As your annual summer vacation draws to a close, it’s time to pack up and head back home. This bittersweet transition comes with emotional ups and downs that could rival a dramatic opera. Personally, I start mourning the end of vacation days before they even begin to dwindle, which means I’m already feeling blue before it’s time to head home. But I tell myself that our departure from the rental and return to home will be seamless. Spoiler alert: it rarely is. Here are the 13 stages of returning home from your family getaway.
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Hopefulness
This year, you’re determined to pack up the rental in an organized fashion, folding clean clothes into beautifully arranged suitcases. Your car will be packed as neatly as a bento box, and you will have prepped a delightful cold lunch for the road—no temptation from fast food clowns for you. -
Denial
You still have a few days left before you leave—alright, two days. But you feel compelled to stock up on $400 worth of groceries to last until departure. Off to the store you go. -
Subtle Anxiety
A vague sense of dread creeps in as you remember the tasks awaiting you at home. Bills and forms left in a chaotic pile come to mind, and your kids need school supplies. It’s been ages since you made a to-do list. But! Shove those thoughts aside and enjoy another s’more. -
Frustration
Who gains weight during summer vacation anyway? -
Denial, Part II
You know you should start a load of laundry the day before and pack everything except your travel outfit, but it’s the last day of vacation! You deserve to indulge! So, you settle into your beach chair with another refreshing drink. -
Frustration, Part II
The night before you leave, your partner, who hasn’t even begun to pack, suggests, “Let’s aim to hit the road by 8 a.m.” You reply, “Sure!” but chuckle bitterly inside. -
Indecision
At 9 a.m. on departure day, you find yourself standing in front of the fridge in your pajamas, contemplating whether it’s worth packing the half-empty ketchup bottle or a single slice of ham. Why on earth did you buy $400 worth of groceries just two days ago? -
Self-Doubt
If you were a better parent, you would have managed this better. Instead, it’s 11 a.m., and you’re cramming tubs of margarine and that half-eaten hummus into bags, wedging them around the kids in the car. -
Acceptance
No one wants the sad lunch of a ham slice and ketchup you packed. You stop at a fast-food joint and order a greasy (but delectable) meal, tossing the packed lunch in the trash. -
Chaos
Traffic becomes a nightmare as you approach the city, your older child is whining, and your younger one is outright screaming. Your partner yells at a driver, while you hurl snacks and DVDs at the backseat like you’re fighting off little monsters. Honestly, re-entry is easier for a space shuttle. -
Mountain of Laundry
You return home to an absurd mountain of laundry that seems insurmountable; you could almost sing “the hills are alive with the sound of music” while facing this colossal pile. Why didn’t you do a couple of loads before you left? -
Denial, Part III
There’s nothing to eat in the fridge. Time to go grocery shopping again. -
Renewed Hope
What if you booked next year’s vacation right now? You start browsing listings because next year, you’ll be super organized.
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Summary:
Returning home from a summer vacation involves a rollercoaster of emotions, from hopefulness and denial to chaos and renewed optimism. The journey home is often marked by frantic packing, last-minute decisions, and a mountain of laundry, but it’s all part of the family adventure that prepares you for next year’s getaway.
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