I just got back from a weekend away with my siblings. We do it once a year. It was a very low-key weekend, but it was one of those times where I was exactly where I wanted to be, with exactly the people I wanted to be with. It was a great weekend.
And today, here I am, back in my regular life. Which I love. I mean, really, really, love.
And I feel a little—I don’t know—blue, or maybe just “let down,” from the weekend.
I remember going on a writing retreat years ago where the host, Christina Baldwin, talked a lot about the concept of re-entry. We were all writing memoir-type stuff so we all spent the week digging deep into our hearts and souls for the right words to express ourselves.
Christina told us not to hurry back to our lives. To the kids and the work and the laundry and the elderly parents. She said it was important to stop along the way, to take some time to reflect on our recent experiences and to transition back into our daily lives.
She talked about “re-entry” and how difficult it could be, especially when you took time away from your daily life to do something that fed your soul in a deep way.
For you that might be hiking in the White Mountains or shopping with your girlfriends. It could be spending a whole day painting, or dancing, or writing. For me, it was spending the weekend with my sisters and my brother away from all our responsibilities and just being with each other (near the ocean, another thing that feeds my soul.)
Remembering that re-entry was normal—that feeling a little blue after being away from my daily life doing something I love—I felt better.
I had been unconsciously berating myself for not feeling excited and happy to be back doing laundry and cooking meals. Because I know I was excited and happy to see my son (I got home in time to hold him before he fell asleep). Some of the other parts of my life, while necessary, are not that exciting.
Usually I get a sense of satisfaction knowing that all the mundane chores I do every day keep our lives running smoothly. After my big weekend—not so much. And that’s okay.
So I gave myself permission not to be thrilled with my daily life for now. And, when I get a chance, I’ll sit down and journal about my weekend, make a few notes for next year’s get-away, and tell my husband some of the highlights. That’s usually all I need to make my re-entry complete.
Next time you make plans to do something that feeds your soul (I recommend doing it soon and doing it often), make sure you plan a little transition time on your way back to your regular daily life. Re-entry can be a witch.