Sounds to me like the trip didn't give him the "feel good fix" that he was looking for. They all have this expectation that life is going to be wonderful and vacations will be fun. They get there and discover it's not all peaches and cream.
Yes, he is poking his head out just a little bit, but don't expect too much from him.
Sit quietly, the answers will reveal themselves when you least expect them to. The past is gone, the present is a gift and you need to focus on today, allow the future to reveal itself when it is ready.
