Our last four trips shared one thing in common. Our last port of call was Japan. With the first three of those I left Tokyo feeling depressed that the holiday was over, unprepared to return to normal life. As soon as I reached Australia I wanted to travel again. I missed the planning, the dreaming, the new sights everyday and the return to hotels where you never needed to do housework.
The recent trip to Osaka was the first in a while where I felt satisfied upon our return home. Perhaps six nights is not enough time to get into the travel habit, maybe it was because we didn’t stay in Tokyo or maybe we just did enough. I wasn’t homesick, but I was happy enough to be home with our adoring puppy.
Earlier in the year we spent a month travelling through Hong Kong, China and Japan. I spent months before hand researching and planning to the point where I had to stop for a while just to clear my mind. This last trip I did hardly any planning. My well worn Japanese Lonely Planet listed interesting places close to Osaka and we knew that there would be lots of trains to get there. My readings were more about getting into the mood for wandering around Kyoto than plotting an itinerary.
So it was a relaxed trip, I left relaxed (for once) and returned relaxed and without an urge to travel again immediately. I wondered, has my travel addiction left me? I knew it wouldn’t be permanent, but I was curious to see how long it would take to return.
The answer is one week. The cravings aren’t bad yet and I actually feel more like exploring Australia for now, but I can definitely feel the stirrings, the urge to investigate fares and destinations.
I think it’s the sound of the jets as they fly through the clear sky. Or maybe the housework.