Now you’ve done it. Congratulations. You planned your trip, went out on the road, traveled the world, and now are home. Pretty awesome huh? But many people ask- now what? After the glow of welcome back parties fade and you tire of telling the same stories, what do you do? You are forever changed- you know it and now you are wondering where to go with your life.
Coming home from traveling around the world is the hardest part. There’s a mixture of excitement, anxiety, fear, joy, and nervousness. Returning home is more about coping mentally than doing anything in particular. After the honeymoon period is over and reality sets in, people are left wondering what now? You spent a long time preparing for the road, a long time on the road, and anticlimactically, it is over. Here’s a few tips that can help you cope:
Stay Busy- Idleness is the killer of joy. If you sit around thinking about the good times you had, you’re only going to resent being home even more and get even more depressed. Go out, get a job, pick a hobby, join a gym. Even if you are super psyched to be home, the first few weeks are always rough as you adjust back into “normal” society. The best thing to do is to stay busy. One great way to stay busy is to be a tourist in your own city. Since you have been gone so long, things have probably changed. Go explore your hometown as you would Paris or Venice or Bangkok. You’re bound to find something new and you’ll still be able to live in “trip” mode.
Plan your next trip- If the thought of staying home is killing you, get the hell out! Plan your next trip. Even if you never go. Go start looking up destinations. Buy a guidebook. Plan some routes. Look at flights. You’ll get in the mood and you’ll get excited. Even if it never happens, at least you will be working towards something and take your mind off being settled.
Get a Job- The economy may not be doing great but getting a job ties into staying busy. By getting a job, you can take your mind off things and begin to put all your energy and new found sense of adventure to good use.
Take a Weekend away- Going away for the weekend can keep your travel energy up and make you feel like you are just shifting gears in life not slamming on the breaks.
Read Travel Blogs- Because if you aren’t traveling, live through the people who are and get the motivation to get going again.
The post-trip is about adjusting back into the world you left and focusing on taking what you learned and applying it to your daily life. Many long term travelers end up leaving right away, afflicted by a virus that will never be cured, unable to settle down in one place. Their trip taught them they out grew home. Others stay home as their trip taught them they missed what they left. Others just stay home because they can’t get away again. Either way, we all come home eventually and that return is all about coping with being home.
This is also true for expats……
Great advice as always Matt. One other suggestion: treat your own home town like you were a tourist. There’s a good chance, especially if you live in a city, that’s there are loads of interesting places to explore. That way you can treat staying at home more like you were travelling. With luck you’ll stave off the wanderlust a bit more (while you save for the next trip) and maybe even appreciated your home all the more.
ah ! I find all the tips useful even though I havent really travelled the world..Im actually feeling zoned out , having been on small trips and planning more…i think I need to get a job , be a tourist and read more travel blogs..in that order
thanks for this post it help me plan my upcoming trip its not a round the world its a just a trip to thailand but reading this helps me a lot on what to do anyway if i ever began my world tour coming home is definitely not gonna be easy hehe.
Yes, I’ve been wondering about how it would feel to come home after being away like that. I haven’t planned an around the world trip – yet (lol), I’m just curious…
Great advices you have written here, I agree with them
Hi Matt, thanks for stopping by! I just wanted to say I love your list of travel goals on the sidebar. I might have to make a list of my own… thanks for the inspiration!
Hi, great tips
When I was living abroad for the first time, everybody kept telling me how to cope with the cultural shock in the new country and how to settle there easily, but nobody told me how hard it would be to come home. It was actually ten times more difficult!
Travel changes you and I find your words describing how “they out grew home” can be very true. While travels can help you grow often the people you leave behind don’t “get” the new you and it can be difficult to readjust for everyone.
Finding common ground again may take some effort on both sides.
Great tips as usual. Reading travel blogs extends the bug to a point where you actually become unproductive!
I really liked this post, Matt. It’s always good to remember that you’re not the only one going through any given situation, in this case returning home after living abroad. Doing all the things I missed while in Paris helps me manage the transition. It’s been a few months already but it’s still difficult to be back sometimes.
@tanya: I found it difficult. And when people ask you what is wrong? You can’t really explain because they just don’t understand and when you do explain, they look at you weird.
@lola: yes, it makes me unproductive!
@airfare deal: It is way more difficult getting back into your culture than people think!
@geoff: I agree!
@everyoneelse: glad you enjoyed this entry and found comfort in it.
“Get the hell out” Yes! AGREE! I got back on a Monday… began planning escape that Wednesday… STAY TUNED MATT!
Return of the Anthony!
Who wants to think about coming home!
I find coming home the worst part of the trip. I love seeing family and friends again, but all the excitement and irresponsibility that comes with travel disappears. Some call it reverse culture shock…I call it reality. Thanks for this posing this Matt!
I always thought coming home was a lot harder than leaving.
One more tip for your list: Take a day around your home town and act like you are a tourist there. Go to a museum or to other “touristy” attractions, hang out where ever other travelers are, etc.