Post-travel melancholia
There are various stages in a successful tour that we all remember fondly. Even the inconveniences that may have been there are seen in a warmer light. However, there is one part associated with traveling that is hardly talked about and certainly is its most painful derivative. I'm talking about the post-travel melancholia.
The significance of travel varies with each person, but everyone can agree that it is a form of escape. When one starts feeling suffocated by the monotony of daily life, traveling comes across as a saviour in the time of need. For few glorious moments, we can forget about all the worry and just let go. It's a memorable experience that earns credit for the sake of being different alone.
However, as good as travel gets, the bitter taste it leaves in your mouth afterward is still the same, if not more. While traveling is a momentary escape, one crashes back into the reality quite hard after it's done.
It starts immediately after the post-travel hibernation has ended. The warm memory of waking up to a day filled with discovery and wanderlust slowly fades away as you wake up in your ever-familiar room. The comfort of your bed might be more fulfilling than a hotel bed but it's still dabbed in the monotony of day-to-day life. After you're done setting the morning nostalgia aside you hit the second metaphoric wall. You look at all the responsibilities piled up for you, in some cases, magnified by the fact that you didn't get any work done during the holidays. Cracks begin to show on your endurance system – even the simplest of tasks begin to tire you out. Looking at all the stuff that needs to be done instead of some serene view can be a disappointing feeling.
The next step is coping with the reality. When you get a breather you swipe across the photos from your trip with shaking hands. You calm your heart for a little while as you browse through the countless photos. Your body quietly pushes away the travel fatigue as your sighs get hollower and more audible.
The secret to getting out of the travel blues is to ease back into your daily life. Take the next day off. Sleep off the jetlag. The more important bit, however, is to appreciate the parts of your current situation that was not accessible during your travel. I mean that trip to Rangamati was amazing but I don't remember finding Naga Burgers there. Or even the comfort of having a decent bathroom.
"It's still not the same," I hear you say. Well, of course it's not. That doesn't mean we can't pretend for a moment's peace. Dealing with the problems in our lives can be like playing charades with ourselves.
The final step in the road to recovery is to have something else to look forward to. Why not plan another trip? Start looking up on it to pass the time and more importantly to forget about the one that is long gone. Keep yourself busy so that the melancholy has no place to peek through.
With that being said I wish you the very best in recovering from your post-travel melancholia. Now excuse me while I weep while looking back at the photos from my Bhutan trip.
Nuren Iftekhar is your local stray cat in disguise; he interacts with people for food and hates bright light. He got Hufflepuff 3 times straight in Pottermore so no walking around that one. Send him obscure memes at n.iftekhar18@gmail.com