How to Keep Your Vacation Going After You Get Home

By Jessica Russo


The post-vacation blues are real. Being home feels good – for about 5 minutes – before you start missing the magical destination you just left. While you will have to snap back to reality (eventually), here’s how to stretch out your vacation just a little bit longer - days after you unpack.


Go out to eat

Or, try out recipes from your most recent travel destination!

C'mon - your fridge is empty anyway! If your wallet allows, try not to cook for a few days after vacation. Not only is going out to dinner fun and romantic, but the feeling of other people taking care of you is downright relaxing. For an added bonus, try to eat the same way you did on vacation. Did you travel to Thailand? Try a new Thai restaurant in your area! Did you pair a cornetto with a cappuccino for breakfast in Italy? Head to a cute bakery to start your day the same way.

If you've spent too much money on vacation already (we've all been there), look up some recipes and create your own versions of dishes you tried abroad. Head to your local supermarket or a foreign specialty store, find the same spices & produce, and bring the country you just left into your own kitchen!

Listen to the music you listened to on your trip

Let's say you just came home from Scotland. Turn on some fiddley folk or bagpipe music and pretend you're in a Scottish pub! Whether you're relaxing at home or taking a long drive, there's nothing like a little music to take you back to your recent trip.


Watch movies set in your recently visited destination

It's a really fun feeling when you're watching a movie and are able to say, "Hey, we were just there!" Take Paris, for example. A night or two after you come home from your vacation, pop in a movie, like Woody Allen's Midnight in Paris. As you watch, keep an eye out for places you visited! This is a really fun way to relive your recent memories.

Keep exploring

Stay active and plan fun things to do around your neighborhood! Ride bikes through a park you've never been to, pack a picnic, check out a local museum, or find a cute nearby town to explore. Even though these activities may not leave you with the same awe that a hike through the Alps would, it'll still feel vacation-like to spend a day out trying new things.


Unplug

Try your best not to check text or emails - especially not work emails. Who says you have to alert your family, friends, and colleagues that you're back from vacation? Give yourself a few days of peace and quiet before jumping right back into reality.

Flip through photos

If you're anything like us, you take a lot of photos on vacation. So many, that they start to get lost in your camera's gallery. I took 2,400 photos?! Yes, and it's okay.

While it's great to capture every memory of your trip, you'll have to sort through them and edit the ones you like. Which do you want to post on social media? Which do you want to send to family and friends? Which do you want to print? Take a few days to go through your photos. Laugh, smile, and say "aw" as you scroll through warm memories of your vacation. First it'll make you feel like you're back there, and then it'll make you reflect on your journey.


Sip similar cocktails

Many countries are known for having a "drink" - like an Aperol Spritz in Italy or a Pisco Sour in Peru. Have a little fun and learn how to make your country's "drink," or head out to a local bar and see if they know how to master it. Nothing can lift your spirits like spirits!

Take a few extra days off

Taking time off is hard, but if you're able to, you owe yourself a few extra days off. Make these days relaxing - don't stress yourself out with piles of laundry and long grocery shopping lists! You can do those things when you're ready and rejuvinated. For the first couple of days, just relax. Hey, you're still on vacation!

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