When you return home from traveling do you experience the post-travel blues? I sure do!  There is so much anticipation that leads up to a trip and when I return home it is like that balloon has popped and I am falling back into reality with a splat! The answer might be obvious as to why coming home can be so depressing. I mean who prefers the daily grind over discovering the far corners of the world? For myself I think what I need to do to bridge the gap is figure out how I can take that ‘travel mentality’ and use it in my every day life.

I think that many of us become better versions of ourselves when we are traveling. This is probably because we are not bogged down with every day stresses from work, family and life in general. Travel almost gives us a free pass to escape those chains and be free to do what we want, when we want. We are probably more outgoing, flexible, easy going and willing to try new things.

Last week I was invited to a friend’s birthday dinner. When I got to the restaurant I didn’t know anyone at the table. Automatically I had a sense of being self conscious and completely out of my comfort zone. As I sat there listening to the others talk I came to the realization that just a month earlier when I was traveling alone I would have easily sat with a group of strangers and not felt an ounce of self deprecation. Striking up a conversation and finding commonalities would be a no brainer…but why in my own city do I almost shrivel up and become more self critical? This is where I believe that I need to take that ‘travel self’ and transport her right back to normal life where 99% of the year is spent. I am the same person with the same zest for life. I may not be in paradise, but I don’t have to make the every day mundane.

My challenge for any of you that are experiencing ‘post travel blues’ is to get out of your comfort zone and climb out of your box.  Home life tends to breed routine and when we are out traveling the world we are in no means following a routine. So when you are feeling too tired or lazy to grab a coffee with a friend or try a new activity that you’ve never done before…ask yourself ‘what would I do if I was on holidays?’ Chances are the answer would be speak up, try new things and do things out of the ordinary! Life gives you back what you put into it!