Hello, hello friends!
I’m quite happy to report that things are slowly but surely going back to normal around these parts. Besides spending the majority of yesterday thinking it was Monday, sleeping in until 9 AM (I can’t even remember the last time that happened 😯), having to downgrade from beaches to offices, and not being overly fond of the 30ºC temperature difference, it’s been pretty smooth sailing.
That being said, I’m still dealing with a serious case of the post-vacation blues so I figured that I’d devote today’s post to focusing on some of the things that I missed while I was away in an effort to make myself feel better about being back. I know it’s What I Ate Wednesday and all, and it would probably be great of me to share my eats from Hawaii with you guys, but this is pretty much all I’ve got for you…
Pretty impressive spread, eh? Truth be told, aside from snapping a few pictures on the first day we spent travelling, I basically took no pictures of anything I ate; I was far more interested in capturing shots like this:
View of downtown Honolulu and Waikiki beach from the top of Diamond Head Crater.
Hanauma Bay.
The rainforest in Manoa Valley.
USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor.
… which is all I’m going to share with you for now because reminiscing is doing me no favors in regards to helping me cure my post-vacation blues. Hmpf. So… on with what I missed while I was away [and what I was happy to come home to]!
. – . – . – .
. you guys .
As refreshing as it was to step away from blogging for a little while, I have to admit that I was itching to get back into it near the end there. Even though it sometimes frustrates me to no end, I can’t deny that blogging is a huge part of my life, and going without it for so long made me feel like something was missing. Everyone move in for a group hug!
. homemade baked goodies .
My allergy to peanuts make things kind of tricky when it comes to enjoying desserts that don’t come with an ingredients label, and as good as some store-bought snacks can be, I’m more than ready to start baking up some treats again. I’m seeing some chocolate chip oatmeal cookies in my very near future.
. homemade applesauce
Again, store-bought just doesn’t compare. You better believe that I’ve already got a fresh batch of this stuff whipped up and half eaten.
. oikos 2% plain Greek yogurt .
As impressive as the yogurt selection is down in the States compared to what we get up here in Canada, I still can’t believe how hard it is to find plain old 2% Oikos. The fat free stuff is alright in a pinch, but I was more than happy to get back to my creamy 2%.
. cinnamon .
Given my massive addiction to cinnamon, you’d think that it would be at the top of my list of things to pack, but nooooo – I completely forgot to throw a bottle of my most beloved spice into my suitcase before I left. Thankfully, I did remember to bring Kashi Cinnamon Harvest and my favorite Hot Cinnamon Spice tea, so I wasn’t completely lacking in the cinnamon department, but rest assured that it’ll never happen again. 10 days without cinnamon is 10 days too long.
. world of warcraft .
I realize this makes me sound like a complete geek, but there’s really no denying that I’m a nerd at heart. WoW is probably one of my favorite ways to kill time, and even though I didn’t find myself with a lot of time to kill while I was away (or a reliable internet connection for that matter), I definitely found myself itching to do a little gaming.
Aaaaaand that’s pretty much all I can come up with at this point. I know I’m grasping at straws here, and that being in a tropical paradise is more than worth giving up computers and cookies for a little while, but I’m doing the best I can here to beat the blues, which is made even more difficult by the fact that I’m also dealing with some pesky jet lag. I was still wide awake at 1:30 this morning, and with work and volunteering on my plate, I have a feeling today is going to be a long day…
Happy Wednesday, friends!
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Do you have a hard time getting back into your routine after a vacation?
Any advice on how to beat these blues?
Did you miss me too while I was gone? Say yes and I’ll love you forever 😀 Kidding. Kind of. Although a yes would definitely help with the blues 😉
It is so good to have you back!!! I missed you!!!
Welcome back, Amanda!!! Missed you and your blog 🙂
I definitely missed you while you were away. Happy to see that you had such an amazing time 🙂 These pictures are incredible! Best way to beat the blues, well, it’s only a couple days from the weekend!!
Gah post vacation blues suck.. I went to Italy almost 2 years ago and I don’t think I’m over it yet! The best thing about coming back for me, as someone with a severe food allergy (dairy), and you mentioned you have one too, it really is nice to back in a kitchen where you control ingredients and therefore eat what you please!
