The Vacation feeling After YOUR Vacation
Some folks are slowly creeping into traveling again now that many of the pandemic restrictions are being lifted, and others—well, they are putting the pedal to the metal and zooming (Ha, see what I did there? 🤣) to get on the next flight to somewhere far far away.
Vacations can be absolutely amazing, and let’s face it, given the year and half we’ve collectively had I think we should all be given several weeks of paid vacation to use as we see fit. Anywhoo, As I started to think about my own upcoming time off, I realized that there is so much to plan for after my actual vacation—mainly around how I can ease back into reality without disrupting the peaceful zen vibes acquired while away. Here are a few tips and things to think about that I consider before I leave for a planned vacation:
Decide how you’ll be getting home from the airport/train station, who will water your plant babies, feed/walk your fur babies and who will pick up your mail while you’re away if you’ll be gone for more than a few days.
Launder all your clothing before you leave for vacation. I typically like to do laundry on my regularly schedule chore day and 1-2 nights before my trip to keep the hamper as empty as possible.
Clean your bathroom and kitchen—When cleaning the kitchen, don’t forget to clean out the fridge of any perishable food. Seriously, do not leave produce in there especially if you’re going to be gone for an extended period of time. We’ve all been met with the unidentifiable fuzzy growth on a piece of produce that somehow rolled to the far dark abyss of the fridge even though we promised ourselves we’d cook it before it went bad. The lies we tell ourselves, smh.
The night before you leave, change your sheets/pillow cases and the morning you leave, make your bed and put our a clean towel and PJ’s for yourself. Periodt. If you’re like me, when you come home from your vacation, you’ll be welcomed by a pristine bed and it will feel divine to fall into a crisp, clean sheets of your own.
Either go grocery shopping for or prepare your favorite quick ready meal for breakfast, lunch, dinner AND favorite snacks and freeze them when possible. This way when you return from your actual vacation, you have a quick breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Oh and buy your favorite snack/wine. No one wants to come home after being away and have to figure out what to eat.
The day before you leave for your vacation or the day before you return, schedule a grocery delivery for the day after you return—(remember you already planned out breakfast, lunch, dinner and a snack before you left). It doesn’t have to be your usual intense grocery list, just enough for a few days so you can get your feet back under you.
Take out the trash the night before, or at least move the trash bin in a place where there’s a low chance that the stench of rotting food could welcome you when you walk in the door after your trip.
Close the windows/skylights in your home and lock them—self explanatory here.
You may also want to triple check that you won’t have any large conspicuous packages delivered to your home while you’re away and if it’s unavoidable, maybe ask a friend to swing by to pick it up or reroute it to their home instead. This includes those meal kit or wine delivery services!
I like to unplug electrical items when I leave for any trip (other than the fridge). Call me paranoid, but it just gives me peace of mind. I usually do this gradually leading up to the day I leave, only keep the necessities in the bedroom and kitchen plugged in. The first day or two I start unplugging things, I’m irritated with myself, but after that it becomes habit.
Again, paranoia here—but don’t post exactly when you’re leaving or returning home all over your social pages. I get it, you want folks to know you’re a world traveller and jet setting across the globe. But you know who else loves that you’re leaving town—opportunistic burglars. If you can’t avoid posting, at the very least, put away all your easily carried valuables (think jewelry, electronics, etc.) and perhaps if you and you neighbors are amicable, you could ask them to keep an eye out on your property while you’re away.
My hope for you is that your vacation goes swimmingly and that your return home goes just as smoothly.