Post-Vacation Blues

I’ve decided that traveling is one of the Top #3 loves of my life, even if I usually write more about tacos and truffle fries. I love all of it: the guidebooks, the online reviews, the stories from friends, the pictures, the packing (well, maybe not the packing), the count downs, the expensive airport iced-tea, and the total awe and wonder from seeing something totally new and different. Travel gets me out of my crazy day-to-day routine of traffic and classes and clients and brings me to a deeper understanding of myself and the world around me.

My travel has increased the last couple of years with trips to Ireland, Napa, Tahiti, Canada, and Iceland and each trip has brought me something different and unexpected. But after returning from Iceland, I have to wait a while for my next trip. I don’t have many school breaks and I don’t make a ton of money and I’m beginning to diagnose myself with the post-vacation blues.

My classes are dragging on and I have no Iceland itineraries to plan. I’ve filled my picture frames and put away my suitcase. My clients need care and I’d rather be reading restaurant reviews. My commute feels long and I’m searching for travel podcasts. I’m looking ahead for something to look forward to and just see weeks and weeks of meetings and research and papers.

Some of my friends have figured out how to make travel a lifestyle: They become photographers or teach English or quit their jobs or learn to live without the luxuries of my American lifestyle. I just happened to pick a career that requires quite a bit of concentrated effort in a single location. It’s all choices and I’ve made mine and usually like them. But right now, I’m wishing my choices involved Spain and Portugal.

Any suggestions for recovering from post-vacation blues?