7 Ways to Bring Paradise Home after an Idyllic Vacation ...

One of the ways to bring paradise home after a vacation is to sort through all the photos you took whilst you were away (assuming you’re like me and clicked away). I’m a sucker for photography and therefore need to delete the extras that don’t quite make the cut when I get home! If your friends and family aren’t interested in pouring over hundreds of your holiday snaps, you can still transport yourself to that magical vacation spot whenever you want. The art of organizing, framing photos then e-mailing them to friends, all help bring that taste of paradise home in an instant!

Buying a fragrance, body lotion, or candle reminiscent of the smells you experienced on your trip will transport you back to your idyllic vacation and ease the transition back home. Maybe you were vacationing in Southern India; buying some coconut oil shampoo or lotion should remind you of your days there. Perhaps you were staying along the Amalfi coast in Italy; purchasing a mandarin-fragranced perfume will take you back in an instant. Extra points if you bought some local toiletries home – indulge in them when you can – it’ll make your trip seem longer!

Frequently, I find what I miss the most from my vacations are some aspect of the local food or beverages that I sampled during my time there. I realize it’s impossible to eat freshly cooked soups and stews every day that you get back, but there has to be some component of something you ate or drank that you can buy back at home! Simply brewing a cup of local coffee or crafting a fresh pineapple smoothie for lunch could do the trick.

What doesn’t make it into the news is usually more newsworthy than what does make it into the news! Still, after I return from someplace, I see images, words and place names of practically everywhere I just spent time. The country, city or town starts grabbing my attention more and I actually don’t mind reading about it in the news. The place is embedded in my subconscious, so I’m naturally more attuned to seeing it on the TV or internet. It helps you stay connected with where you just were.

Did you learn a new game or witness local inhabitants playing dominoes, chess, card games or something completely different? Being somewhere new and watching how other people pass the time in other places often inspires me to get more into playing cards when I return home. By incorporating some element of a local game you just witnessed can help ease the discomfort transitioning back to reality at home.

Fitting with the games, I find myself interested in local cultural music and wanting to sample a few local singer/songwriters and DJs wherever I go. Now, don’t get me wrong, the local music or DJ scene may be nothing to write home about, but if you’re really interested in where you just spent time, research the music artists that are popular in that country or city and play their tunes when you get home.

Paradise can be sitting on your very own doorstep. You might have some amazing cliffs, beaches or fantastic restaurants that people fly to your city to dine at. Think of all the great destinations available to you right in your own backyard. Visit them if you can when you get back from an idyllic vacation to remind yourself just how great your little space is in the world. Paradise is really a state-of-mind, so if you can’t transport the vacation spot back with you, find your place of paradise where you currently are.

There you have it – a few ways to make your idyllic vacation last longer and help bring paradise home. I hope you can put some of these into practice and that you do your best to transition from vacation time back to reality. Do you have some tips you can share with fellow travelers?