Page 1Page 1Page 1Fill 1Fill 1Fill 1searchFill 1
Fashion Beauty Lifestyle Travel
About

Shop the Style

Share

How to Avoid Post-Vaca Blues

Spell & Gypsy Collective dress, Schutz shoes, Janessa Leone hat, Cult Gaia bag, D'Blanc sunglasses

If you follow me on Instagram, you might’ve seen I was recently in Mexico then South of France for the Cannes Film Festival.

Back to back trips meant I was out of town for a good two weeks. I love traveling for the blog and find I’m most creative and inspired when out of my daily routine, so I was super pumped about this schedule. Cannes was an amazing experience (a full recap of it is coming Monday) and the French Riviera is nothing short of a dream. So, as you can imagine I was slightly bummed to fly home. Of course some elements of being in a routine are nice, and necessary, such as access to healthier meals and getting back to the gym (as much as I loved my morning pain au chocolat and absence of workout gear there’s only so long you can go on that program before you miss feeling good again).

However, this week is the first time in a month that I’ve been back to my routine with a stretch of time before my next trip, and I have to say I’ve found myself in a funk. It doesn’t help that “June Gloom” in LA is in full effect, and I came home to grey, drizzling and chilly weather. I’m sure some people reading right now are thinking that everyday is vacation as a full-time blogger, and while I’m grateful that some days feel that way (events, fun meetings, travel with brands) you should know that MOST days are spent exactly where I am right now: in sweats, no makeup, on the computer, filtering through backlogged emails, pitching to new brands, organizing payments and doing everything that you’d expect goes into hustling and running your own small business on an “regular” day.

No matter if you work in a creative field or a 9 to 5, I know this feeling is common after coming home from something you looked forward to and thoroughly enjoyed. There are a few things I’ve found that help cheer me up and get the creative wheels flowing again when all I want to do is teleport back to the beach. Here are my the top 5 ways to avoid post-vaca blues:

1. Unpack Immediately

Ugh, I am guilty of doing just the opposite and I clearly need to take my own advice. Unpack immediately and put your suitcase away as soon as you arrive home. It sounds silly but it feels like closure after a trip to throw your dirty clothes in the hanger, hang up your dresses and get your luggage out of sight. My suitcase from Europe was half unpacked and lying open in my bedroom for the past week and all it did was make the space feel cluttered and remind me that I wasn’t there anymore.

2. 3 New Activities

As soon as I’m home I make a conscious effort to plan three new fun things. The worst part about coming home from a trip, at least for me, is that what I was looking forward to is finished. While being fully present in life is key, I think it’s important to be forward facing into the future, whether that’s in work or personal goals, planning activities and having an excited attitude about what’s to come. It helps turn your last trip into a positive and beautiful memory, as opposed to something negative and sad that you miss. I also find I’m much more productive during the workweek when I’m looking forward to something fun. I planned a dinner with a close girlfriend tonight, a day in Malibu this weekend and blocked off Sunday to research and plan for  my next big trip in a few months (for one of my best friends Annie’s wedding!). All these things improve my mood.

3. Break a Sweat & Fake a Glow

This tip may be totally aesthetic and silly, but it WORKS. I like to work out, then get a spray tan and a polish change immediately upon returning from trips. The reason being, I’ve likely went for a tan and a manicure before leaving for the trip, which means I come home from the trip with the tan faded and nails chipped (even if I’m laying out in the sun, I’ll faux tan and wear SPF, so no real tan for me).  I’m definitely one of those people who feels a million times better, cleaner, and more productive with fresh nails. Some might find it ridiculous but it is what it is. If I spend a couple hours doing these things the day I come home, I feel rejuvenated and put together, which makes it easier to throw myself into the new week ahead. On the flip side, If I haven’t unpacked, and I’m rocking a splotchy faded tan with chipped nails, I feel like a mess and am more tempted to laze around the house and procrastinate. Taking a yoga or cardio class the day after a long flight helps reset my body, and the tan and nails make me feel good again. The whole idea here is to whip yourself into shape and get moving with your life after a vacation. If that takes doing something aesthetic, whatever!

Right now I have this long-lasting nude-pink gel on my nails and this shimmery coconut glow on my skin.

4. Share the Memories

To build upon #2, I like to look back at my vacation photos and share them with friends and family. As a blogger that means I’ll spend time posting them to Instagram or on the blog, but it’s also fun to relive the moments with your friends and give them your recommendations for their future travels. I also like to take home a special momento from each trip (if there’s something worth buying – don’t buy chatskis just because). In St. Tropez, I wandered into a gorgeous boutique called Gas Bijoux and bought a pair of gold hoop earrings. I wore them yesterday and I loved opening them from the box, smelling the fragrance from the store on the tissue paper and feeling like I was right back there. I’m now so obsessed with the scent from that store that I ordered the perfume they sell! I’ll be spritzing it on myself for the rest of the summer.

Before I end this post, I have to mention that this pretty peach V-neck dress also comes in a longer maxi version as well as a playsuit/romper. I’ve also been wearing this gold threader earrings often with my white fedora, hair pulled back in a low bun. I love the geometric shape of the earrings and they thread easily and comfortably through pierced ears. Highly recommend for a summer staple piece.

Spell & Gypsy Collective dress, Schutz shoes, Janessa Leone hat, Cult Gaia bag, D’Blanc sunglasses
Photography by Felicia Lasala

 

Sophie on Instagram

Follow