photo credit: @gaellemarcel via Unsplash
While I am working on some trip recaps (why do they always take me forever to write?), I thought I’d pop in here for a quick life update, lest you think I’ve completely disappeared. Grab a beverage and settle in.
Re-entry has been rough.
I am always a little physically jet-lagged when I return from a trip overseas, but even more emotionally jet-lagged, and it takes me a little while to get back into my life here. Usually, it helps to just throw myself back into a routine, and it did, but I feel like daily life has swallowed me whole since my return three weeks ago. My work weeks have been super-busy, and I’ve been catching myself postponing things to the weekend, which then proceeds to *poof* evaporate into thin air and leaves me wondering on a Sunday night, “where the heck did the time go?”. Does this sound familiar to anyone?
This is not an excuse, not a complaint, just a simple acknowledgement of how time perception feels to me right now and how it impacts my time management. I don’t know what to do about it. I hope this is just a phase.
We’re still dealing with my mother-in-law’s estate.
It’s been almost a year since her passing, and the estate has still not been dissolved. For us, it’s more of an emotional burden, as we’re not directly involved in the execution of her trust/will (my brother-in-law is the executor, Jon is just a beneficiary), but this has been a much more drawn-out process than anticipated. (Mainly because I feel like my brother-in-law has other priorities and hasn’t pushed things along, and he also hasn’t accepted help and doesn’t communicate well with us. So, that’s fun.)
Work has been busy
Do you have co-workers on a project that swing between “oh, we have all the time in the world” and then a sudden shift to “we have no time, we have to get things accomplished NOW!”? Yeah, and unfortunately, I am always in the position where I can’t make unilateral decisions (to move my part of the work forward) but have to check back with other people. It can be a little frustrating and stressful at times, but I guess it‘s not uncommon.
I’ve been distracting myself with silly shows.
As you know, I don’t usually listen to podcasts, I don’t really watch any series, and (sadly) I haven’t picked up a book in a while, but I’ve enjoyed watching absolutely ridiculous reality TV (90-day fiancé). I think I am so intrigued/fascinated by this show because I married a foreigner myself, but we had such a completely different experience. What is with ALL THE DRAMA? And why do I find it so entertaining?
Snack Hack
Also, on a totally random note: have you had the Maui Monk Pretzel Braids from Stellar? (They give them out as snacks on Southwest flights.) I really like them and tried to find them in stores. I finally did at Sprouts, but the bag (12 oz) is $5.99. Well, here’s a tip: go buy a bag of the sweet onion pretzel twists at Trader Joe’s. You can thank me later.
Lisa's Yarns
May 5, 2026 at 11:17 amSettling estates can be such a fraught process. I know of families where siblings are now estranged because of the process. It seems rare for things to go smoothly and for everyone to be content with the process. My eldest brother is the executor of my parents estate. Hopefully their deaths and very very far off and I hope they will have spent most of their assets by then but one never knows. There are 5 of us kids so I intend to be totally checked out of the process when it does occur down the road since my family is extremely conflict prone under the best of circumstances…
I can see how re-entry is tough as your trips home tend to be long to make it work the time/$$ to travel so far! It’s hard to jump right back into your normal routines when you are jetlagged and emotionally exhausted, too!
J
May 5, 2026 at 2:16 pmI would imagine that leaving your family behind makes for a lot of emotional jet lag.
Ugh on your MIL’s estate taking so long. My mom had almost nothing in her estate, so it was really easy, no lawyers had to be involved or anything like that. It can really slow down the process if you have to go through probate. When my father died, his executor was not his wife (my step mom), which was wonderful, because she didn’t have to deal with all of that paperwork and so on. And she still lives in their house, and most of his assets went to her, so it was pretty simple. It will be more complicated when she dies, I expect. I’ve been very lucky in that my siblings and I all agreed on everything, so that didn’t complicate anything.
I was wondering about your work, if that general stress and feeling of dread has died down at all as time has gone by, even though of course as long as this admin is in charge, there is always a sense of existential dread.
Tanja Jordan
May 6, 2026 at 3:55 amWith all the ‘madness’ around your mother-in-laws estate, “Before the 90 days” is the best distraction! I’d rather watch other peoples drama :)
Hope work gets better and people will get their jobs done in a timely matter, so you can get to your part as quickly as needed.
Don’t be too hard on yourself! Leaving family behind and getting back into the day to day is hard, especially after such amazing vacation you had. Soon enough the every day will take over again.
Nicole MacPherson
May 6, 2026 at 5:04 amUgh, the estate process. I’m not surprised it’s taken a year. It feels like it takes forever to get things all straightened out. Why do things like that move so slowly? I have no idea but I know my SIL is still dealing with her father’s estate and it has definitely been over a year.
I am here for your 90 Day Fiance. Why not? We all need a fun distraction in our lives.
I’m sorry re-entry has been so rough. It must be hard to be so far away from your family. xo
Birchie
May 6, 2026 at 5:33 amI don’t know why trip recaps take forever to write, but it’s a fact that they do. I’m really hoping to get my latest one out today, but we’ll see if that happens.
Yes I can relate to being having to shift all of my work priorities at a split second because of someone else’s whims, why do you ask? Can confirm that it’s very frustrating and that I do not miss those days.
90 DAY FIANANCE!!!!!! I never watched the show, but back when Hubs and I first started dating he found a really funny recap show and we used to just sit and laugh so hard that it hurt.
Sweet onion pretzel twists FTW!
NGS
May 6, 2026 at 7:19 amI am basically exhausted all the time, so if I had to deal with jetlag, I just might never get over it.
My sister was able to deal with my mom’s estate pretty easily, but it was actually not too bad because she’d sold most of her assets by the time she died, so it was just splitting cash. *shrug* Is that lucky? Or terrible? I don’t even know anymore. I’ll say that it did make our taxes complicated and stressful on top of the whole “my parent just died” thing. So, hang in there. It will resolve itself when it resolves itself, I guess.