Today was back to reality after a week at the beach. For me, the primary symptom of post-vacation blues is a soul-level restlessness that I struggle to describe. Something always feels just a little bit off, like maybe I’m not supposed to be where I am. I know this feeling is normal—that it happens after most vacations I take—but it still makes me uneasy.

Next comes the wave of guilt that inevitably washes over me as I remind myself I should be grateful for my pleasant little life. And that I’m fortunate I could take the vacation that’s causing my present angst.

What’s strange, too, is that I often long for routine in my day-to-day life. I daydream about returning to this so-called “normal” life that’s always just a few weeks from happening. I deceive myself into believing that things will be back to normal…

after the trip.
after I finish these antibiotics.
after this work project.
after the surgery.
after John gets back in town from his gig.
after I finish physical therapy.
after the dog recovers from this injury.

Yet the moment one of those things is complete, another promptly takes its place. What’s normal is change. It’s unrealistic to think there will be a time when Life Things no longer pop up—unless you’re dead, of course.

It seems hypocritical to yearn for more vacations while craving more routine in my daily life. In either case, my restlessness is borne from the fact that I’m not living in the present moment. If I embrace the pitapat of the rain and savor the taste of my coffee, I won’t miss the rhythmic sound of the waves. Similarly, if I graciously accept Life Things as they come, instead of viewing them as obstacles, I won’t long for this elusive concept of “normalcy” that only exists in a dream world.

My hope for this week is to inject some of that vacation mindset into my daily life by moving at a slower pace—and taking pauses for presence.