I came home in July 2023 after solo traveling for 8.5 months.
On my journey I spent 7 months in Australia, 1 month in New Zealand and 2 weeks in Bali, and it was always hard leaving one place.

I always thought I would never be ready to go back home, but during my stay in Bali, I realized that I am excited to get back to my family and get some rest.
When I arrived at home though, I instantly missed traveling.
In this post I will talk about the hardest moments I’ve had after coming home from long term traveling and if you are in that situation, you are not alone, and it is going to get better.
Trust me and if not, just leave for another trip…

No more daily adventures

I loved discovering new places every day and doing things I have never done before.
Coming home, everything was familiar again and looked the same as before.
It felt like my life was back to boring, sitting at my desk, watching series all day, just feeling overwhelmed by the emptiness of life.
I tried to write a bucket list for exciting things to do at home and often did random things that brought me joy, like randomly jumping into our river with clothes on a dog walk or going into the fountain in our city at 2 am after work.

Not getting to know many new people

On my travels, I changed accommodation a couple of times and always got to know new people, of which some of them turned into my best friends.
I loved getting to know new people every day and hearing stories about their travels and getting inspired by that.
Back home nobody talked about traveling, and I got my usual people around me which I love, but I built such a love for getting to know new people that I am now getting to know a few new people in my hometown, and it didn’t change that I love to talk about traveling stories because all of them did a gap year at some point as well and it is so great talking to people who understand your love for traveling, especially solo traveling.

Planing your future

At the moment, my life revolves around what university I will get in and where I will live.
It is hard knowing the chapter of your gap year is over, and now you will go to university for a few years, not being able to travel for a while if you don’t want to interrupt your studies.
The uncertainty about a whole chapter in my life that is going to start in 2 months is driving me crazy sometimes, and there are moments where I just think about traveling again for a year.

People get annoyed of you talking about your travels

I knew it would be like that and try to enjoy moments with my friends without always mentioning my trip, but it just fits in sometimes, and it hits hard when they jokingly say you are like the people coming home from travels who only talk about their trip.
But that was my life for nearly a year, and it is the same if you mention a memory from last year.
Sometimes it feels like they don’t want to know about your time abroad.
Some people that do care, like my parents wanting to see my whole gallery of my travels, don’t always have the time to listen to all of your stories.
I showed my family one album of four of my travels and I get that they don’t understand my pictures much, but it feels exciting talking about it, so I am beyond grateful to have a friend that I made on my travels that lives close to me that I will forever talk to about our travels and feel happy about it.

Missing friends you made

Some of my friends I made live all over the world or are still on their travels, but I am so happy the best friends I made, live in Germany as well, and I am in very close contact to them.
I text with them regularly and already met one of them again several times and even though it feels different that on our travels it still feels awesome to spend time with her again.

Friendships are different

I guess most long term travelers are afraid that friendships at home are going to be different, and it most certainly was, but in my case most things got better.
I got in closer contact with a kindergarten friend and I noticed that one friend from my friend group has the exact vibe of my travel friends, which is the vibe I realized I need in friends.
We did so much together in 2 months until she moved away, and she really made it easier for me to feel good back at home and realize there are great people at home as well.
I do look at some people in a new way though and realize different things that annoy me.
Some friends, that I haven’t been too close before, I am not closer now, but we are still in contact, which is fine because it feels like I found the people I need on the other side of the world and in my hometown.
So even though your friends might change, you are going to stay close to the people that you matter to, and that is the most important thing.

Your parents telling you what to do

This might just be the case if you move back home after travelling, and it was one of the first things I noticed.
My parents telling me how I could live my life again, what I could study, work or where I could live when I just want to decide that myself, have my own thoughts about my future and honestly just want to travel again.
My parents told me these are just suggestions, and they will love me whatever I do and wherever I live, but it is hard for me living in my dreamworld in my head and hearing things I could do instead.

Being overwhelmed by the amount of things I own

After living out of a suitcase for 8.5 months and only carrying around things that are necessary, felt so overwhelmed by all the things I have lying around in my room.
The first thing I did in my room was to declutter and sort out things I no longer need.
I also rearranged my room because it felt wrong coming back and being in my old room, as I didn’t feel like the old me.

Planning new travels

I started planning new short term and also long term travels I want to do and now made a list of everything I want to do.
I can really see myself doing all those things and living all over the world.
One of my plans I made when I was in Australia, I already did.
I went on a hike in Switzerland with a friend, and we slept on the mountain and stayed another night in the car on another mountain.
It was so beautiful and after that trip I really want to do all my other travel plans.

Not being close to the ocean anymore

This one is personal to me and might be the case for some others.
I lived close to the ocean everywhere on my travels, and I built such a strong love for the ocean.
Every time I got to it again I felt so free and happy and so grateful for everything.
At home, I don’t live close to the ocean at, and I really miss the way the ocean makes me feel.

Nevertheless, I am so happy to be back home and love being around my family and friends again.
The time I spent abroad will always be in my memories, and it really shaped me as a person and how I imagine my future.
I know that it is good to study back home now, and then I can live abroad forever if I want to.