Slow down. Ease back in. Integrate.

These are not the words we typically hear when we come home from a trip…

If you're like me, you squeeze every last minute out of your vacation (or special life event, or retreat), leaving very little time for yourself before you jump back into the fray of your day-to-day life. We've been socialized to believe that being busy is good, that the hustle is where it's at. Many of us are moms and simply have no choice but to juggle the care of children and aging parents, on top of jobs, pets, and other household responsibilities. So how do we slow down, ease back in, and integrate all we experience while traveling or retreating? I'm learning right along with you Darlings, and have been exploring how to plan for and implement a Compassionate Comedown Plan.

I first learned of Compassionate Comedown Plans from Rev. Bunny Love-Schock while Detouring with her in the Dolomites. Bunny explained how finding ways to create space for ourselves when we return from a retreat enables us to integrate much more of what we experienced, and can support us in making important shifts in our lives and relationships accordingly. So, before I headed to the Nine Quarter Circle Ranch before my retreat, I outlined a Compassionate Comedown Plan for myself to administer after.

Retreats especially leave me on a high, and the comedown is very real and often more of a crash. This time around, I cleared my calendar for the first 3 days after returning from the ranch and allowed myself to move slowly as I unpacked, did laundry, grocery shopped, and reflected on all the magic that happened last week. I didn't look at emails until Wednesday, after those first three days. Social media has captivated more of my attention than I'd like to admit - taking note of this and will plan better next time. While the ranch food was delicious (the best we've ever had), it was heartier than I'm used to, so I've been eating light and drinking a lot of water. I work out nearly every day normally. This week I've made sure to walk daily, but haven't pushed myself too hard otherwise.

Before I mapped out my plan, I made a list of everything that I wanted my Compassionate Comedown

Plan to include:

movement/walking
rest
bathtub soaking
journaling
time in nature
clean house / clean sheets
simple clean meals
smoothies
water
gentle exercise
massage
facial
stillness
slowly reconnecting with family + friend

Here's how my plan played out:

Day 1 - Sunday

Turned off my alarm and slept as long as my body needed
Gratitude practice - sooooo much gratitude for every woman who showed up fully for themselves last week
Stillness + Coffee
Protein Smoothie for breakfast
Lots of water
Unpack - van + luggage
Start laundry
Journal
Salad for lunch
Worked on the sweater I'm knitting
More laundry - I had 5 loads?!
Reconnected with my kids - Quick calls as I didn't have much talk in me
Picked up my dogs from the kennel - I asked to have them bathed and fed and didn't pick them up until 5pm so I had the whole day to myself
Soup for dinner
Neighborhood walk with my pups
Soak in the tub - had a glass of wine
In bed by 9pm

Day 2 - Monday

Set my alarm for 6:15am
Gratitude practice - This really is a daily thing for me. I do it before I get out of bed most days
Stillness + Coffee
7am Spin with Devin - Never miss a Monday Darlings!
Protein Smoothie for breakfast
Lots of water
Took Milo and Noodle to their favorite trail and walked and walked
Shower
Journal
Picked up my daughter from the airport and got a little face time with her:)
Salad for lunch
Made some reels with Devin - this kind of thing is out of my comfort zone but wanted to make them while the retreat was still fresh in my mind
Organized retreat 'stuff'
Mocktails (that turned into winetails) with Megan Ulrichs and outlined Dare | Morocco 2023 - So much goodness being planned! Can't wait to share!
Soak in the tub
In bed by 9:30pm

Day 3 - Tuesday

Turned off my alarm and slept as long as my body needed - this time I really slept in, which felt wonderful
Gratitude practice - I don't move out from under the covers until I've thought of at least 3 things I'm grateful for. I often say them out loud, which always makes Milo tilt his head.
Stillness + Coffee
Protein Smoothie for breakfast
Lots of water
Snowfill dog park with Milo and Noodle - Snowfill is a 38-acre open space with over 2 miles of gravel trails where dogs run free :)
Spent some time knitting - I want to finish my sweater before the rain turns to snow
Closed my eyes and napped for a bit
Salad for lunch
Paid bills - not optimal for a comedown plan, but had to be done
Facial @ Nectar Skin Studio with Lily - tried microcurrent, which might have to be an email unto itself
Made dinner for Taylor Lawn - Dare wouldn't have happed without her
In bed by 9:30pm

By Wednesday, I was feeling more open to returning to "reality" but kept things as simple as possible. I scheduled a massage for Thursday, spent as much time outside and in nature as possible, and reconnected with my parents who are the greatest supporters of Dare to Detour, without question. I knew they'd have a lot of questions, so made sure I blocked out a chunk of time on my calendar to give them a full recap.
By Friday, I felt ready to reflect and get to writing. Feeling reflective and sharing. In the past, I've had to force myself to get back into writing, as it felt more like a chore but right now, it's all flowing! I think this is because I gave myself enough time to integrate, to gradually comedown. It feels good. Real good.