We’ve all been there: you return from a fantastic trip and struggle to reincorporate yourself back into the daily grind. Unfortunately, I seem to be struggling a bit more than usual on my reintroduction to society!
I was driving to work this morning and found myself incredibly frustrated with the traffic….and the noise….and the flashing lights at the school zone. Seriously?! Who hates on a school zone?! Then, I went to CrossFit for the first time in 12 days and totally got annihilated with the workout. I’m pretty sure my legs atrophied from sitting in the boat last week because it has been awhile since I’ve suffered that much during a WOD.
Is this whining? Maybe, but not intentionally. It’s just weird to me that I’m experiencing such a “come down” from a mere week-long adventure. I remember coming back to the States after my year of cycling and South American adventure, and I really struggled. I think it took me a good 4-6 weeks before I felt comfortable and reinstated in my previous life. Granted, I was gone for 13 months; to me, this is a justifiable time period. Ten days in Alaska is not!
In all honesty, I think I quickly adapted to the dead silence of such a deserted piece of wilderness like Gates of the Arctic. We all noted there was even less animal chatter than expected and there were plenty of times when the air was deafeningly quiet. I suspect that most animals (aside from those silly grizzlies!) don’t even waste there time with such a remote part of the country because it’s too cold and there is nothing to eat. In short, they are far smarter than us!
Will and I have also noticed that we have come back to darkness which is utterly bizarre. When did the sun start setting so early?! Again, we were only gone for a week so maybe we’re crazy. However, after sleeping outdoors in a world that never truly gets dark, our current 8pm sunset seems plain silly. I could not fall asleep on Monday night, finally drifting away after midnight. I jumped awake at 4am and could never go back to sleep. Will found me at 6:45am yesterday morning, watching MTV’s The Challenge while drinking my third cup of coffee. He asked when I woke up, and I felt like responding that I had never truly gone to sleep!
PS Not to worry– Alaska recap is coming! I need to get photos sorted, and more importantly, I want Will to get HIS photos sorted! I think the stories will start coming next week!
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Do you ever experience major vacation “come down” mode?
19 Comments
A few winters ago I spent 8 weeks straight snowboarding. Even though I was still around my home area and with the same people, I had a miserable time adjusting back to normal life. I couldn’t handle how sedentary everyone was, how noisy home suddenly seemed (actually haven’t recovered from that one yet), and the total lack of sociable strangers (if you say ‘hello’ at a ski area – you get a greeting back; normal world – look of shock). Definitely not the same situation at all, but I know how you feel.
I think this is a truly universally relatable topic. The come down from a vacation is an every time thing for me, actually. Especially when my vacation takes me away from people and to the nature I so desparately love. Your trip must have felt an oasis of pristine beauty…and your pictures bear this out. I especially relate to your waking and not being able to fall back asleep. This malady strikes me quite often (just yesterday morning, to be honest), though for me it is not a product of vacation come down. For me, it’s generally due to an overly evocative dream which got my heart pumping. I look forward to your other posts on Alaska, as well as the pictures! Especially any pictures of the wildlife.
Agh! Unfortunately, we didn’t get any photos of the wildlife– the grizzly happened so fast! Well, I do have one of a moose that I can share 🙂
I guess not. My vacations are never that long……maybe one day……
Oh I feel ya. You had one heck of an adventure, so it’s understandable for sure! Loving those photos, btw. Tell me Will definitely brought his camera to document the trip??
Yes ma’am! I think he took ten photos for every one of mine, which should put his total right over 1000 🙂 There will be plenty!
A few years ago, we took a month off and cycled across Europe. It was amazing, but yes, coming back to the normal world was so weird. All that stuff in our flat, all those clothes that I had, so much food in the fridge. I vowed to simplify, but never really managed it. I think your feelings are pretty normal!!!
I think it makes sense – I get extra frustrated with life/noise/traffic when I’m only gone for a weekend. With such a major change in scenery I’d imagine getting back into real life is about more than just dealing with work responsibilities and actually doing laundry.
Good luck readjusting…and more photos please! 🙂
Promise, they’re coming next week! 🙂
Yes, and as I get older, it takes longer to get “reintroduced” into my own life. My solution is to head to a quiet park or museum.
It’s definitely a real thing; I’ve certainly experienced the phenomenon. Adjusting your circadian rhythm to the change in daylight hours could certainly contribute to the harshness of it all. My prognosis: a post-vacation vacation! Or staycation, playcation, daycation – whichever brings you back to center. Maybe another peak-bagging weekend with Tals is in order! (And Will, too.)
I think we’re digging the staycation– lots of time at home this weekend!
Attagirl. I’m sure writing about it helps too. Goodbye, post-vaycay funk!
While I’ve never had it quite this bad when we came back to Italy I just found myself in an overall funk that I just couldn’t shake. Took me a good week. Hope it doesn’t take you that long!
oh see?
you hath found my WAAH I NEVER GET AWAY silver lining!!
🙂
I absolutely get where you’re coming from. I always experience this after vacation, and it’s especially bad after an extended backpacking trip. It is hard to come back to civilization after being out in the backcountry for days on end. Especially when the backcountry is the home I prefer 🙂
I always feel like a little off after a vacation, no matter how short it is. I figured it was an introvert thing, because I just need to recharge and embrace quiet time for a day or two.
Looking forward to your Alaska stories (not to mention photos)!
I can identify with this like crazy. We had one day after our ten day vacation and then began the school year. It’s like, on one hand, you don’t want to be whining about having had an amazing vacation, and you know you are grateful, but on the other hand….wtf do you mean my one and only goal every day isn’t to decide what will be the most fun activity? What do you mean if I want to eat I have to cook for myself? It’s a bummer for sure!
i hear ya – when we got out of the boundary waters on friday, it was so weird to be able to check our emails, make phone calls and to see people! after 6 days of seeing only ourselves, it was kind of weird to encounter people again. and even just being gone for a week, so much has changed on our drive home on co blvd – lots of construction progress! it’s crazy how much can happen in a week (while everything stays the same for those of us out of service).