How to Beat Post-Travel Blues

Hey Owlets,

You know the feeling when you get home from a holiday and the reality that you have to make your own bed, do your own washing and go back to work sets in? I’m absolutely feeling that at the moment - I went for a walk yesterday and saw a cruise ship in port which unnecessarily drove the point home a little further. With that in mind I’ve been doing just about everything to fight off the feelings of wanderlust, so here’s a tried and tested guide to quell the post-travel blues.

Learn to Cook Food from your Holiday

One of the strongest reminders of holiday is the food you eat while you’re there - I still remember something I had on holiday with my parents 15 years ago. You might not be able to cook the exact meal you had on holiday, but learning to cook at least something from the cuisine of the country you visited will help to keep the post-holiday blues away for a little bit longer.

Listen to Holiday Music

I was going to say listen to that country’s music, but these days it can be a little harder to find. Thanks to the internet even if you look up the country’s charts you’re probably just going to find the same songs from the same big American artists across all of the charts lists. I remember the first time I went to Spain I’d expected to hear Spanish music playing everywhere, just like I’d listened to at home growing up; actually the first song I heard walking into a Spanish bar was Angels by Robbie Williams - not very latin. Even if you’ve not heard much of the country’s music, there’s probably a few songs that have followed you throughout your holiday, and listening to those will remind you of the memories attached to them from your trip. Make a playlist of all the songs you heard, then sit back and enjoy the memories; it’ll feel almost like you’re back there, except it’s not sunny and you had to get your own drink.

Sort Through your Photos

You’ve taken hundreds of photos to preserve the memories from your trip, but I bet they’re just going to sit on your phone and you’ll do nothing with them until you dig them out to to show someone maybe 6 months later. Instead of forgetting about them, take some time to go through and choose your favourites - either save them to a separate folder and post a few on Instagram, or print them and either frame them or put a proper album together. It used to be that film was expensive so every photo was treated with care and given attention - now it’s so easy to take photos they’re mostly ignored and almost never printed out. Taking some time to look through them will keep you happier for longer, and seeing them printed out around your house will make you smile whenever you notice them.

Watch Youtube Videos

You might have filmed a few random videos on your holiday, but watching those isn’t going to keep you happy for long. Go on Youtube and look for videos, either of where you’ve been or just watch your favourite travel vloggers to get inspiration for your next trip. I know it’s not as good as travelling but it will help to keep the blues at bay for a while, and planning your next trip will give you something to look forward to. If you don’t know where to start then try searching the country/city you visited then fall down the rabbit hole of recommended videos for a bit of escapism for a few hours.

Plan your Next Trip

Don’t lie, you’ve come home from your amazing trip and you’re already thinking about where you want to go next time. Okay you might not be able to afford to book it right now or be able to get the time off work for ages, but starting to plan it will get you excited for the next trip and will distract you from missing being away. When you’re planning your trip choose a few different countries that you’d love to visit, start to look at what cities you’d most like to see in those countries and then start researching what’s in that city. Look at hotels in the area so you can save time when it comes to actually booking your trip - usually hotels are cheaper the earlier you book them so doing the research now could save you money when you’re ready to book. Also make sure you take some time to look at what there is to do within the city/area you’re looking to visit - you can either make a rough itinerary or just list what you’d like to see while you’re there, because finding things you’d love to do will help you get excited for the trip.

I know I’m just scratching the surface with what you can do to feel like you’re still travelling when you’re stuck at home, but I’ve tried to stick to the tips that work the best for me. If you have more suggestions then I’d love to hear them, please leave them in the comments below, or message me on Facebook or Twitter. 

I know that right now it feels like years until your next trip but I promise it will fly by, and you’ll be back on that plane or cruise ship before you know it.

Love and Feathers, 

 The Owlet 💜 

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