Making The Transition Back to Reality, Easier.

It’s hard to bring myself to admit this but my summer holidays are officially over. And just like that, I’ve returned to sparkling skylines, MRT rides and humidity; leaving yards of olive trees, Nazaré waves and light summer air far west. Throughout the flight I managed to keep my mind occupied with a ‘feel good’ movie marathon because there’s no changing what has to be when it’s over. (That’s a tip right there.)

Today was spent entirely on: unpacking 3 weeks worth of stuff, sorting out loads of laundry you can imagine, spring cleaning the house, grooming and giving furry Cinga a good bath, and now settling down to write this. It’s definitely not a new feeling, but it’s one I can hardly get use to; like goodbyes.

É, on the other hand, is back to work. While jumping straight to the 9 to 6 grind with a jet lag can feel pretty surreal or even brutal, I think it is the best way to transition back to reality. (Obviously if you could, try to return on a Thursday or Friday so that you have a shorter week to hustle before weekend arrives.)

While my wild dreams still roam across Portuguese regions at night and fractions of fresh, vivid memories captured during our road trip make surprise visits during the day, what helps me cope with the post-holiday mood is knowing that someone might just be feeling the same way about where I am right now – missing Cingapore‘s hawker food, the explosion of floral experience at Gardens by The Bay, or that amazing sunset from Marina Bay Sands. Isn’t that the kind of beauty in pain every traveler suffers and becomes what keeps them going?

In order to stay at the positive side of things this busy, jet-lagged week, here are 5 things I’m looking forward to:

1. Catching up on the Asian food run with É

{to tick-off from our list include Chinese at our usual favorites, Thai at Golden Mile, Korean to make me happy, Japanese at Man Man by Teppei and Vietnamese at Mrs. Pho; in that order}

2. Celebrating Cinga’s 1st birthday!

{Cinga, despite being Cingaporean, turns 1 on 31st August; a special day for anak-anak Merdeka, like me}

3. Spending quiet, quality time with É

{and catching up on those Games of Thrones episodes that we missed!}

4. Planing my trip back to Malaysia

{after every huge trip abroad, I usually make an effort to go home; to reconnect with those I’ve built long lasting friendships together and with those who remind me of my roots, no matter how far I go}

5. Starting something new

{whether it is getting a new job or planning my destination wedding for next summer, I reminded myself to not force things that need time and to take one step a time}