Approximately four months ago my boyfriend Jeffrey and I returned after a 1.5 year trip through Australia and Asia. I expected that we both would be completely miserable once we were back home in the Netherlands. Because, a lot of travellers experience a depression after travelling and it’s something that a lot of fellow travel bloggers have written about. For instance this post by Nomadic Matt in which he uses the term Post-Trip Depression and says that it’s often emotionally harder to come home than to go away. Or the article by Kellie Donnely named The Hardest Part Of Traveling No One Talks About, in which she talks about the difficulty of returning home. It’s quite logical that people feel depressed after a long term trip, as you’ve had freedom for so long, and suddenly you’re back home. Everything around you seems the same, yet you feel different. But surprisingly, when Jeffrey and I returned this wasn’t the case for us. Yes, it wasn’t all easy. But we weren’t as miserable as I expected and actually we quickly were accustomed to being back home. With this post I hope to help other travellers to avoid feeling depressed too by giving 10 tips to easily settle back after travelling long term.
1. Realise that you can still travel
What helps me every time I return after a (long) trip is telling myself: “If you want, you can still travel. Maybe not now, but in a few months or even years.”
Now of course everyone has a different reason for returning home. It could be money, a study or returning to a job. It can be that one’s visa ran out, or there might be sick family members that need caring. Whatever the reason, if you managed to travel (long term) before, I bet you can do it again. A lot of people, including me, feel like returning home is the end of all travels. After my long trip with Jeffrey I actually didn’t want to return home, because I felt like that would be it, no more travelling after this. But now I realise that if I really want to, I can travel again. And I will.
So who knows what your next adventure will be! Perhaps you can’t take a long term trip again (or don’t want to), maybe you’ll just go for a short week or month, but you’ll travel again.
“If you want, you can still travel. Maybe not now, but in a few months or even years.”
2. Enjoy the positives of being back
Travelling full time is amazing, but let’s face it. It’s definitely not perfect. There are plenty of positive things to be back home. Once you’ve settled into a place, you finally can put your belongings somewhere! Finally, there is no need to pack every single day. And you’re close to your family and friends again.
Try to enjoy all the positives of being back home after travelling and don’t be negative. If you already have a negative attitude to start with, it won’t get better.
3. Take on a goal
Personally, I think taking on a goal or multiple goals is very important, also for when you didn’t just return from a long term trip. Having a goal in life is always important! I believe it’s one of the main reasons I haven’t experienced any major post travel depressions. If you’re anything like me, you make a bunch of goals during your travels that you want to achieve once you’re back home. I’ve had this every time I travelled, whether it’s starting a Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, moving to Amsterdam (I’m from Rotterdam and lived in Amsterdam for six months) or starting an own business.
Often when people return from travelling long term, they don’t know what to do with their lives. Again, this is also possible if you haven’t travelled… By having a goal, you basically have a reason to wake up in the morning. If it’s hard to decide on a goal or if you’re very unmotivated, just start simple, like eating a healthy breakfast each morning or spent ten minutes each day looking at online job openings. After a while you can make bigger goals! And don’t be afraid to dream big and chase the things you really want in life. Just be realistic and know that it takes time.
4. Create a routine
Oh boy, I had so much trouble with being on time when I was just back. Really, I was so chaotic and that’s very unlike me. But somehow travel can take away all your routine. Because during travels, most people don’t really take note of the time, eat when they’re hungry, do fun activities when they want, sleep when they want. And then they return home and suddenly have to wake up at a certain time and catch appointments! How annoying, right?
Well, you just need to get your routine back in your day. Set an alarm clock at the same time each day and don’t sleep in too long, even if you don’t have a job yet. Take a shower, dress yourself and do something with your day.
5. Give yourself time
Don’t be hard on yourself and give yourself time. Although it’s good to take on a goal and get a routine in your daily life, don’t expect everything to go smooth right away.
A few weeks after I returned home I had a little mental breakdown, because I had all these plans and it wasn’t going exactly how I envisioned it. My sister and one of my best friends told me I shouldn’t be that hard on myself. It makes sense if not everything is going exactly how you expected it after you just returned home. You need time to adjust being back home.
And realise this: even people who have a fulltime job, a home and seem to have everything figured out sometimes have no clue what they’re actually doing with their lives. Never be too hard on yourself and realise you’re always a “work in progress”.
