Hiya! You might have noticed that the Deaf Umbrella blog has been a little bit quiet in the last few weeks... but not anymore! My summer holiday ended, I have come back to my desk and, although it is always nice to be back to familiar the routine, it is possible to suffer from "post-holiday blues" after a fabulous holiday. Tiredness, stress, difficulty in concentrating, sadness, missing the sunshine and holiday friends and acquaintances.... Let's stop here and focus in how to deal with these symptoms!
I have found several tips to beat the post-vacation blues such as:
exercise regularly
set new objectives
re-create your favourite meal from your vacation - love that one -
organize yourself, your routine and commitments, and your time...
One of the activities I want to begin to re-enhance my mood is to put together the most meaningful moments of my holiday and share them with you :) It seems like this is a great idea, as focusing on these positive thoughts can build our skills, boost our health and improve our work... Let's begin the therapy session!
My trip started in South Africa; a wedding invitation was responsible for choosing this destination.
After 11 hours on a direct flight to Johannesburg, we took another domestic flight to Durban. To arrive there and see old friends and meet new ones, was one of the most pleasant feelings.
All of us, from many different cities and countries, together in a city that most of us never been to before - all with the same purpose; to attend our friend's wedding.
Many kisses, hugs and laughs adorned this fantastic night, around a fire-pit, with a BBQ, and a magnificent once-in-a-lifetime lunar eclipse to enhance the enjoyment of this magical occasion.
The very next sunny morning we woke up in a beautiful colonial house, plenty of people running everywhere, nerves and joy; today is the wedding day!
After a couple of holistic calmers, I started to settle my nerves and set about the task of the day – helping to officiate the wedding. Sorry, did I forget to mention this? The bride and groom also forgot to update me on this small matter. I received this information only 2 weeks before the wedding!!
The bride is from South Africa and the groom is Spanish, so I had to read the Spanish version of the priest’s official wedding vows. I was terrified – such a responsibility!
Finally I have to say that the ceremony was perfect, loooots of tears and the air was thick with many emotions … with supreme effort I managed my words without a crack in my voice or any tears…. Well, almost!
After the wedding, all of us could enjoy of an amazing traditional African performance, full of respect, energy and many beautiful colours!
The venue was fantastic and, as good ambassadors of our country (Spain) we hit the dance floor and remained until the very end of the party!
How do you follow that? Apparently, the best way to compose ourselves and give our tired feet a rest after all that emotional energy and physical exertion was by jumping in a van and starting an exciting 3 days safari! Sounds good, doesn't it?
Surrounded by 10K hectares of wild environment, cold mornings and stunning sunsets, we all enjoyed the great experience of searching for wildlife and watching them in their natural habitat (probably interrupted by our intended quiet and speechless presence).
Elephants, giraffes, warthog, zebras, cheetahs, antelopes, rhinos, hippos, wildebeest... and lions! Such a unique experience during the day and great moments to remember during the night. We all gathered each evening to discuss and share our adventures and lots of pictures, with everyone warming themselves around the fire. Did I tell you its very cold in the Bush at night?!
Our final day in South Africa arrived, and we had to say goodbye to most of our friends wishing to see them again very soon. We were going our separate ways, off to different destinations; some of them flew back home, others travelled to Cape Town, and some of us choose a warmer destination; Hello Mauritius!!
We stayed in a villa on the north west coast. The weather was as expected, nice, sunny and warm, although we would have preferred that the days were longer! However, this is something that you have to expect when you travel during the northern hemisphere summer and cross to the south hemisphere: down there it is winter time!!
We thought that we had earned some rest and relaxation after the hectic past few days... Really? Maybe not! If we wanted to see all the beautiful places that the island had to offer, we needed to wake up early and get maximum value from the light hours.
Chamarell waterfalls, 7 coloured earths, white sand beach, snorkelling, lots of curry, parasailing and a minor vehicle problem in the form of a tyre puncture. You can just pictur our unforgettable stay on this stunning island can’t you?!
We were very lucky to have this experience with fantastic friends and also I would like to mention the good luck we had with our flights; everyone on time and no delays or cancellations... 6 out of 6, well done!
So, now the 2 weeks off work has come to an end, everyone is back at home and work, the normal routine "ON" and lots of washing machine activity is on the “to do” list….
I have to admit that it has been very nice for me to go back and look through my memories and write about them. I feel that nostalgia has finally enhanced my mood and I feel very well indeed!
What do you do to manage the post-holiday blues? Please let us know and leave us a comment! :D
Join us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter and don't miss our Deaf Umbrella TV YouTube channel!!
Connect with us on LinkedIn now.