Heading back down to base camp and then many, many more miles to go!
When I was in Africa I got super high…. 19,341 feet to be exact! The Kilimanjaro descent was long, slow and somewhat painful. And that is exactly how it feels to come down from a vacation high. The first three weeks after getting back from Africa I felt like a caged animal. The ritual of going to work every morning, paying bills and looking after a puppy seemed like a death sentence. The time spent in Africa made me forget real world responsibilities and everyday stresses. The freedom you feel when you are traveling and experiencing new adventures is unrivaled. It gives you this sense of independence and empowers you to try things you would never do at home; it even allows you to be someone else for a little while. For me, it get to be more extroverted and more brave. Heck I sang karaoke (several times) in hole in the wall bar in Tanzania! Sitting at my desk job felt like torture. I would look at pictures from the trip, re-living the highlight reel and forgetting the missed connections and terrible airport food. I would often daydream about a life that did not involve Excel spreadsheets and conference calls.
Sully’s sad puppy dog eyes is exactly how I felt!
For weeks I would steal spare moments to research far away places and adrenalin rushing adventures. I had already calculated my exact number vacation days before leaving Africa and if I time it right over a holiday (and forego spending it with my family) then I can totally squeeze in another trip! I switched my credit cards so I could start collecting better mileage points and figured out a system for putting all my expenses on cards that get paid off every month. I made a list of the places I didn’t mind going to alone and another list if I ever find someone to come with me. I would lay in bed at night thinking about how I wanted a more exciting life, even though I just bought a house to plant some real roots here in Alabama. How can I have roots and wings? Is that possible? I was hung up on not having an exciting job that I could travel the world with, but then I reminded myself that the job I have is the one that affords me to have these amazing experiences and to be grateful.
I also had to remind myself that after two weeks of travel, I was ready to come home. I missed ketchup that tasted like Heinz 57 and having ice in my drinks. I missed talking to my family and friends on the same time zone and I was excited to get home and start decorating my new house. The hardest part of coming down from a vacation high is finding contentment in your everyday life. And it is something that I literally go through after every adventure. It’s easy to get caught up in seeing other people’s lives unfold on social media and it seem like they are always traveling or doing something glamorous (I won’t deny that that is what my life probably looks like to outsiders) but the key is to remind yourself that it’s your everyday life that is sustainable and what gives you purpose. I think traveling and vacations help spice it up and can also help you gain perspective to better your real life.
The good news is that after a few weeks of wishing you were anywhere but here, reality settles back in and you start to feel more at peace. You find the joys in the weekend getaways to the beach or the family farm, you can find feelings of accomplishment after weekend of productive chores or installing the most amazing shoe a rack. I still have this light inside of me that burns for wanderlust – I know that will never go away. So until the next great adventure, I am happy here, in Mountain Brook, Alabama with my little house and really big puppy!
Sully enjoying the farm life in Tennessee
Shoe dreams coming true
