I love traveling, I do. The sights and experiences we collect on our little (and not-so-little) trips feed my adventure-loving heart, stretch my sightline, and assure me that we are doing at least this one thing well with our children. Travel nudges all the sameness out of my life and fills the empty spaces with its chameleon marvelscape. It expands me, us. Yet, every time we return home, I find myself noticeably detached from life. Even little chores seem insurmountable. I stare right past the girls. My mind refuses to make decisions, preferring instead to hide under its bed binging on jelly beans. And I don’t even like jelly beans.
I don’t think it’s your garden variety post-vacation slump. Rather, I suspect it has everything to do with the introvert in me being swept away from her routines and cherished pockets of solitude. If I don’t connect with myself, I can’t connect with my family or my goals or the lid to my spring-loaded intention, and blargh, sometimes I’d really love to trade myself in for a newer model. At least five times a day, if you want to know the truth.
I’ve been troubleshooting the last two days to find out what helps get me back on track and feeling a little sheepish that I didn’t already know. (To-do lists? No. The Beatles? Yes. Early o’clock bedtime? Yes. Coffee? Depends. Harry Potter? Sadly, no.) My mind has already relinquished the jelly beans, so it shouldn’t be too long before I can tell you about our weekend getaway. Sneak preview: There was no Capri after all, but there were seaside hikes and 2,000-year-old ruins and lapfuls of lemons and assassin shrubbery. Stay tuned.
::looks forward to next post with great anticipation::
Whoa! that is one seriously scary plant! I almost expected to see a sleestack after that! 😀
I just got home tonight. It is 2:35 am. I decided to read all of my most important blogs so I could feel connected before I go to bed. I couldn’t wait to get home to have my alone time back, and to sleep in my OWN bed! Can’t wait to hear about your adventures!