Post Vacation Busy-ness

We usually come back one day before hubby returns to work and the rest of us to normal schedule. That gives us a day to unwind and catch up. It really helps ease us back into things.

First thing I do - hug the dog....

My job is packing the car, so my husband and kids usually unpack it. I usually don't start laundry until the regular Monday.

 

My least favorite part is being sooooo tired but having sooo much to do. I usually just want to pop down on the bed & take a nap. But with littles that isn't really possible. I usually get the house cleaned and laundry done before & now with so many people in our family I even do laundry (almost everyday) while we are gone on vacay (one plus to that is that I don't really have extra laundry when I get home). After everyone else is situated and unpacked I head to the grocery store. We almost always need food immediately....that is probably my least favorite. Everyone else is all clean and snuggly and usually resting...I just want to join them, but alas I must head to the grocery store to feed them.

 

Well.....our last two vacations we came home to a full size freezer that had thawed EVERYTHING out! Yes....twice. Lost all the stuff and had to clean up the mess as soon as we walked in the door. And to top it off....on one of those two occasions we came home from a month where the temperature was pretty much down in the 70's the whole time. We came home to not only the freezer mess but also to find that our AC unit had quit on us while we were gone and it was 106 degrees outside! Took three days to get someone out to install a new AC unit...the old one was about 30+ years old and not worth fixing. We spent those three days sitting quietly doing quiet things and trying to stay cool. So unpacking sounds like an easy thing to me. Even though I hate having to do it. LOL

I always try to leave the house clean and nice before we leave, too. And the laundry caught up. So that coming home is a joy. Hopefully next time we go on vacation it will be.

 

I always need a vacation after the vacation lol
I do always make sure that my house is clean before we leave, mostly because I don't like coming home and having to do all the unpacking/laundry/shopping AND clean the house. It makes me feel better to come in to neat and orderly. But yeah, my least favorite part is the unpacking and getting things back to normal.

 

I hate being without food when we get back. I usually take my time getting unpacked and catching up on laundry. I don't really see the point in stressing myself out to get it all done right away. Suitcases sitting around for a few days while I gradually put things away do no harm.

 

My least favorite part at the end of a vacation is coming home to real life. My life is way better and more interesting on vacation... hehe The next part is being so tired that I don't want to unpack, shop, cook, upload photos or anything else for that matter. I just want to drop dead on my bed and get some much needed sleep. No matter how much I clean and prepare ahead of vacation, it seems like there's a ton to do after. I wish I had an after vacation fairy who would stop by and take care of all of it for me. If you hear of one of those fairies, send her my way!

 

We rarely all go together unless it's to our place in Michigan. We have a washer and dryer there so most trip laundry is done before we come home (we do the same when we visit my parents too). We also usually come home a day before anyone has to go to school or work. Oh... and everyone in our house is in charge of their own laundry... so it doesn't end up falling to just one person to get it done. I usually place my grocery order to be delivered the next day, so we just order dinner out the night we get home. Right now we're in a phase of people traveling separately or in groups of two so there are always extra non-traveling hands to help out. My most hated travel chore is cleaning out the fridge when we leave our place in Michigan and making sure all of those sheets and towels get washed.

 

you need a vacation from vacation! It's nice to go on vacation, but nice to come back too...but the chores! we tend to start right when we get home, at least a load or two of laundry!

 

My least fave part is the laundry because I try to do a load (or five) per day during the week. So obvs when you come home from vacation, all your laundry is dirty and it's just there. Waiting.
Ugh.
But in a few years my kids will be able to really help with laundry and I can't tell you how happy I am about that! Plus, laundry means we went somewhere and made memories. So ... I guess it's worth it? Maybe?

 

We just got home yesterday after a week in SC. I have so much to do, but instead, I'm in agony with random blisters from walking too much around Charleston.

The laundry is still piled up and I have no food in the fridge, but I can't go out because I can't but shoes on. Last night, we ordered pizza and tonight I made spaghetti. Not sure what I'll do tomorrow.

 

I always feel exactly the same as you mentioned Courtney. Except I don't clean before - we have three dogs and somehow having the house locked up - it never smells fresh when we get back home .... and the dust bunnies (aka dog hairs) multiple while we are gone no matter how clean I think things are when I leave.

I usually have some kind of easy frozen meal in the freezer - so when we do get home, I can throw that in for dinner w/out thinking about it. It helps.

 

When we got married, my dh thought I was crazy when I wanted the house clean and tidy BEFORE we went away. You all get it! there's nothing like being in a nice - maybe fancier than home - place and coming home to a mess. I do try to super purge the clutter because that's what I see first. I can ignore dirt ...

The laundry is never an issue as we often do laundry in whatever place we're staying and it's always caught up at home. Its one of the benefits of having just two people and the washer & dryer just outside my studio on the 2nd floor. If it were in the basement, I suspect I would not enjoy that. Dick does know that it's usually a pizza night when we come home but food is the biggest issue if it's a 2-3 week trip. I used to freeze things but got out of the habit. I think I'll do that again, just for my own sanity.

 

I suspect we imagine those suitcases will walk off to their storage homes on their own! My dh leaves his suitcase downstairs, open in the dining room, and used to expect me to talk all his clothes out to their respective dirty laundry basket. Now he brings a basket down, takes all his clothes and sorts by the washer...not always accurately, but at least they're there. He does carry my suitcase upstairs whenever we arrive home. Yay! It's always too heavy for me when I'm tired. However, it's the bits and pieces...like new maps, the odd souvenir that I probably shouldn't have bought that make my suitcase linger in the bedroom. Or shoes that were out of season. ugh.