Hello, fine readers! I’m just getting back into town after a nice, long break hanging out with friends, playing in the water, and soaking up the sunshine. Not one to keep things sitting idle for too long, I thought I’d repeat a post from last year that sums up quite nicely the head space I’m in post-vacation. Don’t worry, though. Things will return to their regularly scheduled programming with a new Would You Rather question this Wednesday and a few travel posts in which I’ll share some of my recent adventures in Chattanooga, Savannah, and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter theme park in Orlando.
Until then, enjoy this rerun of a rather misunderstood post-vacation affliction I like to call Re-entry Trauma.
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Apologies for being absent from the kasbah for so long. I have a good excuse, though.
This is all I have the motivation for today.
You see, I have a note* from my doctor that says I’ve been suffering from Re-entry Trauma following my vacation time last week. What is Re-entry Trauma you ask? It is when you’ve had time away from the usual routines of life and then are rudely dumped back in to “real life” (which, by the way, is a phrase I hate when referring to non-vacation time, as though living life beyond one’s usual daily life or taking a vacation is in some way not “real.”)
For those not in the know, Re-entry trauma symptomatology includes a temporary, yet complete mind-sweep of all previously acquired knowledge and skills related to your chosen daily profession; a total lack of drive or desire to engage in your chosen daily profession; and the resulting and very dangerous f**k it attitude towards your chosen daily profession that employers tend to frown upon.
The good news is Re-entry Trauma usually abates within a day or two following one’s return from vacation. The bad news is Re-entry Trauma has a mind of its own and practically invented the f**k it attitude and can be all, “Dude, you and me? We’re not done with each other yet. In fact, we’re just getting started. Didn’t I tell you? I’m hanging out with you for the whole week. Maybe longer if I sense even a molecule of drive or determination in you. Now sit back down in the hammock and pass me the Twizzlers.”
It was about this time that my genius showed up unannounced like he always does (what, you don’t have a genius? then you must read this post to find out how you get one), and said in his British accent, “You ready to rock that novel of ours, because I’ve got some brilliant ideas that — wait a minute. Who’s this?” And then Re-entry Trauma, knowing full well that my genius was pointing at him, couldn’t even be bothered to get up to introduce himself. And frankly, I couldn’t, either. So, my genius just stood there, glaring at us with his arms crossed and tapping his foot until finally I couldn’t take it anymore and got up to write this blog post just to get the guy off my back.
So what can you do to get Re-entry Trauma to move out? Find a way to re-engage in your life that lets you keep a little of the magic that is vacation time. As soon as you show a bit of interest in being semi-productive, the little bastard will move on to less motivated pastures.
So long, farewell, auf wiedersehen, good-bye, Re-entry Trauma.
Just writing this blog post is making me feel better already. See, Re-entry Trauma? I can get something done. I’d say put that in your pipe and smoke it, but I think you’re too lazy to even do that. Sure, it’s only one teeny, tiny blog post of no real significance in which I rambled on incoherently, but its value lies in that I wrote it and it’s done.
Just like you and me, Re-entry Trauma. Just like you and me.
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How about you, productive readers? How do you transition back into the usual routines of life following a vacation? Do you ever suffer from Re-entry Trauma? If so, how do you cope with it? Sit, have some tea, and spill your story. I’d love to hear from you!
*It wasn’t so much a note as it was a suggestion. And by suggestion, I mean an idea that came to me as I slogged to work Monday morning. And by idea, I mean the only coherent thought I produced that entire day.
Image may be NSFW.Clik here to view.
