Returning home after travelling is exciting. You get to see your friends and family and sleep in your old bed for the first time in months. Home comforts like cups of tea and roast dinners are a welcome treat. What happens when the novelty of being home wears off? If you’re suffering from the post-travelling blues, it might take some time before you come to terms with normal life again. Here are some useful tips to help you adjust to life after travelling.
Embrace being home
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Being at home allows you to enjoy all those comforts and luxuries you might have had to do without while you were away. A nice long bath and hot showers on demand? What about having constant access to the internet and what’s happening in the world? There are things you might have taken for granted before you went away, and taking the time to enjoy these simple pleasures will help take the edge off being home. Missed a lot of TV while you were away? Spend time catching up on the Netflix shows that everyone is talking about, the time will soon fly by!
Remember that travel life wasn’t always so rosy
It’s easy to get swept up in the memories of stunning beaches, fun experiences and the people you met along the way – but was travelling always so great? Constantly panicking about your passport, having to phone home for some extra cash and meeting the occasional oddball that you couldn’t shift doesn’t sound like a dream! While the majority of your experience was positive, don’t forget to think back to the bad times too that will make you appreciate being at home that little bit more.
Plan your next challenge
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It’s safe to say that you can tick travelling off your list, so what’s next? Is it time to kickstart your dream career? Setting yourself a goal will keep you busy and give you something to work towards. Signing up to do a marathon or learning a new skill will help you form a new routine and give you good distractions from thoughts of wanderlust. There are many amazing things you can do to challenge yourself, but you just need to find the right fit for you.
Return to work
Returning to work after travelling is perhaps one of the hardest things about coming home. Unless you worked during to support your travels, it’s a strange feeling to need to have to work again to pay your way. If you were fortunate enough to be allowed a career break in your job before leaving, your employer returning to work guide would include details of a return to work interview that can help you to know what to expect when you go back.
If you have to begin the job hunt, do so with enthusiasm and a positive attitude. The job market may be tougher than ever, but after a break of however long, you will know more about who you are and what you want to be doing with your life.
Know when to stop talking about it
It’s great that you had an unforgettable time travelling, but not everyone wants to hear about it all the time. Avoid making too many comparisons or launching into travel stories when a friend begins to tell you about some restaurant they went to or when something funny happened in work, these sorts of conversation killers will turn you into a bit of a bore that will make friends less happy to hang out with you. Make an effort to ask people questions and listen, it’ll be good for you to hear their experiences too.
Start a travel blog
Starting a travel blog is a great idea to help you hold onto the memory of travelling and to post photos and share tips. This will give you an outlet for all of your travel stories and lets your friends and family dip into if when they want to see the sorts of things you get up to. Travel blogs are popular with those looking for some real-life experiences of locations and activities, and you could inspire others by sharing yours.
Retain your sense of adventure
If you were up for anything and everything while travelling, why not be like it at home too? Seek new experiences around your hometown that will keep things fresh and exciting and help you to keep that adventurous spirit. Try new restaurants, take part in thrilling activities and seek out new things to try wherever you can. There’s no reason why you can’t be a tourist at home and enjoy everything your town or city has to offer.
Keep in touch with friends
Travelling is a unique time to make new friends from all over the world, and thanks to Facebook and Instagram – you can easily keep in touch wherever you are. Take the time to write them messages and see what they’re getting up to. Whenever you feel blue about being home, take a look at what they’re up to and you’ll soon feel better. You can always invite them to stay with you! If your travel buddies have never been to the UK or to your hometown, this could be an exciting new experience for them and a treat for you too.
Plan your next trip
Whether you’re planning another epic travel stint, a city break or a group holiday with friends – planning something to look forward to can help you beat the travel blues. If you lack inspiration, you could find plenty of ideas online to help you reignite the travel bug. Planning several shorter trips can is one easy way to keep the excitement going and an ideal solution if your finances won’t allow you to fully take off quite yet.
Returning home after travelling may feel like you’ve come back down to earth with a thud, but this doesn’t have to be the case. Whatever your plans when you return home, you will always have the wonderful memories of your time away, and if you really want to, you can always pack up and leave again and embark on your next adventure.