I just recently returned from my wonderful trip I take each year with my girlfriends. It's important for me to go because it's one of the only times a year I get away with NO children. That is one of our steadfast rules...NO CHILDREN ALLOWED! And many have tried to worm their way in believe me. Even #1 son thinks he needed to accompany me this year as if he'd be missing something. This trip rejuvenates me. Makes me feel like I really AM a grown-up. Not just some extremely tall (stop snickering Mother!) person in the land of wee folk. I remember what life was like before children. The trip also gives me GIRL time. In a house with all boys, this is essential to remembering there was a time you did wear make-up. We indulge it all! Nails, pedicures, doing each other's hair, I'm sure at some point we'll even try waxing with the hotel microwave. (Look out Regina!) It makes me happy to leave life behind but by the time the trip is winding down, I can't wait to get home.
I've come to realize at the end of these trips, there seems to be a period afterwards of recouping. It's almost like having a baby where they tell you not to expect to loose all the weight you gained immediately. Expect it take as long to take off as you did putting it on those 9 months.
It takes me about as long to
recover from my trip for however long I was gone. This year, 3 days. I was worthless. Too pooped to pop. Not even a shower. The adrenaline wore off I guess. It didn't USE to be this way. Back when we were (whispered)
younger. This being our 5th year of the annual girl trip. Of course the older we get the sooner the failing starts. Our bodies start rebelling to the new "vacation" time schedule. Eyes begin to stay puffy & bloodshot well after say, 10am. Bedtimes sneak back to before 2am. There's less happy chatter amongst us. We are much less tolerant of jokes or pushy people while shopping. So by the time we are headed home, we're much worse for wear.
I think I've figured it out though. The prep for vacations takes major time & planning. It takes lists & remembering just as you lay down in bed, you HAVE to get that one thing laid out or you won't remember it. Get back up. While you're up, you could go ahead & lay out all the kids clothes for while you're gone so they don't look like homeless vagrants running loose. Back to bed. Wake up early because you KNOW you heard the trash truck coming & you better get the trash out before you leave or else the garage will REALLY stink when you get back.
All these things slowly zap you're strength beforehand, I just know it. Two nights before I left for my trip I was in bed much later than normal. Then if you counter in the late night talk/giggle fests while I gone, bedtime hasn't been right for almost a week. My body is telling me it's too old for that crap. So you go INTO the vacation already down to one engine.
The other thing I think is that when you travel, whether it be for business, pleasure, with kids (whole other ballgame folks), without or however long-you're OUT OF YOUR COMFORT ZONE. Now, I'm in no way implying we all have "issues" with this. But for example, 3 out of the 4 of us on our trip, brought our own pillows. ( a sure sign we're getting old I'd say). We have a whole drawer in the hotel full of what would we could start our own pharmacy with. Bring it all...just in case! You're not used to walking that much, wearing those shoes, sitting that much, driving that much, too hot, too cold, eating THAT food, that MUCH food, or straying from your normal routine. I
do believe there are people better at handling the adaption of traveling. But for most of us, wouldn't you say after awhile, no matter how much fun you had, you're totally ready to return to your comfort zone? Ready to get back to
your sheets, the sounds
your house makes, the temperature in the room just how
you like it?
THIS is why most of us need a vacation AFTER our vacation!
