How to Deal with the Post-Travel Blues

Getting the post-travel blues after returning home from traveling the world is a real thing and it can often be fairly depressing, especially if you were traveling for a few months. Saying goodbye to freedom, fun, relaxation, new experiences and adventures everyday and returning back to reality can be a big downer. And going home typically means being tied down to work and responsibility and potentially even getting yourself out of some debt. Major buzzkill.

But it doesn’t have to be all bad.

HOW TO DEAL WITH THE POST-TRAVEL BLUES

FIRSTLY, UNDERSTAND THAT YOUR POST-TRAVEL BLUES ARE A FIRST WORLD PROBLEM

And that you were very fortunate to be able to travel at all. The majority of the people in the world will never have the luxury of world travel.

IF YOU’RE SAD TO BE HOME, GREAT! THAT MEANS YOU HAD AN AMAZING TRAVEL EXPERIENCE

It’s always better to end on a high, than a low. And it’s always good to leave something to come back to.

YOU GET THE BIGGEST AND BEST HUGS EVER FROM THE PEOPLE WHO MISSED YOU

And it’s great to see and catch up with the people you missed.

FOCUS ON THE POSITIVES, LIKE:

Eating healthier and exercising
Not having to pack up your stuff and move every few days
Sleeping in your own bed, instead of sharing a room and bathroom with multiple people (if you stayed in hostel dorms)
You likely no longer have to worry about getting scammed, locking up your things, getting mugged or pickpocketed
You can do and eat all the things you love and missed at home

EXPLORE YOUR OWN CITY

When you return home after an extended period of time, there will be new things in your city for you to explore (and some things you forgot about, so they seem new), so it’s like exploring a new city… almost 😉

Vancouver Canada — My beautiful city- Vancouver, Canada

TRY NEW ACTIVITIES

When you’re traveling you often do things you wouldn’t necessarily do back home, like bungee jumping, skydiving, hiking, mountain biking etc. Why stop when you return home? Or you could volunteer or take a language class, which always helps with future travels. And with any new activity, you’ll meet interesting people. Life back home does NOT have to be boring.

Wedgemount Lake, near Whistler, a day trip hike from Vancouver. I got into hiking after I hiked the Inca trail to Machu Picchu in Peru.

YOU LEARN MORE ABOUT WHO YOU ARE, WHAT MATTERS AND WHAT DOESN’T

This is especially true after a longer trip. You’ll find yourself buying less material things because you realize you don’t need them. This will also help you save for your next adventure.

DO SOMETHING CREATIVE WITH YOUR TRAVEL MEMORIES

Compile your best pictures into an photo album or your journal into a travel blog.

KEEP IN TOUCH WITH YOUR NEW FRIENDS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

Social media makes it impossible not to. A lot of the best people I’ve ever met have been people I met while traveling. And no doubt you’ve had a few offers to stay with or meet up with some of these friends again.

And the best way to get over the post-travel blues?

PLAN AND WORK TOWARDS ANOTHER TRIP

Then you have a goal and something to look forward to.

For tips on how to plan a travel budget, see How To Plan Your Travel Budget

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