When Traveling Becomes Too Much

It never occurred to me that I’d want to go home and stay there….at least for the immediate future. And I’ve rediscovered where my real home is: Paris.  Some people might find that revelation strange since I’ve been living in the City of Light for the past 17 years. But there’s nothing like an extended absence to make you appreciate the little things you take for granted. For example: The Kaiser Bakery four minutes away from us that sells hot baguettes and delicious melt-in-your-mouth croissants; Monceau Fleurs (it’s a chain of stores that buys in such quantity that its flowers are veritable bargains) where I routinely go to decorate the apartment with cascades of bouquets. Oh yes – how I want to be reacquainted with our kitchen and French grocery stores. Restaurant food in luxury hotels may be great – but unless you order room service, it behooves guests to dress.  How nice not to sneak in for a great French meal in my own kitchen, wearing nothing but sweats.   Please understand I’m a strong advocate of travel – not only for its own sake – but to enhance global understanding and, hopefully, acceptance of other cultures’ mores and differences. It’s one of the greatest learning experiences available.   But after a point, changing hotels, albeit great ones such as the Four Seasons Group, the Peninsula, the Conrad and the Ritz Carlton, and sleeping in different beds is draining. I may know how many air miles we’ve clocked during this trip, but I need to calculate the number of rooms we’ve called “home” during our adventure. However, we’ll have to wait to add them up when we’re back in Paris.  Right now, we’re still on the last leg of our Around The World Trip in Washington, D.C., merely dreaming of Paris.   In the background, I hear my husband sighing over having to pack again. Even though it gets easier, I vow that on my next trip I’m going to travel with a carry-on bag and negate lost checked luggage and/or having it ripped to shreds by security inspectors doing their job. We’re still looking for a cache of Christmas presents (purchased in China) which seems to have disappeared between Los Angeles and New York. Either we left them where we were staying in LA or some unknown family had a terrific Oriental Christmas day.   What can you do differently to minimize the here-today – gone tomorrow feeling that frequently sets in with travel? Unless you’re 20 years-old and have unlimited energy, most people tend to feel the effects of long-term travel.   If money and time weren’t critical, I’d take more frequent trips (Hello David at Imperial American Express Travel Services ) and ideally stay in each place five days to a week. In Asia, many upscale hotels have serviced furnished apartments.  They cost less than renting a room – and tenants still have the hotel staff at their disposal. Try to negate “one day in this city and the following day in another” unless you’re taking a cruise where you can unpack once and sightsee from the boat – something which is an entirely different experience.   Alternate super charged touring days with ones that require less running around – such as exploring a museum or a park and leave time to languish over a longish lunch. Perhaps I’m showing my age but la vie est comme ca. Buy concert tickets in advance  and do read a city’s equivalent of Time Out (or surf the Internet) for events that are going on, such as concerts, dance recitals and Anglophone book readings, etc.   Break yourself of the idea that you must be out of the room before 8:00 a.m. and not return until after midnight. If you want to do that, allow an hour’s relaxation during the afternoon.   People frequently return home feeling they need a vacation from their vacation. I won’t feel that way. But I will cry when the taxi driver passes the flying buttresses of Notre Dame reminding me that I’m really, finally, officially home again.