Be Kind to Yourself
My real story of post travel and how to continue the joy at home
Dear Friends,
Happy holiday weekend! And may your celebration be filled with good friends, cherished family members, good food and not too much sun!
I returned from my French adventure two weeks ago, and today I’m sharing some of the reality that comes with travel. This is my real story of re-entry, regaining energy, reminiscing and recognizing post-travel blues. A bit of planning and self-care can make the far side of your holiday and adjustment more pleasant.
During my second week home, I felt even more fatigued. Adrenaline kept me going that first week home: cleaning, exercising and chasing the mice that moved in while I was gone! (Requiring more cleaning and sanitizing!) We were getting the upper hand and then... post travel fatigue and a summer cold hit!
Adjusting after an event or vacation that took months to schedule and months of travel, takes time. It feels a bit different this time. I try not to dive too deeply into politics, but the daily dispatches of unprecedented global events have taken a deeper toll on me. We are adjusting to a new world.
RE-ENTRY TIPS
I follow a routine designed to make re-entry as smooth as possible.
Unpacking
I unpack slowly from short or long trips. I believe in being kind to yourself. You are the one to dictate what you should and should not do regarding travel management. My pace might drive another crazy. I am grateful to have a very patient husband.
The key is to unpack at YOUR pace. I like to wash all clothing, travel cubes and my backpack and let my suitcase bathe in the sunshine. Each piece of clothing reminds me of places I visited and special memories. I carefully unpack any treasures or gifts I purchased – and because I travel lightly, I do not buy many.
This year, I spent a month at an art residency with other artists. I experienced encouraging support to keep creating and came home with a lot of new artwork. I waited a full week before I unpacked my art. I realize how much energy I used! There will be a break from my brushes and pens. How long this will be – we shall see. A friend kindly reminded me that a fruitful field must lie fallow some years.
Exercise gently and choose meals with care
Return slowly to your routines. I may have jumped a little too soon into routines of yoga, water aerobics and walking.
In France, I walked a great deal, and despite eating croissants, baguettes, pain au chocolat on a regular basis, I lost weight. French women do not get fat because they walk to the store and many carry each roll of toilet paper, bag of groceries and more home! Even though I rented a car for a third of my time, I had to park the car several blocks away from my lodging. I have written about the difference in French flour, and you can read that at Lessons From a Pause: - by Janis Commentz. For the most part, the reason that French bread has less gluten and is healthier is a fine dance between flour types and ash content. Regulations in Europe are stringent.
The French appear to live for market day – where fresh fruits and vegetables, baked items, meat, fish, cheese, and artisan goods are available, even in tiny villages. And unlike my local farmers market in California, prices are reasonable. I carried home a huge bagful, and the costs ranged each week from €14-20 (approximately $16-23 in the US). I book lodgings with a kitchen and cook a lot of my own food. Our tiny art residency village has one small grocery store, one very meat-based bistrot, a part-time pizzeria, and a tabac (always good for a coffee or a glass of wine) and you could bring your croissant from the grocery store to your table, that is if you purchased it before about 9:30 a.m. when they sold out! Our group had endless salad potluck meals on the lovely terrace and lots of good wine-we were in the famous Luberon!
My head is full of 1000 vignettes – people I met, kindnesses, sights, art, painting experiences, museums and even those many endurance walks—where I realized I was not where I intended to be!
Re-entry is hard. It’s not just jet lag – and a flight from France to California is long. At home, hearing English spoken at home, receiving “spam risk” calls, grocery shopping, errand running and the relative expanse of my home, seem surreal.
The transition from being in a minimally furnished flat to a real home in need of dusting, cleaning and sorting can be a bit of a shock. And if you are a baby-boomer, you return to those nagging plans to clear out so the next generation will not face your bountiful collection! I still visualize the uncluttered spaces in France and want to fly into a mad decluttering phase.
But I know better; ignore it all for a week or two. Make mental notes. Journal about what you want to discard. For heaven’s sake, rest.
Rest
Rest is my best advice. Clear your calendar as much as you can. Do what you must. Schedule phone calls with those who nourish your soul and put others on hold----at least figuratively for a few weeks.
Follow common sense advice; limit social media and news intake, eat healthily, hydrate, and exercise moderately.
Savor! Reminisce about highlights of your trip. Text, call or email those people who made your trip special. Slowly begin looking through your photos.
I enjoy sharing with you—encouraging words about how I’m handling my time. Yes, post travel can bring on a touch of post-travel blues. Make a list of upcoming events that will bring you joy.
We have trip to cool Oregon to celebrate our kids’ birthdays. I have art events to look forward to. My pens and brushes are on a little vacation. I will be designing products for my online business at French Press & Mojave Inspiration from the art I have created.
MIND BODY SOUL SPIRIT
Each of these needs attention for us to remain healthy.
I continue to read MFK Fisher’s classic Map of Another Town: A Celebration of Aix-en-Provence, published in 1964. Quiet reading is mind and soul nourishing. It’s fun to look up places she mentions on Google Maps or in my photos, retracing my footsteps.
Returning to my own church has been a comfort. It’s in English! I had some beautiful and extraordinary spiritual experiences in France - the Masses I attend in France follow much the same format as an Episcopalian service.
And kindness to myself—my French is still rudimentary. I have vowed to spend 5 minutes a day listening to my French lessons, currently from Paul Noble’s audio book, Learn French with Paul Noble. And because it is only 5 minutes – I’m doing it!! Actually, I am listening to it a second time!
Nourishing my gratitude is an important part of re-entry. I am thankful I can travel, for my encouraging husband, for my good health and for all the tools that make contemporary traveling easier. Reading travel journals from other decades and centuries is a great reminder of our comforts!
Tips to extend travel joys at home
If possible, eat the food you ate on vacation such as fresh vegetables and fruits. For me it’s eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes, red peppers in a simple sauteed and simmered dish imitating ratatouille.
Eat slowly. Enjoy reminders of your trip. Wine. A French tablecloth. French music (although often I hear American rock-n-roll in France!)
Scents are powerful. Once, pre-Covid, after a visit to Paris, I refused to wash a knit cardigan for several weeks because it reminded me of the Metro! A few years ago, I bought a bottle of Lubin-Gin Fizz cologne created in 1955 as a tribute to Grace Kelly the year she won an Oscar for her role in The Country Girl. A spritz transports me to the day I bought it; the storekeeper explained that Lubin is one of the oldest parfumeries in France (since 1798). I tried several scents, and he suggested I wear them for a few hours and see which I prefer. By serendipity, a wedding procession and band filled the afternoon. I did choose my scent and returned to purchase a bottle! I described that extraordinary afternoon in a previous Substack letter https://commentz.substack.com/p/the-journey-to-self-care
Keep walking.
Revisit, research or practice skills you learned.
Share your experiences with others; stay in touch with friends you made.
Listen to podcasts which help keep travel memories alive, read books and watch films about your destination.
Enjoy your photos and treasures. (Here are a few more I’m savoring!)
I wish you wonderful future travels, whether in real time and space or from your armchair. Remember, each step takes attention. Enjoy each step; it is a process! The benefits are worth it, I promise.
And wherever you are today, let’s demonstrate kindness, justice, and hope. As Dr. Joanne Freeman often concludes her podcast messages, “Be strong and of good courage!”
Happy Fourth of July to my US friends! Happy Canada Day to my Canadian friends!
Inspired by all of you,
Please reach out to me with comments and questions!
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I enjoyed this post. Loved following your journey in France. Hope our paths cross again.
Thanks for the likes and the reposts!