Ever come home from vacation and faced such a mountain of catchup the trip almost doesn’t seem worth it?

I remember hearing once that you should expect catching up from a vacation to take at least as many days as the trip itself.

Well, I disagree.

For years I have been following my own Vacation Recovery Checklist, and I can be up and running within hours of getting home.

It all boils down to two key windows of time: while traveling home and when you first walk in the door.

Because there is so much that competes for my attention once I get home, I often spend the last few hours on an airplane or in the car working out the logistics of what I need to do to get caught up:

1. Plug back into the calendar week.
2. Catch up on emails, texts, and other communication.
3. Plan your menu for the upcoming week.
4. And while you’re at it, make your grocery list.
5. If possible, order your groceries online.

And once you’re home:

1. Unpack and clean the car (if it was a road trip.)
2. Unpack ALL the bags.
3. Start the laundry.
4. Collect the mail, pick up the pets, etc. Again, it’s just nice to wrap it all up.
5. Even implementing a few of these tips can speed up vacation recovery!