It turns out the “post-travel crash” is common enough that therapists and travel writers have a name for it: post-vacation blues—that mood drop when you go from high-stimulation adventure back to routine. And if you’ve ever felt it, you know it doesn’t feel like “blues.” It feels like your happiness got used up.

It’s 6:43 AM on a Wednesday and Emily’s alarm has gone off three times… but her brain is still in Barcelona.

What this episode is about

The emotional dip after an amazing trip or big event

Why “back to normal” can feel gray, flat, and pointless

How to rebuild that alive feeling without buying another plane ticket

Meet Emily

21-year-old college junior (University of Oregon)

Returns from a two-week Europe backpacking trip with her best friends

Comes home to: work shifts, roommate chaos, relationship routine, and a heavy “now what?”

The problem

The trip wasn’t just fun—it was newness, freedom, and real connection

Back home, everything feels smaller by comparison

She starts spiraling: comparing her apartment, her relationship, and her life to the trip