Back To Reality: What it's like to return after a big trip

You can read countless articles about the benefits of traveling. You can talk to many people about their travels and I'm sure that they will tell you that their trip changed their life for the better. You can go to wherever you want and I guarantee that your travels will make you happier and more open minded, and though you may be homesick, you're having such a good time that the thought of going home is unsettling.

But you have to go back eventually, right? And this is when traveling gets tough. Many label this as the part of traveling that nobody talks about, and that's because it's painful.

It's the return from your trip that hurts. It's misleading at first, because though you are sad to leave your travels and return home, you are excited to see your family and friends. You are happy to catch up with the loved ones that you haven't seen in months. You have many souvenirs to give and countless stories to tell. And people have many questions to ask you, which is great because all you want to do is talk about it.

But after about a week or so, that allure of being home quickly turns to dust. You think of the people you met when you traveled and that makes you sad. You're homesick for the new places you've visited, especially if you've stayed in one place for a long amount of time. You begin having this sort of travel withdrawal, and yet no matter what you try and do at home to make your life seem more interesting, you end up feeling let down because nothing really compares to the fun you had when you were away. You try to keep talking about your experience, anything to hold on to that last bit of happiness that traveling has brought you, but your friends and family have stopped listening ages ago. Basically, everything makes you sad.

I can tell you from experience, it's just as bad as a break-up. In fact, it is a break-up. And like any break-up, it takes some time to get over.

However, if you have returned from a big trip and feel this "travel break-up" type of pain, there are things that you can do to help cope.

Focus on the things that make you happy, and change the things that don't. 

When you return from your trip, it'll be easy to pick out the things that are making you unhappy. For me personally, it was school. I'm aware that education is important and in America most entry level jobs require a bachelors degree. However, my decision to go to college was stemmed from the pressure of society that stated that school is the only way you can be successful, and so I felt I had to go to school, pick a career, and finish as soon as possible. I felt rushed in my decision, and never felt 100% set on a major or specific career path.

So, when I returned studying abroad at the end of my sophmore year of college, it was very clear that school was making me very unhappy. For the steep cost of my education, I felt as if I wasn't getting my money's worth because I personally wasn't mature enough to pick a set career path. So, I stopped going.

I realized that traveling makes me happy, and I continued to work hard and travel more, and now that I know more about myself and what I want to do, school now seems like a better option for me.


Don't use travel as a way to escape your current life, but as a way to open your mind. 

This is definitely a mistake that I have made. I don't have an ideal home life, school has gotten me into a lot of debt, and I don't have a job that I can brag about. There are many things that make me unhappy here at home, but choosing to travel as a way to escape these things is useless. These things: debt, bad relationships, cold weather, they are all going to still be waiting for you when you come home. So, if you travel just to escape these things, returning home just becomes much harder on you.

Use traveling as a way to learn about yourself and the world, and then you can return to your home life with a positive attitude and new experiences that have strengthened you so that you can affectively deal with the struggles of being home.

Fuel your sadness into creativity.

This is exactly why I have started this blog. I had so many stories, pictures, and emotions about my travels that I couldn't exactly articulate with words, so I decided to take something that I enjoy and create an outlet for it. This makes the sadness of missing your trip bearable. Writing about my experiences allows me to reflect on how traveling has made me happier.


Of course, if you really dislike your home life that much, then you should leave. But don't forget your roots. Always know that there is that one place that you can return to if you come to a roadblock with your travels.

And if you find that you love traveling and never want to come back home, I advise that you should still return home at least once. I believe that coming home is a necessary part of traveling, and dealing with the withdrawals and sadness of being home gets easier the more you do it.

My Solo Road Trip Through New Zealand

Many picture a road trip as a fun thing to do with a group of close friends. You all pack up your snacks and pillows, get Google Maps ready, and have multiple playlists set up to enjoy a musically pleasing ride. Traveling for a long distance in a car is a cathartic and usually a great experience to spend with your friends. All you've got is the open road and any destination virtually waiting for you at your steering wheel.

But what is it like to go on a road trip on your own? More importantly, what is it like to go on a road trip on your own in a foreign country that you've never been to...and drive on the other side of the road?!?

I'll tell you what it's like. It's absolutely terrifying, but only at first.

I originally planned to travel through New Zealand with a friend. We had arranged to rent a car with a dealership and planned to road trip around the north island for two weeks (rookie mistake on our part; apparently the south island is much more beautiful. And you need much more than just two weeks to see New Zealand). Things went sour with my friend before I even got to New Zealand, so when I arrived in Auckland, I decided to just go along with the rental by myself and embark on a solo road trip. And it was fantastic.

I can remember taking the bus to the dealership, racked with nervousness. When I got there and checked in with the lady at the front desk and took care of the payment, she handed me the keys, which I reluctantly took with shaking hands.

She led me outside to the parking lot.

