The part of the trip nobody plans for

Do you plan for recovery on your itinerary?

I've been home for a week, and I'm still recovering from getting here.

The trip itself was everything we hoped for. Rainforests, tidal pools, the Peace Pagoda. The trip home is the part I want to tell you about, because nobody plans for it.

On Friday night we packed our bags, put them in the car, went to bed early, and set the alarm for 4:30 a.m. The plan was simple. Be on the road to SeaTac by 5:00, return the rental car, and board our 7:30 am flight.

We were moments before walking out the door when I got the text. Our flights had changed overnight. Bad thunderstorms in Chicago had pushed our departure, and they had rebooked us to Sunday (not Saturday) at 11:05 PM! Whaaaaat?

We immediately searched for earlier flights and found a few seats on the 11:05 pm for Saturday night. I immediately upgraded our seats for more legroom. The last time I was on a "redeye" was 1981!

Next, I extended the rental car, let our hosts know we weren't leaving right away, and did the smartest thing I did all week; I went back to bed and snoozed for another 90 minutes.

So we decided to have a day.

We found a great place for brunch at a little crunchy-granola restaurant. Then we headed over to the Museum of Flight, where we watched a documentary about aviator Jacqueline "Jackie" Cochran, a friend of Amelia Earhart who broke an extraordinary number of aviation records and whom almost no one has ever heard of.

Finally, dinner by Angel Lake, with salads and a cookie to watch the sunset.

Back at SeaTac 7:30 pm, we returned the rental car and took a bus to our gate. We decided to check our bags, but they wanted $191! So I asked the counter attendant if she would do it for free for our inconvenience, and she said yes. It never hurts to ask!

Our flight was delayed because of more storms, but we finally left at 1:11 a.m. We landed in Chicago at 7:25 on Sunday with 35 minutes to catch the next one; however, we were in Terminal A and had about a mile walk to get to B.

Paul was not breathing very well, so I put him in a wheelchair, and we raced across the airport. He was not happy, but we arrived just before they boarded our group. Thank goodness I had packed that protein bar and an apple.

Somewhere in the beginning of the second flight to Hartford, I sneezed. Just once. Yet that one sneeze set off severe cramping throughout my core and back that lasted about fifteen minutes. And there was no room to stretch! I believe it was dehydration. Whatever the cause, my body made its opinion of the whole journey very clear.

A week later, I'm still catching up on sleep. I didn't remember that recovery is part of the trip! I got home mid-day on Sunday and had a class on Tuesday, and I had to muster all the energy I had. It turns out Paul got an upper respiratory infection too and is recovering from that now too.

We pour weeks into planning where we'll go and almost no time into how we'll land. A trip ends when your body, your calendar, and your energy are all back home, and that can take longer than the flight.

Build a few buffer days into the end of every trip. Allow yourself two full days to recover to give your body and your calendar a soft landing.

Put water and movement in the travel plan. Fill the bottle after security. Take the aisle seat when you can. Stand and stretch whenever the flight allows it.

Take a nap if the plan falls apart. Those 90 extra minutes at 9:00 a.m. Saturday carried me through a very long day. Sleep is worth more than an extra hour of anything.

Turn a lost day into a found day. We had a day we didn't expect, so we filled it with good things. Brunch, a museum, a documentary about a remarkable woman, and dinner by a lake beat hours at the gate looking at the phone and trying to keep it charged.

Go easy on yourself the week after. Lower the bar. Cancel the extras. Rest is part of getting home, and it's okay if it takes longer than you thought.

Every trip has a return. From now on, I'll plan for it as carefully as I plan for the destination.

What is your best travel survival tip? Hit reply and tell me. I'm collecting those tips for our next adventure.

All my best,

Maureen

"I have arrived, I am home."

~Thich Nhat Hanh