The amount of time it takes me to unpack after coming home from the road is a constant source of amusement to my friends and family. My suitcase can sit, half full on my bedroom floor for weeks afterward- but I pull my clothes out of the suitcase as I wear them and life goes on.
Few people might realise it, but in my brain, something similar goes on. It takes me weeks to mentally "unpack" from a tour. Speaking to Hughie, he experiences something similar and has heard the same from other touring musicians. The inertia of constantly moving from one town to the next, packing and unpacking, lugging gear, playing music and filming can result in a kind of restlessness once a tour is over. I get frustrated with the slowness of life at home... and at the same time I am overwhelmed by the pace of it. Friends, family, pets, bills, neglected chores and dead houseplants. I am reminded by all these things just how strange my life is. Eventually I settle in, get back to reality. And then, just as I finally stow my suitcase (empty) under my bed, the next lot of shows come around... and I begin to pack.
G