I've experienced the same thing, but always had to wonder: maybe you're on an underlying trajectory of improvement fueled by practice, which is not influenced b

I've experienced the same thing, but always had to wonder: maybe you're on an underlying trajectory of improvement fueled by practice, which is not influenced by brief breaks. However, after a break, you notice all the improvement that has accumulated during the break. By contrast, when you practice daily, the day to day changes are small and you don't notice them.