7 Things to Remember When Long Term Travel Ends

Things I Don’t Forget When Returning from Long Term Travel

Travel frequently distributes lessons that you’ll only learn while on the road. Long term travel is a privilege that exponentially increases those chances of valuable life lessons. While there are so many things I’ve found out about myself and others through travel, I think it is the way you use those AFTER you return is the most important. Too often we hear people talk about long term travel as transformative. It’s all too commonly suggested that travel is the best way to find yourself and learn. I’ve been guilty of this myself. I’ve been known to talk about how travel has been an instrumental force in shaping me as the person I am today. For others this may be true too, and for some, not.

And guess what? That’s OK! Travel, no matter for how short or long, how near or far, has the potential to be life altering. If you have the chance to take a trip that does that to you, cherish and revel in that feeling. If not, that’s ok too. But what I will suggest, is when you do have a mind blowing, amazing, off the charts, fantastic experience that was caused by a trip, make that feeling last as long as possible when you return by doing these 7 simple things.

They are pearls of wisdom to keep close; they make you a better person, a more patient partner, a more educated global citizen, a trusted friend. It is easy to keep aware of lessons learned while abroad, but much like a coveted tan, they can easily fade once you head back home. I have seven characteristics and actions I don’t want to forget as soon as I land back on hometown soil.

Full Disclosure: If you know me, then you know how much I dislike having my picture taken. Since this is more of a personal travel essay, it may very well be the most you’ll see this freckled face in one blog post!

Walk Everywhere

Manifest Destiny might have made the US big and bad, but it sometimes also makes us lazy. Most Americans have to drive everywhere to get anywhere. Walkability is one of the things I love about visiting a small country or city. I’m in tune with my senses, aware of my surroundings and appreciating little things when walking and not driving. Once I’m back home however, I get sucked back into the thinking I need to get in my car to get somewhere, even if I could take the extra time and go by foot. Instead of immediately reaching for my keys, I try and make it a point to take the long way and go with on my own two feet if possible.

Turns out it’s better for the health of the planet & my mental health. There are so many benefits to walking besides just physical health! I think walking helps with creativity. I’ve read a book On Looking several times and it’s a great reminder about how taking a walk can help with your observational skills AND that we all can see things very differently.

Talk to Strangers

Stranger Danger. As kids, we were told not to talk to strangers and I think the saying rests in the back of our heads and makes you weary of dealing with people you aren’t familiar with. When you are traveling, especially alone, you are forced to move out of your comfort zone and interact with strangers. I find out the best recommendations, hear the most interesting stories and make new lifelong friends by remembering to strike up conversations with people around me. Talk to others, even if in the beginning you don’t know who they are you may develop deeper connections.

I read a really interesting article that talks about how meaningful interacting with people we don’t know can be. Sometimes I feel like my ability to communicate suffers the more I’m working in front of my computer or the longer my face is buried in the screen of my phone. Having casual conversations with all different people around me reminds me to look up once in a while. 

Try it Once

When you go back home, don’t head immediately back into your usual routine. Go to a new restaurant that has a cuisine you may have never eaten. Stop by a gallery and check out art you might not have known before. When we are on vacation we use that as an excuse to do something out of the ordinary. You may read more and watch less, be more mindful or have more patience. Hold on to those new habits, keep investing in the best version of yourself. Went on a relaxing beach vacation and didn’t do much? You can still bring back that serenity with you and insert it into your everyday life. Sometimes shaking things up by being somewhere new can enhance the things you do and the way you interact at home.

I have a tendency to want to revert back to being complacent and comfortable when I come back to the US. I fall into things that feel normal to me as a way to become adjusted back into my every day life here in America. I’m cognizant of this and I make a concerted effort to avoid it. If I haven’t been to Pittsburgh for awhile, I look up new restaurants to try or a different park to jog in. Mix up the status quo.

Go with your Gut

Listening to your instincts can be silenced when you aren’t using your internal reasoning. Directions are available with the touch of an app, Siri answers any questions you can’t figure out yourself and our friendships and follow ups are usually web based. It is amazing how quickly you start trusting your instincts when you don’t have access to wifi or social media. I feel like it taps into parts of your brain that may have been turned off when unused.

I think just like with exercise, mixing up your workout routine creates muscle confusion which is better for your body. If that is true and your brain is a muscle, then problem solving a different way than you’re used to should help train your noggin’ to not rely on the same muscle memory. One study I really find interesting that corroborates this theory is when several scientists went out off the grid and studied brain patterns.

People are Inherently Good

Breaking stereotypes. I love nothing more than to showing up to a city where you may have heard certain things, maybe more negative than positive and seeing that typecast shattered. So many things we see and hear are sensationalized. Taking in negative news and press can make us suspicious of people, places and things we aren’t familiar. We need to remind ourselves that people are generally good.

 I’ve trusted people with my life while I’ve been in foreign countries. I need to remember that when I’m home, I can trust and rely on people here as well.

We Can’t Always Be THE Best & That’s OK

Learning from others. In America, we have a tendency to be not only be competitive, but also think that everything we do is the best. I’m guilty of thinking I have the right answer, so learning to have a little humility sometimes is healthy for me. Being in a new country or surrounding myself in a new culture can be a humbling experience. You’ll learn things you never knew and you may be taught something you thought you already had the answer to.

We (USA) may not be the happiest place, the safest place or even the richest. Not always being number one doesn’t mean you have to be less patriotic. While I seem to be continually yearning to explore places outside of my comfort zone, I appreciate and love being back in my home country.