….though, of course, I’d trade it in a millisecond to go back and continue being that ‘annoying customer’ with all the questions in a foreign language… to be on the Italian riviera 😉
Speaking of gaming, my boyfriend kills lots of airport time (on all our trips) playing games he gets on his laptop.. Simcity, Super Mario party (Nimbusland!), Zelda Ocarina of Time (I’ve never played but its his fav).. no internet interaction in those old school gems though 🙂
2 years of post-vacation blues?! Eep! I’m seriously hoping that it won’t be that long for me… But you’re right – being back in my own kitchen where I don’t have to worry about my pesky allergies so much is definitely a bonus. As is not having to use GPS to get anywhere that I want to go. And your boy definitely has good taste in games! Ocarina of Time will always be one of my favorites 😀
I fall into near depression when I come home from a great vacation. it was at least a month after going to Mexico last year…
no ideas. sorry. I love your list of random missed things to make it a little better. excited to hear about any ideas. welcome back to the blog!
Group hug! Welcome back! We missed you too but so glad you had an amazing trip away from the blogging world. It is definitely necessary to step back from it all sometimes!
I love that you are a World of Warcraft fan! Your vacation sounds amazing, so jealous of the sunshine you’ve had! I hate coming home from holiday, although seeing my friends and family I’ve missed always reminds me why its so good to be home 🙂
Welcome back! The best advice I can offer is to avoid the produce section of the grocery store for a while. Everything is going to taste insanely gross. Speaking of which, did ya find some fun Hawaiian bananas? I hear ya on the creamy yogurt… I’ve been buying Organic Meadow 3.5% yogurt and it’s gloriously creamy. I can’t believe I used to eat non fat yogurt?! What the hell! Never again.
I couldn’t avoid the produce section, unfortunately 🙁 I was fresh out of basically everything, and going without bananas and apples was a big no-no. Oh! And speaking of bananas, I did indeed get to try some fun Hawaiian ones, although I have no idea which ones they were… There were small yellow ones, and then small red ones. Both were super good.
YAY! Glad you’re back. Can’t wait to hear more about Hawaii and all that you did! The pics are amazing! Keep em’ coming. 🙂
And honestly, post-vacation blues are hard for me too. I find that the only thing that gets me through is time…and having something else to look forward to helps as well!
Welcome back, definitely missed you!!
I don’t think there’s a cure for the post vacation blues. Who really wants to trade sunshine and sand for 30 degree weather and work?!
When I went to Puerto Rico, I took SO many pictures of the views and water. I was amazed at just how BEAUTIFUL it was every day. It was like waking up in a calendar haha!
I’m glad you had a good time and enjoyed time off! It’s always nice to get home, though, because everything is just there and available! What is that drink in the bottom left corner?! Looks so good!
It was some sort of mai tai, and it was definitely all sorts of amazing. I’m such a nooblet when it comes to all those fancy alcoholic drinks, but I was told it was one of those things you had to try when you visit Hawaii, and I definitely agree!
Missed you like you wouldn’t believe girl but very happy that you took the time off that you needed 🙂 getting back from vacation is always hard 🙁 i like to try and make plans with friends soon aftter i get back so i have something fun to do…planning my next vacation is always a good thing to do too 😉
You mean blog reading isn’t your favorite way to kill time? This is quite upsetting LOL. I’m glad you had such an enjoyable time and although I’d like to give advice on beating the blues I know that I’ll be suffering in a few weeks after my vacation.
That Manoa Valley picture looks soooo cool. Man I love Hawaii. I’m a total history nerd too so I remember how much I loved visiting Pearl Harbor as well!
And yes, getting back into the groove of things is difficult! You get used to the vacation so home feels almost foreign for a couple days! 😀
Welcome back – I hope WoW is easing your vacation grief just a tad.
