As I sit on the ocean front balcony (or maybe it's more like a porch) of my hotel I feel more blue than tan. It's the last morning of my family's Mazatlan, Mexico adventure and instead of being stoked to soak in this view one last time I'm mourning the loss of it. This blue hue did not just appear this morning, oh no, it started when my vacay reached the half way mark and I was suddenly closer to the end of my vacation than the beginning.
And home? It used to seem like a little slice of yumminess- our little oasis nestled in the mountains of Southern California. Home is awesome- on paper. But right now, in my mind, as I end my picturesque vacation, home sounds like a desolate location where there's no AC, no one making my bed, and I have to put clothes on over my bathing suit. Bummer-land.
What gives? How can we stop this lamenting and stay in that elusive "moment?" I say "we" because I know you know what I'm talking about. Even if you love home, you're still a little sad to leave vacation-land.
Here is what I'm going to try today to make my blue a little more teal, and turn my frown into a pucker that is drinking one last margarita on the beach.
1. Start planning the next vacation!
Knowing that this won't be the last time I'll have the opportunity to soak in water that doesn't give my goose bumps goose bumps, and eat lunch while sitting in a pool, takes the sting off. Next stop, Bali? Or maybe just Mexico again- it's cheaper.
2. Go home on not-Sunday.
Nothing hurts more than being smacked with a Monday after a week of not caring what day it is (unless of course you're tracking how much more time we have left in vacation land.) We're going home on a Saturday- thank goodness I have Sunday to reacclimatize to civilian life.
3. Remind myself that I lived in the Caribbean for three years, and after enough time, going back to Southern California was a vacation.
It's all relative. Shockingly, it is possible to tire of salty water and sand on EVERYTHING.
Someone out there likely thinks of your home as vacation-land.
4. Figure out how to make home more like a vacation.
Yeah yeah yeah, laundry, dishes, and other such muck is a must in life- but it doesn't all have to be done yesterday, or tomorrow. I'm going to set the intention now that home life will now be full of more movie nights, French toast in bed, all-day-pj-days, postponed email responses, beach days, and margaritas sipped in a kiddie pool.
5. Remind myself that I'm taking the best part of my vacation home with me. (Insert cheesy yet heartfelt I-love-my-family smile here.)
Vacations are primarily fabulous because of the people we bring with us, and the memories we make along the way. Although, one day alone at the spa-beach-"adults-only"-pool doesn't sound too bad.
I'm writing this conclusion paragraph the day after returning home from vacation and I must say, the idea of traveling back to reality is worse than the reality. Home really isn't so bad- especially when I'm sitting in bed eating that French toast while binge watching Netflix with my kiddo on a rainy day- a week of sun is exhausting.