"Here you are," she said as she stopped in front of a beat up, white, soccer-mom style camper van that looked much too big for me. She showed me around and took notes on the damage that was already done to the car so that I would not be charged upon returning it. The back of the van consisted of a bed, a sink, and even a small gas powered grill that I could cook on. I literally had mobile accommodation for the next two weeks. She handed me a guide full of campsites that I could park at overnight without any issues.

"It's just you?" she asked.

"Yupp," I said, trying my best to sound confident.

"Well, safe travels then," she said as she walked away.

Above is my vehicle at one of the many beautiful and deserted campsites I stayed at. I called her Shelly the Swagwagon. 




And so it began, my solo road trip, driving in a foreign country on the other side of the road. And for the record, nothing can explain the fear of driving on the other side of the road for the first time, going to turn on your turn signal, and then realizing that your turn signal is on the other side as well and you actually just turned on the windshield wipers while you turned, causing cars to blare their horns at you.

But as it turns out, driving on the left side of the road isn't too bad after the first twenty minutes. I actually ended up liking it better. And New Zealand is a lovely country to drive through. The rolling hills and beautiful beaches are breathtaking, and there were many moments where I had to pull over just to take pictures or sit outside of the car to take it all in. Oh, and I almost forgot to mention..THE SHEEP!

These are just a few pictures of campsites and beautiful views I saw along the way. New Zealand is a beautiful and picturesque country to drive through.

Highlights of the North Island



The Hobbiton Movie Set in Matamata:

If you're a fan of Lord of the Rings, then this a definitely for you. Actually, New Zealand is definitely for you. It costs about $50 US dollars to do the tour, and you can't go on to the movie set without a guide so there's no way to get around the cost. But, if you're an avid LOTR fan, don't worry about the money, just go.

Mount Maunganui, Tauranga

This is an awesome mountain to hike, with amazing views of Maunganui Beach. Also, the beach city of Tauranga below is a great place to stay for a few days. This place was incredibly beautiful, and hiking this mountain was my main source of exercise for the three days that I was here (seriously, it's super steep).



Taupo:

Huka falls (above) located near lake Taupo.

Taupo is a small town located at the edge of the great lake Taupo, which as I understand is the largest lake in New Zealand. The town itself is a lot of fun, there are many adorable shops and restaurants, and there are great bars as well. In fact, it was the only place I found that had a decent night life. I met some great people while I was there.

There are many other outdoorsy things to do in Taupo as well. There are many hiking trails nearby as well as natural (and free) hot springs that you can fully take advantage of.


Tongariro Alpine Crossing

This is one of the most amazing hiking treks I've ever done. You could go alone, but I paid for a guide to drive me there because it's about an hour and a half from Taupo and the bus picked me up at around 5am, so paying for a guide gave me incentive to get up early. The trek itself takes about six hours, but you can choose to summit some mountains and volcanos. (I would specifically recommend Mount Doom, LOTR fans) Summiting a mountain would add an extra 3 hours at the least to the trek, so I opted out because six hours of hiking was enough for me. 

To do this trek you'll need hiking boots for sure. Don't do it in sneakers. There was still some snow when I went in October, so you'll need some sturdy waterproof shoes. You will also need sunblock (Don't forget this, I got so burned) and a couple of snacks for when you take breaks. 

I highly recommend this trek. It is absolutely stunning, especially the emerald lakes. 

Downsides to Road Tripping Alone: 

1). First and foremost, it can get really lonely. You spend most of the time in the car, so there's not many opportunities to meet people. I never really felt the need to stay in hostels and spend the extra money when I had the car to sleep in, so I didn't have the opportunity to meet many people. 

2.) It's expensive as shit! Actually, the total cost of renting the car for two weeks was $450 US, which is actually a bargain. But when you factor in the cost of gas (which of course, is super expensive in New Zealand; it cost me about $70 to fill up my tank) speeding tickets, the occasional parking ticket, and other miscellaneous costs that you could normally split up with friends, I spent in total about $1200 US for the duration of my road trip. With friends, you can obviously split up the costs. 

3.) You're on your own. This is terrifying. No one's gonna help you with navigation or music or places to stay and camp. It's all on you.

Positives to Road Tripping Alone:

1). You're on your own. This is terrifyingly amazing. You have your own vehicle to go on your own adventure to virtually anywhere in a country you've never been to! The possibilities are endless. You choose the music, you choose the destination, you choose the bathroom breaks. 

Overall: I wouldn't recommend a road trip alone, it's not for everyone. And it's definitely even ballsier to do it in a foreign country. But, if you're independent and reasonably responsible, you'll be just fine. 

Though it might seem lonely, I did meet some lovely people along the way in bars and at campsites. I even picked up a couple of hitchhikers (which is not something I'd recommend. It was purely situational). 

This experience truly proved to be a maturing experience for me. Dealing with the loneliness in a positive way proved that I could literally be comfortable on my own without losing my mind. Also, I didn't crash the car, YAY ME! Traveling on this road trip alone tested my maturity, and I think I passed the test.

Also, New Zealand is one of the most beautiful places I've ever been to, and I'll be back one day for a south island road trip.