhood. After sitting on an airplane for 4-1/2 hours, my body was aching and I was jittery with adrenaline. Instead of opening my laptop and bills, I immediately changed into comfortable clothes and running shoes, grabbed my iPod and walked the path in the park near my house. I told myself to walk as long as I wanted to -- which ended up being a surprising hour -- and then walked to a local take-out place to grab dinner. My body and mind felt acclimated, my muscles were looser, and I didn't have to worry about what food survived for a week in the fridge! Also, the mail and messages were all patiently waiting for me when I returned home.
If you have kids or a partner with you, this is a great time to talk about your favorite parts of the trip without the distraction of airline announcements or traffic in the background. If you have pets, this is the perfect opportunity to spend a little quality time exercising them in their own environment.
2. Let your suitcase sit for a day and make downloading your vacation photos a priority. Once you've launched back into your daily life, it can be hard to remember or even a hassle to get all those pictures off your camera and on to your computer or Facebook or Flickr account. If you do it right away, you will give your friends an update that you're back home while posting virtual "postcards" of your travels. You can also easily make one of your favorites a screen saver on your computer or wallpaper on your phone, so that those images don't leave your mind when you are back at work.
3. Bring home a simple souvenir and place it somewhere you will see it every day. A few years ago, I brought home a small rock from the beach that looks like a sweetly misshapen heart. I keep it next to my soap by the bathroom sink so I can see it every time I wash my hands and while I am getting ready to begin and end my day. It's a symbol for me of breathing deeply (like I did when I picked it up and inhaled the sea air) and of spending uninterrupted time with the people I love most (which I was doing when I was on that trip). Your souvenir can be a reminder of a particularly warm or funny moment, or just help you set your intention each morning. The best part is, a book of matches, a shell, a silly coffee mug, a map, or a brochure all work as well (maybe better) as something fancy, shiny, or expensive.
Over the years, I've eventually moved some of those souvenirs -- for me, they are almost always little beads or shells or rocks -- into a jar that sits next to my bathtub. I seem to always involuntarily sigh when I see them as I slide in for a bubble bath. Occasionally, I look over at that jar full of souvenirs and it reminds me that I could really use a vacation again. And that thought is always right.
4. Send yourself a postcard. It sounds silly, but trust me -- getting a postcard in the mail from yourself will give you a boost days after you are home and entrenched in deadlines and after-school activities and laundry. Whether you choose a cheesy postcard or one with a professional photograph of your favorite site from the trip, a simple handwritten message to yourself that says "Wish you were here!" will do it. If you are so inclined, an account of the day will be a lovely memento, too. I bet all the Canadian quarters I have left from my trip that you will smile when you see your own postcard and put it in your purse or car or somewhere you can get that boost over and over again.
5. Start planning your next trip. If you had traveling companions (even small children), talk about what you liked best, what you would change, and what the biggest challenges of your trip were. With that information, set your sites and savings on the next vacation you'd like to take. I knew that my cross-country trip would be a great test for taking my son abroad next year. But seeing how much fun we had at the ocean together made me consider Hawaii as a vacation option, too. I also realized that it would be nice for him to have another child to play with, so how to meet up with other kids or bring along friends with us will be on my mind as I dream up more traveling plans. Take notes in your BlackBerry or iPhone or day planner, or start an old-fashioned file folder to fill with research, sticky notes with ideas, and reviews you read online. Opening a special savings account or even a piggy bank for that trip will help you budget and keep the good vacation feelings focused.
6. Make your memories into a meditation. If there was a single moment from your trip that keeps coming to mind when your coworkers and friends ask you about your time off, take advantage of it by turning all those emotions into a way to help yourself relax. Before bed, get into a comfortable position, and call up that memory. Go over all the details: The way the sun felt on your face. The cool breeze that blew in and over you through the window in the bed and breakfast. How strong you felt pulling the kayak oars down the river. The humbled, peaceful feeling the memorial statue spurred in you. The grace of holding hands with your love under the table at dinner. The chirp of crickets that replaced cell phones ringing and televisions blaring.
Let your experiences away from home soothe and fuel you during your days and nights at home. Each time you connect back to those times, it will be easier and easier to let go of the everyday stresses that impact our emotional, physical, and psychological well-being. Be glad you have all those memories to meditate within your own mind and recent history.
How do you bring your vacation home with you?
Read more:
- Making meditation spaces: 4 simple steps to creating your own at home
- 3 simple ways to feel healthier right now
- De-stress your work day in 60 seconds
[photo credit: Getty Images]
