I love taking vacations.  Hubby didn’t know this fact about me when we got married, but he sure learned it quickly afterwards when I constantly talked about taking another trip.  Now that we have kids, it’s a little harder to travel, but we still try to do overnighters or weekend getaways when we can.  I had heard though that vacationing with kids is just living life in a different place.  I’ve found it to be true.  We definitely can’t be as spontaneous as before, sleep in late, or eat whatever, whenever we feel like it.  We have to keep to a certain schedule so we can make sure the munchkins are well-fed and not overly tired.  But I have to admit that even with its limitations, life in a different place is still more fun (who doesn’t love having your bathroom cleaned and meals cooked by someone else?).   

So we just returned from a weekend in Monterey, our home away from home.  Just as I was finally feeling relaxed and carefree (as much as a square person can be carefree!), it was time to go home.  On the drive back, the looming tasks of laundry, cooking and cleaning started piling up in my mind and stress started crawling back into my system.  I couldn’t help but get wound up all over again (well, I guess I could help it, but old habits are hard to break).  Sadly, I think I’ve discovered the downside to my love of vacations – the post-vacation blues.  Returning home after a trip is like a rude awakening, kind of like being treated as royalty for a short while and then getting dethroned to a servant.  I think even the kids get the blues too; on our trip they only had one meltdown each, but when we got back, they became puddles of exhaustion and frustration. 

So does this mean it’s better to not take vacations?  Hm…I don’t think so, haha.  That would mean being wound up all the time and never getting a break from every day life.  Maybe the key to the post-vacation blues is to take more trips so that we get used to the cycles of highs and lows and they aren’t as shocking to our systems (hubby, if you are reading this, I am only kidding!).  In reality, taking more vacations would mean spending more money and eating more than usual, which would not be good for our pocketbook or waistlines.  I guess the only solution is to somehow bring the vacation mindset into our every day life, at least once in a while.  This could mean not being so hung up about going by the schedule all the time or letting the laundry or dirty dishes pile up a little in exchange for doing something fun.  And it certainly means changing my attitude that real life is all work and no play.

For starters, I’ll look at our Monterey pictures to help remind myself of all the fun we had and try to keep that vacation spirit alive.  If that doesn’t work, maybe I’ll start thinking about planning our next trip.  🙂

Me and E

 

Hubby and C (wearing his top)

 

Lazy Sea Lions Up Close and Personal

Here’s an oldie, but goodie – “Vacation” by the Go-go’s (and boy, am I dating myself)!

Where’s your favorite vacation spot?