Post Travel Depression Is Real (Here’s How Emily Climbed Out)

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