Do you ease back into the grind or go zero to 60?
We discuss the Pros and Cons of having an extra day of vacation vs taking a (transitional/catch up/adjustment/recovery/prep) day at home.
Pros to extra vacation day
Tim – more bang for your buck! You spent so much on flights, why not spend as much time as you can on vacation! Get the most out of your vacation that you possibly can!
Kara – When are you going to be back there again?
Kara – There’s always more to see.
Tim – you can see more with an extra day.
Kara – Live in the moment and ignore “adulting life” for another day.
Tim – Avoiding going back to the daily grind…which is incredibly difficult when you’ve been on a long vacation. Essentially, you’re delaying the inevitable, but let’s be honest, sometimes we just need that extra day away.
Tim’s last point also transitions well into….
Pros to having a transitional day at home
Kara – It is inevitable that you have to go home. Giving yourself an extra day at home until you go back to work gives you the ability and time to set yourself up for success and ease back into things.
Tim – having a transitional allows you to readjust back into your normal routine. It also allows you a day to get back in your time zone.
Kara – gross! Jet lag and time zones.
Tim – During our trip to Europe, we were at LEAST 7 hours ahead of MTN time, so getting a day to try and combat that jet lag and time change is…amazing. I was able to wake up on Monday at a normal time, and I thank that transitional day.
Kara – Yes like Tim I believe the transitional day helped me adjust to the time zone. I tried to stay awake on the plane and airport travel (approx 20 hours) and then stayed awake until midnight on Saturday and had a nice 8 hour sleep into Sunday. Then Sunday I was starting to feel like normal, still a bit tired, but not as bad as I have been in the past.
Tim – after a long trip, having a transitional day gives you time to unpack, go to the grocery store, and complete any other errands that need to be done before you get back to the grind.
Kara – The grocery store is clutch, because who wants more meals out after traveling? I’m always ready for packed lunches and homemade meals (If I’m ready to actually cook and meal prep is a whole other discussion). Also, this gives you time to unpack your bag and do laundry…all that fun stuff…but it sets you up for the week. Getting ahead of your to do list and not feel so overwhelmed with the week coming up.
Cons for extra vacation day
Kara – Are there any? Basically you just don’t get the Recoup day that we listed pros for above.
Tim – You spend more money…hotel, food, drinks, ubers/taxis around town…generally a more expensive trip.
Kara – But it’s only one day…. Negligible compared to the entire cost of the trip or at least the cost of flying back there again.
Tim – IF SOMETHING GOES WRONG WITH YOUR FLIGHT ON THE LAST DAY…WHAT DO YOU DO!?!?!?! This may mean flying home a day late, which could be hell if you are working. Especially if you are overseas without cell service, but typically wifi will do.
Kara – *Cough Cough* I am sick…. Hopefully your company would understand but Tim does make a great point.
Cons for the extra day at home that we don’t know what to label it
Tim – All you do is think about how you have to go to work the next day, which sucks. At least if you extend your vacation until the last day, you’re enjoying yourself!
Kara – I get serious FOMO and I get the ‘back from vacation blues’ and having an extra day heightens those feelings.
Tim – word. I concur. It’s not a great feeling, but that’s what happens when you go back to reality.
Kara – All part of this wonderful life of Wanderlusting
Tim – Wanderlust giveth and wanderlust taketh away.
In conclusion
There are obviously pros and cons with every decision in life and for this one it’s really just best to listen to your heart (cheesy I know, but do what your gut is telling you). It might be a different decision for various trips. Maybe it make sense for you to go home a day early when you know you will have already been in 9 beds within two weeks. Or maybe it’s a slow time at work so you won’t feel that immediate stress when coming back so it is ok to take an extra carefree day on vacation. Or maybe you have to decide if that one day will really allow you to see all that you need (ok, want) to see in that part of the world. We usually don’t stick to one way or another. It’s a discussion we have when planning each trip. If you ever get really stuck, just do what we default to when we can’t decide … flip a coin.
Hey readers, we decided that you might want to be listeners too. For some fun we decided to film us writing this blog post. See our YouTube link for our first “Making of the Blog Post”. – Love Tim and Kara