Why you want to leave again right after the school holidays

The line at the takeout restaurant last night was incredibly long. The whole neighborhood came back from ski vacation (I immediately realize again how good we have it, almost ridiculous) and none of us felt like cooking. And I understand that, because if you are very honest, after a week of vacation with kids, you immediately need to book a little extra. But then just the two of us or with friends, and that's why.

1. The LAUNDRY

You come home and you can immediately go full throttle. Even the clothes that were clean I always want to wash again, because they smell musty from the closets where a moisture absorber could have been, because they were packed shoulder to shoulder next to the dirty laundry in the suitcase, or because you just don't remember what was dirty and what was clean and you don't feel like sniffing every sock and pair of underwear separately.

2. Your house

I know how spoiled it all sounds and especially don't feel sorry for me (I do feel sorry for myself, ha), but you also find your house in a different state. Our cleaners had been there but had just taken off my crackling clean duvet (which I had specifically brought to the dry cleaner for the ironing service) that I had specially put on, which now left me with a full laundry basket with a duvet that was not dirty, but they had left the dog bowl with dog food (which is a horror in itself, but if it sits for a week... brrr) and that overripe cucumber as it was. And those flowers were also a lot less cheerful than when we left. So, those kinds of things.

3. The mail

Just pile it up and wait until you feel like dealing with it is the motto.

4. The newspapers

Because my beloved makes daily TV programs, we have a subscription to five newspapers. That creates quite a pile, I can tell you. And I don't want to throw them away immediately because I find that disrespectful to the work of all journalists and a waste of paper, but at the same time I know that I won't read them anyway and I find it a terrible sight. Next to the unopened envelopes and pushing them aside after three days.

5. Fighting neglect

My kids really need to go through the car wash when they get home. Just getting all those tangles out of their hair with a greasy blob of conditioner, trimming nails, and brushing teeth for an extremely long time because the electric toothbrush was empty halfway through the vacation and I didn't have a charger with me.

6. Unpacking suitcases

And hauling them to the attic. But I'm not going to do that, because Thursday the next trip is on the agenda. A work trip with my favorite work friends. Look, that's the better work. No guilt (because work), lying quietly on a bed (we're going with Lancaster, so applying and testing is our main task), but a fifth of the laundry that awaits me afterwards and hopefully a made bed and a happy family waiting for me because I sound very tough now, but honestly, I'm the happiest when I'm back.