I took a nine-day tour through China, hoping it would give me a break from reality.
For nine days, it did.
I wandered through new cities, admired landscapes I’d only ever seen in photos, ate incredible food, and met people who, for a brief moment, became part of my journey. My days were full, my mind was occupied, and the uncertainty that had been following me around seemed quieter.
Then I came home.
The next morning, I unpacked my suitcase, cleaned the house, and tried to settle back into my routine. On the surface, everything looked normal again.
Inside, it wasn’t.
The anxiety I’d left behind was waiting for me. The uncertainty surrounding my visa was still there, unchanged. It felt as though I’d stepped back into the exact place I had pressed pause on nine days earlier.
What surprised me most wasn’t my mind—it was my body.
Mentally, I felt refreshed. Travelling had given me new experiences, fresh perspectives, and memories that I’ll treasure. But physically, my body seemed to be saying, “Now it’s my turn to rest.”
Within days, I broke out in hives. My period was delayed again. I was so exhausted that I couldn’t stay awake for more than two hours at a time. All I wanted to do was sleep.
For the next few days, I simply focused on the basics. Eating. Showering. Sleeping. Some days, even staying awake felt like a challenge.
It made me realise how differently the mind and body recover. While my mind felt recharged from the adventure, my body was quietly processing nine days of early mornings, long bus rides, unfamiliar beds, constant movement, and the emotional highs of travelling. Once I got home and finally slowed down, everything caught up with me.
So instead of resisting it, I’m trying something different.
I’m learning to read my body’s signals instead of constantly asking it to keep going. I’m learning that rest isn’t something to squeeze in between productive days. It is sometimes the most important thing I can do.
I’m still waiting for my visa. I’m still living in the uncertainty that I was hoping to escape for nine days.
But maybe this season isn’t asking me to have all the answers.
Maybe it’s simply asking me to slow down, listen to my body, and trust that not every pause means I’ve stopped moving forward.
Sometimes, the most productive thing we can do is rest.