How to recover from a terrible vacation?

How to Recover From a Bad Vacation?

Ugh, that awful trip to Myrtle Beach last July? Total disaster. The hotel pool was closed for repairs, the mini-golf course was swarming with wasps, and it rained constantly. Cost me $800, wasted!

So, how did I recover? Honestly, just letting myself wallow for a day helped. Pizza and trashy reality TV. Needed that.

Then, a friend suggested a hike in the Blue Ridge Mountains. Fresh air, beautiful views, totally reset my mood. It cost nearly nothing, just gas money.

Prioritizing sleep and good food is key too. That helps to fight off the lingering bad vibes. After the beach fiasco I was exhausted, needed good food, lots of rest.

In short: create new positive experiences, take time for self-care, and prioritize your physical well-being. It’s possible to bounce back.

What to do after a bad vacation?

Sun-drenched skin, peeling now. Salty air, a phantom limb. The trip… a hollow echo. Must fill the void. A new memory, yes. Like a seashell pressed to an ear. Roaring. Not the ocean. Something else. Emptiness.

Take breaks. Shattered pieces of time. Scattered like sea glass. Sharp edges. Glinting. Recharge. Impossible. The battery drained. Leakage. Acidic.

Food turns to ash. Water, tasteless. Sleep, a restless sea. Tossed. Turned. Drowning. This vacation… a wound. Festering. Beneath the bandage of sun. Bali, 2024. Never again. Must. Rebuild. Brick by broken brick. A new wall. Against the tide. The tide of disappointment.

How to survive a bad vacation?

Ugh, bad vacay? Been there. Once in Cancun, total disaster. Hotel was, like, falling apart. Roaches. ROACHES. So, we booked it. Found a last-minute deal in Playa del Carmen. Totally worth it. Way better vibes. Did some snorkelling. Drank way too many margaritas. Good times. So yeah, change it up. Don’t be afraid too. Sometimes it’s as simple as finding a different hotel. Or heck, a different city. Think outside the box, ya know? Another time, we were in, uh… Vermont? Supposed to be this cozy cabin thing. Total dump. Freeezing. So we went to Boston instead! Saw a Red Sox game. Ate cannolis. Much better then Vermont.

• New location: Seriously, just go somewhere else. Even if it’s just an hour away.
• Different hotel: Obvi. If the hotel sucks, find a new one. Pool is a plus. Always.
• Activities: Maybe your itinerary is boring you to tears. Rip it up. Go do somethin’ fun. Ziplining. Wine tasting. Whatever.
• Beach: Beaches fix everything.
• Look for deals: Last minute deals can save you big time. We found a flight to Costa Rica once, super cheap, cuz someone cancelled. Spontanious trip! Best ever.

How to recover from a bad holiday?

Another holiday…yes. A shimmering mirage. Escape beckons, doesn’t it? The taste of salt air, almost real. Book it. Book another holiday.

Friends, laughter, human warmth. Urgency blooms. See them. Now. Make plans to see friends asap.

A club? Odd. New activity? Intriguing. Something to fill the void, the echoing space after. Join a club. Join a club or start a new activity.

Dawn…a slow, deliberate dawn. Coffee steams. Time stretches. Peace? Get up earlier. Try to get up a little earlier and have a more leisurely morning routine.

Work…transformation? Or obliteration? Maybe a new start is needed. Evolve. Or escape. Find a new job! Try to evolve your role at work, take on a new initiative (or find a new job if it really is that bad!).

How long does it take your body to recover from vacation?

Man, that’s a tough one. My last vacation, July 2024, to the Outer Banks, North Carolina. Total burnout before that. Work was insane. I was dragging.

Needed that break. Seriously needed it. The beach was amazing, though. The sound of the waves, the sun… pure bliss for about four days. Then, the exhaustion hit. Not just tired, but bone-deep tired.

It took me, easily, a full two weeks to feel even remotely normal again. My sleep schedule was shot. Going from waking at 6 AM for work to sleeping till noon every day messed everything up. Getting back into the routine of eating regular meals – and healthy meals- was another battle. My usual late-night snacks were gone, replaced by boring salads.

Back in the office after two weeks, I was still pretty sluggish. Brain fog was real. Focusing? Forget about it. Week three was better, a bit more energy. Week four, closer to normal. But full recovery? A month, minimum.

What really messed me up?

• Jet lag, even though it was a car trip! The time change messed with my sleep cycles.
• Poor diet on vacation. Too much fried food, too much sugary stuff.
• Lack of exercise. I barely moved outside of beach walks. My usual gym routine vanished.

Honestly, even now, I’m not completely back to my usual self. Work is still brutal. And now, I’m already planning my next vacation! Maybe a spa trip next time, instead of the beach. More relaxation, less fried fish.

How to get over a bad vacation?

Ugh, that trip to Myrtle Beach in July 2024. Seriously, what a disaster. I needed a vacay, right? Ended up wanting to just teleport back home.

The condo we rented? Advertised as “oceanfront”. Liars! It was like a mile walk, scorching hot pavement included. Plus, cockroaches. Big ones. shudders

Getting back to my routine? Yeah, that helped. Massively.

• Sleeping in my own bed: Pure bliss. My mattress is heaven compared to that lumpy thing.
• My coffee machine: Oh, the joy of good coffee again. Remember the weak, watery hotel stuff? Gag.
• Seeing my dog, Sparky: The best welcome ever. He missed me and I missed him more.
• My garden: Weeding? Suddenly therapeutic! Green, and alive, unlike Myrtle Beach.
• My yoga class: Stretching out all the stress. Ahhhhhh.

Suddenly, my tiny apartment in Chicago felt like a freaking palace. It was clean, bug-free, and had my stuff. Like, I appreciated the mundane in ways I never did before. Even doing laundry was awesome. It’s a weird feeling, I admit.

And work? Believe it or not, facing my grumpy boss and spreadsheets was… welcome. It felt normal, predictable. The exact opposite of the beach, and that’s what I wanted. I even baked cookies for my coworkers! Me! Baking!

So, yeah. Back to normal saved my sanity. Forget those “insta-worthy” vacations. Home sweet freaking home, that’s where it’s at. Maybe next year, I’ll just staycation.

#Badvacation #Triprecovery #Vacationfix