For those of you following me on Instagram (if you’re not, why not? Don’t worry, I’ll forgive you) may have noticed that I recently spent two glorious weeks in Florida being a typical tourist and immersing myself in Disney, Universal and copious amounts of carbs.
You may have also noticed that since I got back, I’ve pretty much dropped off the social media grid. This is partially down to over posting for the entire fortnight that I was in the states, but also because I’ve had very little to actually talk about or share.
It’s safe to say that I am suffering from Post-Florida blues and I am suffering bad.
I’m not even talking about jet lag or generally feeling run down, I genuinely am gutted that I am home and not currently sat in 33-degree heat or hanging out with Mickey and his pals.
The deal with Florida, which I think is causing me most of my problems, is the amount of time and build up I had before going. I’m not even joking when I say we started planning this trip years before going. I think the initial conversation about it happened when I was still at university, so we’re talking about 2014 or even possibly earlier. The plan had always been to go for Roisin’s 21st birthday and because of that, we weren’t planning on going any earlier than July 2016 anyway, so the planning of the trip was always going to be a little premature. Florida however, for me, is a huge holiday that requires a lot of saving so I’m so glad I had that length of time to play with.
I don’t think we actually booked the holiday until early 2016, which had its pros and cons. The pros are that it gave me something to look forward to for almost a year and half and gave me the opportunity to save as much money as I could to pay for the trip and to spend while I was there. The cons were that it was a hell of a long wait for something, and the longer I waited the more the holiday became the focus for the future.
I think that’s why I feel a little lost now I’m home. I’ve spent so long looking forward to this one single event that I’m not really sure what I’m doing now. I like to plan things and to have things to look forward to, and I already have a few nice weekend trips lined up in the coming months, but I don’t have that one big thing shining like a beacon that I’m planning for. I feel like something is just missing.
Florida gave me something to save for. It gave me the motivation to eat better and exercise to lose a bit of weight before I went. It subconsciously influenced a lot of my purchases. It also determined what I did and didn’t do this year, or the year before, or the year before that. In the years leading up to this trip I’d been away on holiday once, and that was a spontaneous trip for Rob’s birthday and wasn’t a long trip either, but now I’ve got all this opportunity to go places and book holidays because I don’t have to sit and think about how much more money I need to save before Florida.
I also think the lack of sunshine is getting to me already – and we’re not even anywhere near winter yet. I can already feel myself dreading the dark nights and cold weather, more than usual. The fortnight I was away happened to be the most Vitamin D I’ve actually gotten in a long, long time, and I actually noticed the difference in my mood and my energy levels as a result. I’ve also noticed the massive change since coming home and how all I want to do is sleep all day and don’t really feel like getting out of bed on a morning because it’s dark and dingy already (however, this could also be the depression and anxiety playing up).
All of these things are one of the reasons I’ve kind of put of writing about my holiday because it will only make me miss it more. There’s also so much to share I’m worried I would end up writing a full-on dissertation length post! However, I am motivated by writing and I know that it is good therapy for me. Once I’ve managed to get myself out of the slump I’m stuck in and don’t feel as grumpy about the lack of sunshine, it will be a great reminder of the amazing time I actually had.
I do have my sights set on another big trip for next year, as I want nothing more than to go to Canada with my family and visit my mum’s good friend who lives in Renfrew. So maybe that’s the best way for me to beat the holiday blues – by booking my next trip away! Only £3k to find before next August if that’s going to happen…
In the meantime, however, I am taking any and all recommendations as to how on earth I can cure my post-holiday blues, aside from booking a one-way ticket back to Florida and pretty much moving into Disney World. How do you cope after coming back from a holiday you’ve been looking forward to for, like, forever?
Beksky 