Post-holiday blues, post-travel blues, post-vacation blues – call them what you will. The sense of loss can be huge when you get back from a particularly stimulating trip, whatever its length. You are experiencing a type of grief, a bereavement, and it is no wonder you are depressed. So, embrace those feelings, and turn them into something positive...
1. Focus on the positive
Make a list of all the things that are good about being at home. Being reunited with family/friends/pets, being able to buy your favourite foods in the supermarket, using your own home bathroom or bedroom, having a wider range of clothes to wear, catching up with a favourite TV programme. There will be things, honest!
2. Share your experiences... in an interesting way
Engage your family and friends in your trip, by hosting a themed evening – cook a meal from ideas you picked up on your travels, serve some appropriate drinks, put on some suitable music, and teach them a local game or share a few photos. (Only a few, mind!). Whether you get them to all dress in national dress is obviously up to you!
3. Share your knowledge
Your friends will soon get bored with your amazing travel tales, but there will be other people who are heading where you were, or who want to compare their experiences. Join an online community such as myWanderlust. Fill out a Just Back From on the Wanderlust website, write up an experience or post your photos.
4. Do something special with your photos
Make a photo book of your trip; you’ll be so glad in a few years time that you did. With any particularly beautiful, evocative or funny photos, turn them into pictures for your wall, Christmas cards, greeting cards or even business cards.
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5. Expand your mind and horizons
One of the reasons you enjoyed the trip was that you were assaulted with new experiences. When you get back home, and into your comfort zone, everything seems very dull by comparison. So, use your feelings as a springboard to take up a new interest, take some day trips, find some new challenges.
6. Plan a short break
It could be close to home (it’s fun being a tourist in your own neck of the woods) or it may involve going further afield and getting on a plane. The important thing is that you try some different experiences. Even a night or two away can be really stimulating.
7. Start planning your next big adventure!
It doesn’t matter if you won’t be able to do one for months or even years. Make a list of possible destinations and experiences. Start collecting an ideas folder, use the myClippings function on wanderlust.co.uk and start dreaming…
