Home After Vacation Away – Part 1

Open your front door and freshly rediscover your home. 

Alexandra Stoddard

 

I know that a lot of us are back from our summer vacations. I know that we looked forward to our vacations as a time to have fun, to recharge, and to rekindle our hope and light. So did it work? How are we feeling now that we’re back home?

We all put a lot of hope and expectation on those two weeks. But two weeks is just not enough! How can we use the travel we’ve done as a resource when we get back home?   

I declare that we don’t have to load all of our vacation in one big bite! We can spread it throughout the year into several “nano-vacations”. We can recreate that state of mind in even the most frantically busy lives. 

I also declare that we can have these lighthearted, spontaneous feelings without spending a lot of money. We all yearn for that joyful feeling of living in the moment, carefree and at ease. Isn’t that the true spirit of vacation? 

I’d like to write a series of posts, dedicated to re-entering our lives after vacation. First of all, I think it’s really important to re-enter slowly and sweetly, savoring our memories and refusing to rush. Give yourself at least two days back at home before going back to work. The first day is for all of the home caring chores; unpacking, laundry, sorting through mail, returning calls, watering the plants, food shopping and re-stocking the refrigerator.  

The second day is for more vacation! Vacation at home. Splurge on a fancy brunch and/or go out for dinner at your favorite restaurant. Read. Read. Then read some more. Go through your pictures. Lay around. Pet the cats. Sink into a hot bath, put on a pair of pretty silk pajamas and the new earrings you bought on vacation and watch a juicy movie. (Please substitute the guy equivalent). 

One of our favorite post-vacation activities is to spread out all of the “loot” we collected; mostly small inexpensive localized things that remind us of the magical place we have just been.  We set out the plethora of postcards, small booklets from museums, colorful scarves, lotions, candles, t-shirts, a few carefully chosen new outfits, small gifts and jewelry by the fireplace where I can see it from my meditation perch.  We leave it all there for at least a couple of weeks.  It is a delightful reminder of our trip, displayed front and center in our living room. 

 

 

 

We like to splurge on one luxury item to remind us of our fabulous time away. We each bought smashing leather jackets on one of the Paris trips. This last time we bought a sumptuous velvet bedspread with silk lining and an exquisite matching pillow, complete with pearls and tassels (the cats love!). We remember our magical time in France every time we walk into the bedroom and see it laid out, resplendent, on our four poster bed. We started the tradition with a crisp, cotton duvet cover found in new Zealand on our honeymoon that we have enjoyed for seventeen years. 

 

We spend at least two days before going back to work, enveloped by the beauty and safety of our home, cuddling with our kitties. Our home is better than a luxury bed and breakfast, perched high above the city in our sweet little nest.  

The palpable comfort of being cradled by God and her angels at home is perhaps one of the sweetest times in life, especially after being in a faraway place. Hopefully everything in our homes represents a part of ourselves. If not, this is a good place to start improving our lives. Our home is an outward essence of who we are. Let us re-embrace it with deep joy.