Hey Presto!
There. I was dreading this. Not being Back Home mind, I really enjoyed seeing my family and friends again. Hooray, they claimed, and always interested to know what you’ve been up to. For 5 mins.
Nothing struck more at home for me when I accompanied my mum to visit my aunties. Expecting to be showered with questions all afternoon, I would be disappointed. After that 5 mins, they started talking about the people who were moving next door,
‘That’s good, Edward..’
‘Are the people next door moving?’
‘Oh yes, and they didn’t even tell me…..’ the story goes on.
My mouth hung open and closed. That’s it.
Some friends were the same. Nodding their head vigorously, they proceeded to tell me the latest Tesco Metro to be opened down the road and gleefully told me the price of beer that was on special offer.
While I’ve been away, people have led their own lives. I totally forgot about that. It was like I hadn’t even left.
Fresh from my travels, faced with no job, far too much spare time and all my friends and family still continuing their daily life, you could say I got ‘disillusioned.’ Might as well go back travelling…oh wait…the money pot is all empty and only a few moths to spare.
I thought I was prepared. Neil of Bunkbeds and Backpacks has gone through like this and reading his post before I came back home, I thought I was prepared for the Post Travel Blues. It struck BIG TIME. But thanks to Neil, I knew I needn’t wallow. It was time for action. Time to survive! So here forth, I give you 4 tips to survive being back home after travelling!
1) Get your Days Structured – never mind watching This Morning in your pyjamas that you haven’t changed for 3 days. Get yourself moving. On your travels, every day, there was something going on so you’re used to being busy and on the move. Get yourself structured, and make a diary of your week ahead and stick to it. In the morning I would start off with doing some errands for myself and the family in order to get myself out of bed and get some exercise in my system. That being finished, I would crack on some new projects (what are they? Never mind, that would be telling? Check out my website in the future to see what they are soon..). Lunch has arrived to give myself a break and after scarfing down a meal, I would return to my blogging by writing out new articles for this website and also for others. That being done, I would settle down to do some job hunting for a couple of hours and thus my day is over to leave me to do as I please in the evenings without feeling guilty that I haven’t done anything for the day.
2) Exercise to your heart’s delight – trust me. Your heart will thank you for it. I admit I’ve been extremely naughty with my diet in my last few months of travels. Having too many McDonalds and scoffing Fergburgers to the dozen coupled with ‘sampling greatly’ local ales has led me to have a ‘slight’ podge of a stomach. Time to work those abs. ‘But I can’t afford the gym!’ oh Gym, flim. There’s a park outside. Use it. Jogging is good for the soul. And for Post Travel Blues. I’ll quote my Mum – ‘exercise releases the thingies in your brain to make you feel good.’
Check out this big gun!
3) Re-Connect with your friends – I was rarely back in Hull before. The times I do is to visit family and that’s it. My home friends and I have grown apart and I think this is the best opportunity to reconnect with them. So with a friend later on, we will be reconnecting over a favourite past-time, Mario Kart on N64! You need a laugh and laugher releases the ‘thingies’ in your brain to make you feel good.
The best of Friends
4) Get a hobby – While you’re waiting for job application responses, get yourself doing a hobby. I have one I am doing at the moment. I’m writing a book! And I might join a book club. Plus I may join a language class, I need to learn Spanish. Get out there. It’s a great opportunity to learn a skill and meet new people. You can’t be shy now after travelling around the world! Go for it!
So did it work for me? Of course it did. Now I am only getting complaints off my Dad who says I’m too happy for my good! Happy with what? Life!
Great post ed, going back to a world so unchanged is a bit scary when I feel different alrrady. Sounds odd to say!
Great post, Rexy. It always takes me a little while to get into the swing of things again after a bout of travelling and not just sit on the sofa watching back-to-backmarathons of Ricki Lake and Judge Judy on ITV2.
I get the whole friends thing, too. I didn’t talk much about my travels or life in Korea when I met up with my best friends. My best made Cara and I picked up where we left off with a lot of vodka and her introducing me to Made in Chelsea. Wine and RuPaul’s Drag Race with my other best friend, Will. Lots of laughs. People continue their own lives, and I think travellers often think, “I’ve done all these amazing things that everyone will be dying to hear about” when in reality, they’re dying to tell you about their new favourite TV show or how much they hate their new boss just as much as you want to tell them about seeing temples and eating all these new things.