I have summer of 2026 planned out, almost to the T. When I throw this around casually in conversation, it usually stops the flow. “You what? You already have your trips planned for a year from now?”
I won’t tell them I have 2027 scheduled, too.
But the thing is, all that planning means I get to spend a year looking forward to the trip. Reading menus. Watching YouTube reviews. Researching the yoga classes nearby. There’s so much anticipation going into a trip for me, that the post-vacation crash? It can hit really hard.
So what am I supposed to do, live in my feelings, process them, and settle back into an unremarkable every day? Not on your life. Instead, I’ve got *solutions*.
I’m an action-oriented person, and I feel better taking action—any action, really—to help serve and support my feelings. Does this include post-trip sadness? You better believe it.
Here’s what I do when I’m feeling those post-vacation blues, and I’m struggling leaving Italian coastlines and mountain hikes and sandy beachfront bedrooms for strip malls, deadlines, and Applebee’s(es).
1. Luxuriate in your memories from the trip.
Though it might seem counterintuitive, really soaking up the love from your recent trip can be a powerful transition back to real life. This process can really engrain the experiences you had, too, as you reflect back on the memories made, the beauty experienced, the transcendental food and drinks.
Look at your photos, share them with friends, make a book. Really memorialize what you loved about the trip and take this time to formally catalogue it in your mind and body.
After one particularly special trip, my parents gathered us all to witness a little Powerpoint they’d made. What I thought was cringe then now seems brilliant, and to make a night of it? Perfection. Serve food and drinks inspired by what you ate, drank, and experienced, and your friends and family will be more than happy to look at all your photos of that waterfall/art gallery/street cat/panna cotta.
2. Plan a New Trip
Um, OK, yes, so you’re going to need a new trip on the books.
Science is with me here. Research shows that having something to look forward to can be just as powerful as the trip itself. And this, this is why I book so far ahead! I likely get as much enjoyment out of looking ahead to the experience as I do from the moments themselves.
I’m truly not over here advocating overspending and overdoing. Having any sort of trip or retreat on the books can help remind you that there will always be something worth looking forward to, no matter how hard the comedown is from an epic trip.
Monthlong odyssey across Africa, hitting 9 different countries? Amazing.
Road trip to a lake with a tiny cottage and no access to Instacart? Love.
Staycation and DIY wellness retreat at home? It counts!
As long as you’re looking forward to it, you’re able to shift your focus from what you’re bummed about missing to what else there is to be excited about.
Pro tip: Make an event out of planning a new trip. Invite your partner for “trip-planning date night,” open a bottle, Airplay your laptop to the TV, and open up your favorite hotel-booking site.
Expert tip: Money saved on this at-home date night is immediately deducted from the cost of the trip. This is math; I don’t make the rules.
3. Incorporate touches and memories from your trip.
What’s healthier than moving on with newfound memories and appreciation? Not moving on at all! Come try and pry small touches from my trip out of my clenched fist. Just try!
I find that reliving a little slice of your experience helps dampen the mourning, and I often incorporate little pieces into my daily life as I transition. Things like:
A Disney World hotel’s splash screen on loop from YouTube as my background music while I work
A special cocktail or wine, like this maple cream liqueur I picked up in Canada, or a dry chianti after an Italian getaway
Trying a new recipe or food that you discovered while away, like tartine (a portion of baguette cut in half, slathered with butter and good jam) for breakfast after a trip to Paris or poutine after a venture up to Canada
Displaying souvenirs, like tea towels from Portugal or drinking out of a tumbler you had all the Disneyland characters sign
Make it less about accepting reality quite poorly and more about… these new experiences truly becoming part of your new, everyday life.
4. Host a “miss you” dinner or party.
OR maybe just go all in, with an “I miss you” dinner or party with your friends and family (or your partner or just your dog). Throw one last hurrah in honor of your Beloved Place™, and pull out all the stop.
This might be a dinner party to celebrate your trip to Italy with…
aperol spritzes and aperitif classics, like potato chips, olives, and nuts
a simple Caprese salad
spaghetti alla vongole
panna cotta
Maybe you had a fantastic time in Mexico, so have your friends over for…
agua de sandía
enchiladas verdes
frijoles charros
pastel de tres leches
And when we get back from our big, annual Disney World trip, we always end up throwing a “fireworks party”:
totchos - a copycat of one of my favorite dishes at Hollywood Studios
avocado margarita - like the one at Epcot
Mickey ice cream bars that we eat while we watch a YouTube video of the Happily Ever After fireworks, then…
a few ride POV videos for good measure
Are we back at Disney World? No. Is it a better, softer transition back to real life? Absolutely.
5. Recover
Most of my vacations are not, um, relaxing. There’s too much to see, do, discover! I usually sleep a little less—largely due to my children’s inability to respect the“we’re staying up later so we’re sleeping later” laws of the universe—and move my body a lot. I always find that when I come home, I’m truly beat.
