Stream of Consciousness Sunday: Overcoming Post-Vacation Anxiety

For probably the 4th year in a row, we were able to plan a weeklong escape to Florida right when winter seemed to have us in its clutches. I know I’ll be going back to it but I feel ready to face the inevitable end of winter. I cam practically hear the robins singing and see the trees beginning to bud. Once the snow melts, that is.

Here’s my 5 minute brain dump…

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I feel fortunate to have the opportunity to travel. Sometimes it’s for work and sometimes it’s simply for pleasure. And this past week it was simply for vacation. It was new adventures (Universal) combined with familiarity (Disney) and I took a break from almost everything.

I ate too much, I drank too much, and I barely posted any photos. Not because I wasn’t enjoying myself. It was that I really wanted to focus on the moment. The phone came out off and on and I posted a few pictures of me in a really happy moment, like when I discovered Butter Beer and proceeding to drink 3 1/2 over the course of 3 days.

When I posted the picture, I had LOTS of comments about the Butter Beer (a lot of people love it but there is a debate over whether cold, frozen, or warm is the best). But the one comment that stuck with me was from my friend Andrea who simply said, “You look so relaxed!” I flippantly replied, “It’s because I’m on vacation!”

But I looked at the picture again and said to myself, I do look relaxed. And that’s why I love trips and vacations that are a totally immersive experience. Yesterday, as the cold crept into Florida and the wind started kicking up, it was as if nature was reminding me that all good things must come to an end. And with it came heart palpitations. I didn’t feel nervous or anxious but as our flight time grew closer and closer, the palpitations increased.

My goal is to find a way to immerse myself in the joys of everyday life. Once I figure out how to do that, I think I’ll write a book on it.