How do you feel in those first days back home after a long trip away?

A natural way to answer

It's a strange mix. There's the comfort of familiar surroundings, but also a slight flatness once the excitement wears off. I usually need a few days to readjust to the routine, and I find the trip slowly sinks in as I unpack and look back on it.

Key phrases to use

• post-holiday blues — a low, sad feeling after a holiday ends“I always get the post-holiday blues on the first Monday back.”
• get back into the swing of things — return to your normal routine and rhythm“It took a week to get back into the swing of things.”
• on autopilot — doing things automatically without really thinking“I was on autopilot for the first few days back.”
• sink in — be gradually understood or fully realised“It took a while for the trip to sink in.”
• itchy feet — a strong urge to travel or move on“I've got itchy feet again already.”