Even after our recent trip to Club Med in Canada, where we stayed on property and just took yoga and exercise classes, got massages, sat in the sauna, and ate a lot, I was completely wiped. I gave myself permission to have a soft landing by sleeping in, chilling a little more, taking magnesium-spiked baths, and going out for dinner the first night back. I didn’t punish my body with excessive workouts or detox diets, and I didn’t guilt myself about cooking “healthy food” at home our first day back, even though it landed on our standing date night for the week. We went out, talked about the trip, and ordered dessert.
Don’t be too harsh with yourself. You deserved time away, and you deserve a gentle transition back, too. You don’t have to pay for indulgence, just make small, subtle changes and choices as long as you need to until you feel well balanced again.
5. DIY a Wellness Retreat
Really craving a day to burrow into quiet recovery? You need a wellness retreat, my friend!
OK, so maybe after a jaunt halfway across the world (or to like, Florida, or whatever), you can’t justify an entire day spent at the spa. And that’s good, because what we need is a multi-faceted, super cozy retreat that can only really happen in a flexible home space.
Think:
digital detox
a yoga, fitness, or cycling class
intentional food that nourishes your body
an “everything shower”
super chill spa tunes
journaling
an early bedtime
I’m publishing an entire article on how to DIY a delicious wellness retreat soon, so make sure you subscribe!
I wrote this piece at the Club Med spa, staring at the mountains and river in a robe, with a cup of hot tea in hand, so I really borrowed every element of a high-end wellness experience to inspire you.
Again? You deserve this—not punishment!—because you already work so hard. You don’t have to earn your recovery, as well, just because you’re “supposed to” come home refreshed. That’s just not how travel works.
6. Romanticize Your Real Life
Make a list of the things you love doing at home—the little rituals, cozy habits, and everyday joys that make you feel like you. It’s easy to forget how good life already is when we’re always chasing what’s next.
Then—and this is the important part—actually do them.
That matcha spot you love? Go.
The book that’s been sitting on your nightstand for weeks? Marked as “currently reading” in GoodReads.
Dinner on the patio with candles, even if it’s a random Tuesday? Light them up. Pour the rosé!
Fresh flowers next to your bathroom sink? Magic.
You don’t need a special occasion or hyped-up trip to enjoy your life. There’s so much beauty in it already.
7. Refresh Your Space
You know how hotel rooms feel crisp, clean, and uncluttered? Recreate that energy at home. Wash your sheets, declutter your nightstand, add a fresh candle, or rearrange a corner.
What I’m not promoting:
purging
minimalism
I know it can’t be just me who’s super overwhelmed by the minimalism push we get from social media, and I’m here to tell you it’s totally OK to collect stuff that you love and make a space that feels like you.
And purging? I better clear my week once I get started. No, there’s no pressure here. Just tidy up the things that make you feel a bit stressed, add a few luxe touches (And Trader Joe’s has a ton of super affordable options)…
and clean sheets always help.
The feeling of slipping into your crisp, cool bed after nights spent away? Nothing beats it.
8. Move Your Body, Gently
Whether you’ve been off your workout game or just got back from walking 10 miles a day in Paris, gentle movement is the reset your body and mind are craving. Go for a walk, do some light stretching, or roll out your mat for a grounding yoga flow.
I say often that I can’t fathom feeling how I do pre-workout for the entire day. My mood before endorphins and after? Totally Dr. Jekyll, Mr. Hyde. I really prefer Mr. Hyde, especially when I’m in need of some recovery (and, uh, probably a few extra veggies) and feeling a little emotional in the post-trip comedown period.
9. Unpack Intentionally
Not just your suitcase — unpack the experience. What about this trip did you just love? What surprised you? Did you break out of your comfort zone? How did it feel when you did?
What felt like you that you want to bring home? What did you learn, find, or discover that inspired you?
Now’s a lovely time to journal, as you transition from Vacation You to your homebody. You’ll naturally curl into yourself a little more as you shift back to the everyday, so do some on-paper/in-app reflecting.
Journal prompts:
What parts of this trip do I want to borrow and weave into my real life?
What surprised me about myself while I was away?
What did I miss while I was gone?
What was I so glad to be away from?
10. Add Something New to Your Routine
Now use that reflection to fuel action! Traveling can push you out of your comfort zone and leave you primed and ready to make changes at home. It’s easier to shift now than when you’re back on autopilot, so use that momentum to try something new.
Try:
a new class,
hobby,
routine,
language, or
project.
If you can be intentional about how you come back, you can grow from your experiences and get excited about the changes to come. Much like having a trip on the books to look forward to, the promise of a life that looks more like the you you want to be can be the exhilaration you need.
Don’t Wait for Joy
Vacation is just as much of a mindset as it is a destination. On trips, you probably feel completely OK with skipping a 5 AM run, having pancakes with real maple syrup on a Tuesday every dang day in Canada, reading a chapter of your book in the middle of the afternoon, or luxuriating in your dinner (with mood lighting and wine!).
But here’s the thing: You don’t need a flight or hotel key to live this slower, softer life. You just need permission, and guess what! You already have it.