It’s been a month since I got back from my Australia trip, and I’m still dealing with serious post-vacation blues. After three weeks of warm weather, gorgeous scenery, and being surrounded by friendly, happy locals, my transition back to reality has been a bit rough. But before I go on, let me quickly acknowledge two important things:

1) Yes, I realize that not everyone gets to go on vacations to Australia, and complaining about how hard it is to come back home after a trip like that is not going to garner a whole lot of sympathy from others. Believe me, I get it.

2) I also recognize the fact that I came home to 60 degree “winter” in San Francisco, not two feet of snow in New England. Sure, I had to stow away all of the sundresses and shorts I wore during my trip, but I also didn’t have to step off the plane and face a polar vortex either.

This post, however, is not supposed to be about me feeling sorry for myself. Rather, I hope it’s helpful for when you too get a case of the post-vacation blues. And with the extra expectations of honeymoons in particular, lots of couples have an even tougher time transitioning back to “real life” when they get back home.

So, below are the things that I recommend doing after you get back from a great trip to ward off the blues. I hope they’re helpful for you as well:

• Try to focus on the things back home that you missed the most during your trip. For me, it’s usually thinking about how much I missed my dog, having groups of friends to go out with, and Whole Foods.
• Recreate your favorite meals from your trip at home, or go out to eat at restaurants that serve them. I’ve been on a laksa and noodles kick since getting back from Australia, so I’ve been visiting different Asian restaurants around SF and (gasp!) even experimenting in my own kitchen.
• Hit up World Market or BevMo to purchase your favorite international beverages and snacks. Sadly you won’t be able to find Tim Tams in the states, but you can buy these identical Arnott’s biscuits instead. Yeah, you’re welcome ;)

• Don’t just repost your vacation pics on social media every #tbt. Actually print them out, frame your favorites, and hang them around your home. You may love staring at your beach photos, but your friends probably don’t need the weekly reminder that you recently went on a nice trip without them.
• Have at least one item in your home that reminds you of your trip. I’m not big on souvenirs,  but I purchased a turkish beach towel in Sydney that (intentionally) matched the color scheme of our bathroom. Now every time I see it hanging in there, it reminds me of the beach.
• Get out and explore your own city! I can’t believe I’ve lived in SF for nearly 9 years but haven’t visited Mount Davidson or Kite Hill until this past month.
• Have a tan from a recent tropical vacation? Moisturize like crazy to make it last as long as possible. Your wardrobe might say winter, but at least your skin will remind you of summer.
• Start planning your next big trip as soon as possible! Better yet, have your next trip already lined up. Sure, not everyone can manage multiple trips every year, but nothing will stop you from at least thinking about where you want to go next.

What’s our next big trip? We don’t know quite yet, but I can’t wait to start planning it soon!