No, I'm not ready to write about my trip, yet. Today went a long way to help me process things, but I still need to read my journal one more time and comb through the 1000+ pictures I took for the best ones to share.
For this particular post, I would like to address the oft-referenced, but rarely examined, topic of jet lag.
Here is how dictionary.com defines the subject:
jet lag
–noun
a temporary disruption of the body's normal biological rhythms after high-speed air travel through several time zones.
Generally speaking, I have usually taken after my mother when it comes to jet lag. It rarely affects her, and she can often jump right back into things upon returning home. She frequently flies to the other side of the world, and more often than not, she just shrugs off the ill effects of completely reversing her body's clock.
My father, on the other hand, has not faired as well. He can handle being a few hours off, but last year, he was in Thailand. He did well while he was there, but it took him almost a month to fully recover when he arrived home.
On previous trips, I haven't really had to deal with jet lag. Traveling to Latin America doesn't really throw off normal rhythms, and I adjusted easily to the 5-6 hours difference in Europe. I attribute this partially to my youth, and partially to the fact that I have a rather fluid sleep cycle anyway. I can allow myself a day going and coming to adjust, and I'm right as rain. I have a general philosophy when it comes to travel - you have to immediately put yourself on the local rhythm. Otherwise, you adjust too gradually, and this equals a miserable trip. Jumping right in helps shock your body into a faster adjustment.
However, things change rather dramatically when you literally shift everything forward half a day. The trip there wasn't a problem. I arrived in Thailand just after midnight on a Saturday, went to bed around 1:30, woke up at 6:30 in the morning, and took the day to rest. I didn't take a nap, I just relaxed, then went to bed around 10. After that, I was fine.
On the return trip, I left South Asia early in the morning on Wednesday, spent 15 hours in an airport in India, slept four hours on the eight hour flight to London, and then was awake until I arrived home around 7 on Thursday evening. After two full days of travel, I was more than ready to get some shut-eye. I was determined to follow my policy, however, so I stayed up as late as possible. It wasn't until I realized I had fallen asleep sitting at my kitchen table that I relented.
That night was weird. I woke up a couple of times, not sure where I was, convinced I was still traveling, trying to find my bags. Within a few minutes each time, though, I was able to get back to sleep, not waking completely until after 9. I took Friday easy, didn't go out, which was good, because my brain was soaked in fog. Most of the time, I didn't know what day it was. I went to bed early again, and I felt quite rested on Saturday, though my body was aching from the travel and other things.
But there is a lingering weariness. I am seesawing on when I go to bed and when I wake up. This morning, I was up at 5. I felt rested, but I don't generally get up so early. Also, I am still having trouble figuring out where I am when I first wake. It is incredibly disconcerting, and I don't like how muddled my brain gets.
So, that's my state of mind right now. I didn't get anything done at work today because I was trying to figure out what from the trip needed to be done and then what regular stuff needed to be done. I also spent the entire afternoon debriefing with the rest of the group who went from HQ. That helped me stop drifting so much. It's still hard, though - my brain and my body feel like they are on two separate planes of existence. I'm just waiting for them to decide when and where to reconnect.
All that to say this:
I hate jet lag.
Word.
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