The Hit List - Settling back in after traveling

One of the hardest parts of traveling isn’t the actual travel part. It’s the settling back in after traveling. You know what I mean: you come home after a blissful week away and now you stare at the stack of mail piled high on your kitchen table while two cats, desperate for attention, circle your feet like sharks hungry for blood. Plus, you’re tired from the plane, dehydrated, and dreading the unpacking not to mention all those emails you had the privilege to ignore while you’ve been away.

And then there is a work day straight ahead.

All of that.

This used to stress me out terribly and it often took a full week before I felt like myself. Heck, I needed a vacation after the vacation! But no more. I’ve developed a routine that allows me to slide back into “real life” with as much grace as possible.

Here’s how to come back to the regular world right after traveling:

Try to manage your travels so that your return home is during the morning or early afternoon if possible. This will allow you to have time to wind down before bed.
Have your home set up to receive you as if you had a maid. Tidy up your home before you leave for vacation. Change the bedsheets so that you have crisp ones to slide into. Stock the fridge with snacks and treats that will allow you to set up an easy no-cook meal – this will free up your evening for resting instead of cooking. Cheese, nuts, charcuterie, crackers, fruit, and crudités is perfect.
As soon as you walk in the door, unpack. Yes, this might be the last thing you want to do but when you unpack those suitcases and put them away, you’ll send a signal to your brain (and cats) that you’re home.
Take a hot shower or bath. Wash your makeup off. Put on PJs and then kick back and enjoy a light meal and a glass of wine if you’d like. If you can, hit the sack early. Resist the urge to answer emails. They can wait another day. Before bed, have a glass with some Emergen-C. This will help you stave off any airplane related sickness (I get a cold almost without fail every time I travel – this lessens it.)
Carve out a day of rest to reset your life after you return. My friend Lisa Briggs calls this a “medicine day” and it’s something that I’ve adhered to except in those rare occasions when I just can’t.
The medicine day is for easing back in. This day should not be focused on labor-intensive work. Instead, answer important emails, return a few calls, run errands, prep your office for the next day. Do some yoga, take a walk in nature, spend time with your family or four-legged friends. Eat lightly and enjoy quiet activities. Take it easy.

This is the routine that I do when I come back to the land of the living after time away. It sets me up to get my work and real live groove back in the most elegant, stress-free way.

What about you? How do you ease back after being gone?

Other stuff:

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Here are my upcoming live classes:

Intuitive Tarot Reading at New Renaissance Books. Date: Tuesday, July 3rd from 6:30 PM – 8:30 PM. Location: Portland, Oregon.

Brushes and Cards: a fun day-long event with painting + tarot. You’ll be in good hands with me and intuitive painter, Chris Zydel. Date: Sunday July 8th. Location: Oakland, California.

Pens and Cards: a day full of tarot exploration and writing with author Sarah Selecky and moi. Date: October 13th. Location: Skybarn, Prince Edward County, Ontario. Only three seats left!

Intuitive Tarot Reading at Boston Tea Room. Date: Sunday, October 14th. Location: Ferndale, Michigan.