Obviously everyone commenting missed you, but I’m sure we’d all rather you were out having fun. I don’t tend to travel much (or at all for any great distance as I can’t travel on planes due to an ear condition that means my eardrums will burst because my ears can’t adjust to changes in pressure. Fun!) so I can’t really offer any advice about beating the blues. Perhaps the arrival of spring will help a little?
xxx
Awwr 🙁 So sorry to hear about your ears [literally] keeping you down. The coming of spring will definitely help, even though it looks like we have one final cold front to get through.
Oh, and sorry for not getting back to your e-mail while I was away, but you’ll be hearing from me soon! <3
Of course I missed you!
I’d be missing 2% plain Oikos too…I love that stuff!
Soooo happy that you’re back 😀
Yay, group hug for Amanda! Welcome back and yeees, I did miss you – like just about everybody else, right;)?!
Aaah, somebody give me a plane ticket to Hawaii! I’m impressed by your photos and the gorgeous places you’ve been to. Hiking in a rainforest must have been such a fantastic one-of-a-kind experience. I hope you’ll share some more pictures of it soon – and who cares about food pictures when there’s such a lot of beauty to discover all around?
Depending on how long it’s been I definitely find it hard to get back into the routine. Actually, getting back into my class schedule in university after a one-month Spring break isn’t all that easy, either. Talk getting up three hours earlier than I did while on vacation – gasp!
Hope your first work day after coming back isn’t too stressful!
I’ll definitely be sharing some pictures as soon as I can handle looking at them without wanting to cry 😆 Thankfully the winter is drawing to a close here, although it looks like we still have one more cold front to get through. Woof.
We missed you! Hawaii looks so beautiful! I’m glad you got to enjoy it. Even though coming back to the daily grind isn’t so fun, I know it was worth it!
Glad you enjoyed a nice vacay!
I think that loosing the desire/impulse to photograph every food shows recovery! I have found I no longer have any desire to photograph foods and I take it as a positive sign that my priorities are changing for the better!
🙂
Hawaii looks gorgeous! I’m jealous you got to escape the snow and hit the beach!
So glad that you are back! 😉
You are right. I love traveling and trying new foods, but there is just nothing better than cooking and eating homemade foods in the comfort of your home. I definitely miss that after a couple of days of being on vacation.
Missed you so much while you were away….hugs to you! Those pictures are beautiful! Looking at those, I’m not quite sure how you’re going to be able to cope with being back….maybe the cinnamon will help! 😉
Your vacation photos are amazing! I can see how it would be hard to transition back to “real life”. Did you try any fresh pineapple while you were there? I hear its positively amazing! Welcome back- you were missed!!
I wish I could have tried some fresh pineapple, but I’m actually allergic to it so I had to stay away. Mangoes, bananas, and coconut were all fair game though
I usually sleep super well the first day I’m back from vacation because traveling exhausts me (does that make me a child?). Of course we missed you 😀
Yay! Glad you are back! Your vaca looks like it was great- love all those pics. I want to visit Hawaii so badly.
I definitely have a hard time going back to routine after a vacation. Sometimes it’s nice to be back home and be back in my own bed, but adjusting to “normal” schedules can be a challenge.
I also like video games btw so I don’t think you’re a nerd at all. Or maybe we are both nerds. My favs are Final Fantasy + Legend of Zelda. 🙂
I thought I’d be happy to sleep in my own bed again too, but honestly… the bed in my hotel was soooo comfy that I think I prefer it to my own! And omigosh you have no idea how big of an obsession I have with Zelda. I’ve bought systems JUST for the Zelda games, and Ocarina of Time is one of my favorite games to this day.
I missed YOU! And your posts while you were away! 😉
However, I’m glad you got the chance to unplug while you’re away. Sometimes, when we’re constantly blogging it’s good to get a nice week away from the computer and being so attached to our appliances like we are. I think I might need to go on a computer detox soon ha.
Can’t wait to hear more about your vacay!
I am glad you totally unplugged (or basically did) for break. I think you deserved it. i bet you are happy though to hit that oikos and cinnamon again!
I definitely missed reading your blog while you were gone but I know you had an amazing time. I always miss homemade food when I’m okay but it’s nice once in awhile to be waited on hand and foot.
So glad you are back! Hope you had a lovely vacation.