6. Keep in touch with your travel friends
It’s great to keep in touch with your travel friends and super easy too with the technology these days. That way you can finally talk with someone who actually wants to listen to your travel stories, as you were both there! You can bring up memories and swap photos. Plus, keeping in touch with your friends abroad is a great way to get offers for places around the world! Enough couches to crash on, right?
7. Enjoy your time with family and friends
Meet up with everyone you missed. Enjoy the time you can spent with them now that you’re back. It’s not always easy to miss important birthdays or events when one is travelling, so now it’s time to soak it all in.
One of the things a lot of travellers experience is that you lose a few (or a lot) of friends when you’re away. Even though this is very harsh, just realise that the ones that did stick are actually worth your time! Also, sometimes it’s just out of sight, out of mind. But now that you’re back you might be able to rekindle some of the friendships you thought were over.
8. Explore more close to home
Again, even though you’ve returned from an amazing trip doesn’t mean you won’t be able to travel anymore. And even if the money is low, it’s still possible to explore closer to home. Look at your city with a different set of eyes: those of a tourist. Go to the typical tourism spots of your hometown or visit one of the neighbouring cities. Already while I was travelling, I realised how cool my home town actually is and even started a new platform: Weekends in Rotterdam. Honestly, I still marvel when I’m walking in the city center now and I see all the amazing modern architecture in my city. It’s fascinating how my perception of the city I grew up in changed just by being away for a while.
No need to buy a planeticket to have a little fun!
9. Live in the moment
Life goes on. Yes, you have a lot of amazing travel experiences and it’s wonderful to talk about it or think about it, but don’t let it be the only thing you do. Nobody really appreciates it if your travels is all you talk about. The truth is, they don’t really care. Of course, at first when you just came back everyone asks you how your trip was. But after a week they can already get bored of your travel stories. Jeffrey and I are lucky as we have experienced everything together and can always reminisce about our travel memories. I can imagine this is harder when you’ve travelled solo.
Just try to live in the moment and create new memories with your friends. Have new experiences that you can talk about!
10. Start planning a next trip
Why not? I told you, you would travel again. Start planning!
It’s not easy to return home after being away for so long. It’s really true what they say; it seems as if time has stood still at home and everything is the same. The only thing that has changed is you. Take the lessons you’ve learned from travelling and bring it into something positive. Let returning home be a new adventure. Hopefully these ten tips help you to prevent or overcome post travel depression!
Have you ever experienced post travel depression? Let us know in the comments!
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This is so spot on for me right now, and exactly what I needed to hear. I am bookmarking, and will be re-reading again a few times over the next few weeks as I head home for the first time in 2.5 years and start readjusting to life again. Thanks!
Hi Katie, you’re welcome! Don’t be too hard on yourself and just give yourself some time to adjust. Good luck 🙂
How timely this post comes when im feeling the post holiday blues. Not that ive been travelling long term like yous but the thought of going home puts me off (means ive to face reality & go back to a routine). Friends Ive made during my trip are still travelling and that makes me envious n miss their company even more. But yes, you are right.
This is fantastic, and exactly how I coped with being home! I also didn’t have “post-travel depression” but I think that’s because I enjoyed seeing friends again (and still keep in touch with many of the friends from my travels), I’ve explored a hell of a lot close to home this year, and I set myself loads of challenges. I definitely agree that knowing you can travel again makes a huge difference, too.
Thanks! What a great blog this is. I have been travelling for 6 months through Southeast Asia and I miss everything. I’ve been home for 3 months but my goals aren’t going as fast as I would like them to go. I need to stay positive but a lot of the time I am thinking about buying a ticket and just leaving again. Thank you for your blog.
