Tips! What helps you to recover after a vacation?

Long-distance travel tires most people so it is not surprising that people need a rest on returning home - it's often not possible on arrival at the destination - for me it's a light meal, half an hour with a very clingy cat (which is relaxing), feed cat and off to the bathroom. Then bed and sleep for about 8 hours (about 3 hours longer than my average night when at home). Next morning I spend in front of the computer loading all my thousands of "holiday snaps" - they are not really snaps as I use about four different lenses during my European visits and take photos that many people say are special. I usually eat a bit much that day and go to bed early and the next day I'm up and feeling like normal.

I returned a little over a week ago from a long planned and far too short vacation with my husband to Jamaica. The trip started out rough as my husband arranged our plane tickets such that I had to be up at 3am and out the door by 4:15. I managed to make it out the door at 4:45am. I'm way too old now to travel like that and it took a lot out of me at the outset. Next time we will take an extra day to travel to our overseas hub in Atlanta, stay at a Hilton near the airport and catch our overseas flight at a reasonable hour the next day. I think that will help keep me from being so tired and stressed at the beginning of the trip. The physical strain of my daily biological clock being upset caused me to pick up a cold virus, possibly RSV, that blew into a full on sinus and bronchitis infection after we returned home, the day after my scheduled quarterly Skyrizi injection. If I continue with biologics, in the future I will not take the injection if I have the slightest hint of a sniffle. I never plan activities or appointments for a week after travel so that I can take my time unpacking, cleaning, and relaxing. I take packable protein powder to add to my coffee in the mornings for an added protein boost while traveling, also I take gluten free ginger snaps in my carry bag for a snack my stomach can tolerate on the go. Also, Copper Fit gloves, I wear these going through the airports etc to help my hands with grip and comfort as well as protection from constantly shoving them in my bags.

I didnt this time, but did think about it, I might next time though, if for no other reason than to assure my carryon makes it into the cabin. Who said being disabled doesn't have its perks?😉 Hey, I'd rather not have this staggering disaster, but if I must, I might as well use the help thats there.

I went to Tennessee last week to scout out the area I'm moving to in November and was only going to be gone from Sunday through Wednesday. It was a good trip and I mostly enjoyed it, but it also made clear how much I rely on my routines - simply stepping away from them for a few days was tiring, as is sleeping in a different bed. By the time Wednesday rolled around, I was feeling the effects. About halfway home, I made a couple calls to key customers and told them I'd decided to stay a few more days, and that I'd be available on Monday. Yes, I felt bad for the lie, but I also knew that if it was known I was home, even if I said I was taking the rest of the week off, I'd be inundated with calls and texts. "I know you're off, but could you just ..."
I then took Thursday and Friday to rest and treated it pretty much like I would a flare. Took naps, went to bed early, at comfort food from the freezer, snuggled with the fur kids, watched movies, read. (Also did my second loading dose of Skyrizi Friday.) Then Saturday and Sunday, I slowly unpacked and put things away, downloaded pictures, did laundry, and regular weekend tasks, but more slowly, and by Monday morning I was back to normal.
I think the biggest thing for me is leaving myself time at the end of the trip to recover before "real life" resumes. Thinking I could get back to work the day after I got home was absurd.