The price of a trip includes the energy needed to enjoy it.

The cost of a trip gets calculated in money and then paid in something else. Two connections, a short night and a very early start can deliver you to the place with nothing left to meet it with. Cheaper arrangements are frequently more expensive in that currency. Energy belongs in the budget even though nobody prints it on the ticket.

When you plan the next one, price the recovery as well: the easier flight, a night at each end, a first day with nothing arranged in it. Ask what state you want to arrive in, then work backwards from that.