This post is actually really helpful <3 I will be returning home after 3 years as an expat due to visa reasons… definitely nervous so it's nice to read about your experience. I'm going to try to run a half marathon so that's my goal I'm setting 😉
My husband and I recently went through this when we got home in July after 13 months of travel. These are really great tips for re-integrating into your old world/home/life again. We’ve been pretty good about most of the things you mentioned except exploring more of our home town (which is pretty explorable given that it’s NYC). Every week I try to motivate myself to be a tourist here and completely fail. And actually, we really haven’t embraced this life back home too much after all. 3 months later and we are actually planning on taking a whole other new next step… moving abroad… to… wait for it… Rotterdam! Maybe we can meet up when we get there? 🙂
Aw man I needed this last year! I lived overseas for 5/6 years and then returned back to the UK. It was awful. I’ve had to come to terms with the fact that the UK doesn’t feel like home anymore and maybe never will, but it was a tough slog to get to that realisation! This is great advice, though. Thanks for sharing!
Love this post! I remember when I worked at the International Office at university, I reminded exchange students exactly of this. Coming home can be so hard! It can be alienating and isloating, but there is a silver lining and you’ve captured it well in your points. Great post, I pinned it.
I know where ur coming from. I came back home after being abroad for 1 year and you should actually think one is looking forward seeing family and friends. I was not. I was more sad about the fact that I had to leave the place where I had been spending 1 year. It took me a while and everything you wrote is exactly true. Really nice post.
Such a good read! I was hit really hard by the post travel blues after living abroad for a year during my exchange. I went to so many amazing places and being home just felt so blahh. It ended up being okay though, thanks to many of the things you mentioned here – like establishing a routine and exploring my own backyard. Thanks for the great tips! <3
Struggling with this post-trip depression right now! 🙂 The hardest part is getting used to being back home and, as I’ve seen someone comment before, realising that nothing really changed while you were gone and can’t put up anymore with some things I dislike at home – which makes me feel a bit uneasy. It’s the 2nd time I’m going through this, the difference was that the first time it was better because I had a good reason and a goal for coming back and now I don’t. I just returned because my trip ended.. I’m at the point of trying to set a new goal now, but can’t decide which one should be the next! 😀
I agree that it can be hard to get used to a more scheduled routine. Even though these are great tips, in my case the hardest is to adjust to everything remaining the same. Nothing changes even though you have been through so much… But well, for all the rest, great list of tips!
Hi Jenn, I totally get what you mean. I noticed this too. It was just as if everyone (including me) aged two years and nothing else. Very weird feeling! I’m not sure how to fight this feeling, perhaps it’s not really possible. It’s just something you have to accept I guess. Thanks for your comment!
Having been on the road for most of the year this really talks to me. I’m definitely looking forward to having a routine again after so long! X
I really appreciated having a routine again too, although sometimes I still struggle to keep it up! Thanks for the comment Lucy!
Nice post! I lived and travelled several times for a longer period abroad, but never experienced this ‘post-trip depression’. As you say, it is just important you take on a goal, create a routine again, and most important, realise that you can still travel! Soooooo, are you planning your next trip already!? 😉
Hi Daphne! Great to hear you never experienced this depression! Haha yes we kinda are! Planning to do a longer trip next year :). And just a few short trips for this year. Thanks for your comment!
Great tips! I think I’ll start by taking on a goal and planning my next trip. Perhaps my next trip will be my goal 🙂
Great goal Marissa!
This is such valuable advice! I especially like the tip about setting a goal, or multiple goals. It makes so much sense to “give yourself a purpose” (I don’t like the way I phrased that but couldn’t think of another way) at home after traveling. Suuuuuuch a good read and can’t wait to put your tips to use next week when I get home!
Such a big step to head back home Jackie!! Hope you’ll find it easier than you expected. It’s true though, you need a “purpose”. I know that if you give yourself a good set of goals you’ll do great!
Always a struggle to get back into normal life again after a big trip!! Love your tips, I think exploring places close to home can be a great thing to do as well! I still find it difficult to settle in the Netherlands again though (see you’re from there too). Love the chilled lifestyle of backpackers and can’t get used to the stress and planning everything non stop at home! Hope you’re all settles back in again though!
Hi Daisy, it really is a struggle in the beginning, but we were lucky and were accustomed soon. Backpackers lifestyle definitely is a lot more chill! Hope you are all settled in now too!!
This is such a great blog and covers some great pointers. We’re on the road full-time in our camper and the thought of ever having to ‘go back’ fills me with horror. So this is helpful, thank you.
Hi Karen! How awesome that you’re on the road full-time in a camper, such a dream :). I totally get the feeling you’re having right now as I had the same! I hope this posts will indeed help you!