A few years ago I traveled to a sunny place in the middle of winter, and I felt like it made my winter blues that much worse when I got back. Thankfully for you, winter’s almost over so hopefully your post vacation blues won’t last too long!
I made the homemade applesauce for me and my brothers and we finished it off in a day! Thanks girl, it was SO good!
Woop! I wish I could blame brothers for my quickly vanishing applesauce, but I don’t have any, unfortunately 😯
Diamond Head is BEAUTIFUL!! I’m telling you – Hawaii is still one of my favorite vacations to date – and that was 4 years ago.
I don’t care if its weird… YES I missed you but I kind of didn’t.
Id be in my Google reader and see “Running With Spoons” all grey without posts and feel a little pang.. but really when you are in Hawaii I would MUCH rather have you not blogging because… well, duh!
Welcome back and happy baking (maybe something with cinnamon!)
I hate getting back into my routine after a vacation. I always prefer to travel during the summer, so I don’t have school to worry about when I get back. I firmly believe that one of the best parts of flying is Biscoff. I’m obsessed.
And P.S. Yes, a major group huge is needed, and I’m happy you’re back!
Lol @ the Biscoff comment! Love those things, and you better believe that I make sure to grab a pack whenever the stewardesses come around. Unfortunately, I’m out… but I wonder if it’s something I can attempt baking. Hmm.
Whoops- I totally meant “hug”, not “huge.” It could be a huge group hug though. And if you do bake up some Biscoffs, you’d better share ; ).
I’m glad you’re back and it looks like you had a wonderful time in Hawaii. I know what you mean about post-vacation blues. The worst part of returning from vacation is that you have to return back to reality. I bet baking will help!
WELL LOOK WHO IT IS 🙂 i’m so glad you’re back – i missed your dose of sanity in this crazy world. glad you had a great time in hawaii and i’m glad you missed enough things that you decided to come back despite the fact that it must be hard. i have been searching high and low for 2% oikos since i started reading your blog and literally cannot find it anywhere. it’s extremely frustrating so thank you for making me aware of our lack in the us. thank god we’ve got chobani at least to fill the void a little. let me say it again: glad you’re back 🙂
You want to talk frustrating? I’ve been DYING to try the Chobani cinnamon apple flavor forever, but this is my third trip to the States where my searches have been unsuccessful. Blast. Maybe on the fourth?
YAY to see you back, Amanda…glad to hear you had a wonderful trip! I’ve never been to Hawaii but those pics are absolutely breathtaking…I’m not surprised you focused on capturing those moments than the food! Although post-vacay blues almost always kick in for me, I am usually ready to get back into a routine! I would say the best way to get over the blues is to book another holiday to look forward to…buuuuut because that is not always feasible, planning something fun in the near future is as effective! Even if it’s just a dinner date with a friend, a trip to the cinema or booking yourself a mani ped, they can all zap away the blues. And as someone who appreciates the little things, I am almost sure any of these would work for you :)!
WELCOME BACK!
Hehe can you believe I’m actually thinking about planning another vacation? I’ve been bit hard by the wanderlust bug, and even though it wouldn’t be for months and months, the planning and anticipation is almost as good. Almost 😉
YES, I did MISS YOU!!! Welcome back!!! Well, WE are the reason that the vacation blues is gone in no time, because in NO time you will have 50 comments here to welcoming you back. Can it get better?
I think you anyway are taking the perfect approach – you enjoy the stuff you have here and which you missed. Shall I give some recommendations to add? Maybe you have some chocolate left :-)….you have your loved ones close to you again….there is a good excuse to stay inside and drink coffee/tea because it is cold outside…..and you make all your readers happy because we can drool over your bakings again. 🙂
Awwr! Love you tonnes, Lucie <3 Unfortunately, the last bit of chocolate saw it's end on the way to Hawaii... but I did manage to come home with some Hawaiian chocolate and coffee in tow 😀
SO HAPPY TO HAVE YOU BACK! And glad you had what it sounds like was a wonderful, needed vacation! The views are incredible 🙂
I hate going back to work after vacation!! Why cant we vacation like half of the year!!? That rainforest looks amazing also and Im just a little bit jealous. I def miss baked goodies while I travel too!
we missed you too Amanda!