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. 

A Backpacker's Dream: My Crash Course Through Thailand

Thailand. What a magnificent and chaotic place. It's a place where anything goes; where you can negotiate prices at markets, where you can fit nearly 8 people in a tuk tuk through the busy streets of Bangkok without anyone stopping you, and where you can learn to drive a motorbike without even needing a driver's license.

I would often find myself sitting on a beautiful hot beach, drinking a $2 freshly chopped coconut, not a worry in the world. And what should you worry about? This place is not only beautiful, but dirt cheap.

When I told people I was going to Thailand, I was told by many that it was a backpacker's dream. It's beautiful, cheap, and easy to get around. And as soon as I arrived, I realized how true that statement was.
 

I started my journey in Thailand in the island of Phuket. I was warned that Phuket was flooded with tourists, but looking back, it was a great place to warm up to Thailand. It was also where I took my first motorbike taxi, which shouldn't cost you more than $7 (I got ripped off big time in the beginning).

Place to stay: Fin Hostel.
This hostel was a fantastic social hostel which was amazingly fun to stay at. Also, it's air conditioned, which is a massive plus. It's quite hot in Phuket. There's a small street market around the corner where you can practice negotiating prices and eat some awesome street food (which is the safest food to eat, I haven't met anyone that's gotten food poisoning from street food).


Koh Phi Phi

After hearing so many stories from other travelers, I knew that my next destination had to be the island of Koh Phi Phi Don.
 




It's true what they say, Koh Phi Phi is indeed a party island (and a great place to spend your birthday). Enjoy a bucket of whichever alcohol you choose with a mixer (apparently it's equivalent to about 5 shots..sometimes a bit stronger) for maybe $7. Choose whichever beach bar you want to lounge on, most of the bars have fire shows that start when the sun sets. My favorite fire show was at the Stone Bar. Try not to burn your legs when they bring the fire jump ropes out.

Place to stay: Sunset Hostel. This hostel isn't much to brag about in terms of cleanliness, but it's about $3 per night and shows a great view of the island from the deck. Also, theres a wonderful bar called the Sunset Bar right above it, which would be great for a first bucket experience. However, you will be sleeping in a room with about 24 other people. That's not a turn off, is it?

Must Do: Take a longtail boat trip to monkey beach and go snorkeling. I only did a half day trip, so I was back in about 4 hours, but you can do a full day trip if you like, just be careful with the monkeys. They give you a plastic bag full of bread and a monkey went right up to me, snatched the bread out of my hands, and ate straight through the plastic.






Koh Phangan





Koh Phangan is the island known for the famous full-moon festival, and yes, that's exactly why I went there. The island itself it quite small, but diverse; ranging in beaches and desolate rainforests alike. If you rent a motorbike, be careful. The roads can be very steep at times and are known for being very dangerous.

The Full Moon Festival




The full moon party takes place on the main beach on the island (unfortunately, I can't remember the name. I was pretty drunk). If you go to Koh Phangan for the party, which everybody does, you'll find the beach just fine. The florescent party itself is massive, but I found that you can't fully enjoy it unless you are very intoxicated or on an absurd amount of drugs (neither of which I was). It can also be quite dangerous. I rolled my eyes when people told me that girls get drugged at the party like it's nothing, but I actually saw it happen, and so did many others. I also witnessed someone from my hostel get hit by a taxi and break his arm. Apparently, another girl fell off the main stage and broke her leg. Also, I think someone may have gotten fatally stabbed. It could just be a rumor but if you go, be careful! These things do happen, especially there.

There's a jungle party that takes place the night before the full moon party, and it is in fact a bit better than the full moon party. And yes, the moon is really full during the full moon party. It's beautiful.

Where to stay: Echo Beach Backpackers.

This hostel was absolutely lovely. It doesn't look like much from the outside, but on the inside it opens up into a chilled out atmosphere that faces the beach, surrounded with comfy couches and hammocks that you could sleep in if you're too drunk to reach your bed. It is a social hostel, but not quite a "party" hostel. It is run by British expats but a Thai family lives there and cooks the most amazing food ever. Also, when hostels say they have free breakfast, usually it's just toast and instant coffee. But not this place, they give you a full course meal of cereal, sausage, eggs, bacon, fruit, yogurt, and an assortment of juices. This is critical!! I loved this hostel so much.



Chiang Mai




This is one of my favorite places in the world! It's hard to describe it in words...other than ELEPHANTS!! But there's so much more as well: canyons, temples galore, and dope tattoo shops. Its a great city. If you're in Thailand, it would be a shame not to go to Chiang Mai.

Where to stay: Baan Khun Hostel.

This place is just brilliant. It's another chilled out social hostel where I met some amazing people (mostly Americans). It's run by (I think) a Thai family that are friendly and helpful. Also, they advertise the Jungle Elephant Sanctuary; a sanctuary dedicated to the safe and productive practice of raising and taking care of healthy elephants (with absolutely no riding). If you every go to Thailand, don't ride the elephants. There's a history of elephants being severely mistreated throughout the trekking tours in Thailand. But this sanctuary is known for safe practices for taking care of the elephants that don't include trekking. It will cost you about $80 for a full day trip, but it's worth the money.




The tour includes a ride up to the mountain village to feed and bathe the elephants, and then you play in the mud with them afterwards (I know, it seems semi-counterproductive). The elephants truly seem happy and healthy, and why wouldn't they, they've pretty much got it made. It honestly was a truly profound experience that will stick with me for the rest of my life (literally, I got a tattoo of an elephant the day after the tour).

Other sights to see:

Temples

Chiang Mai is chock full of temples, and they are all beautiful. It's definitely worth it to go check out a few of them.
 











Muy Thai Fighting


I'm not a fan of fighting or boxing or anything of the sort, but seriously, it's really really entertaining. Worth the $10.

The Markets

There's markets every night to find anything you could ever want to possibly buy. Also, Chiang Mai was my favorite place for street food. It's very yummy.


Pai



Pai is a small mountain town in northern Thailand; about a three hour drive away from Chiang Mai. If you take a motorbike, drive safely. If you take a bus and are prone to motion sickness..take some kind of medication. It's not a very comfortable ride.

Pai is the type of place where people say they will go for a few days, and end up staying for a few weeks. You get sucked into the kind of chilled, laid back lifestyle. With herb infused cafes and live music bars, this place had a type of vibe that you can't really find anywhere else. Also, it's surrounded by beautiful mountains, a grand canyon, and waterfalls.

 Place to stay: Purple Monkey Backpackers.
It's nice. It's chill. There's puppies. Any other questions?

Hostel to party at: Circus Backpackers.

This hostel is definitely unique. With an infinity pool overlooking the misty mountains and people messing about with juggling, tightrope walking, and other "circus" activities, it's a place that is unlike any other hostel I've stayed. Go there to socialize and do circus stuff and use the pool. Don't stay there. The bamboo huts aren't comfortable, the roosters next door will keep you up all morning, and there's only two bathrooms and no where to charge your stuff. For what you pay for, the accommodation doesn't really add up. You're paying for the lifestyle, so just party there for free.





Bar to check out: Sunset Bar

Try the mushroom milkshakes. Enjoy your walk home. The military is known to raid the bar from time to time, so just make sure you don't have any joints or drugs on you.



**Other places worth mentioning that I didn't have the energy to write about in detail**

Ao Nang: This place is just dope. You'll meet some awesome people and go on crazy pub crawls.

Railay Beach: This is an awesome, reggae inspired island. Apparently it's awesome for rock climbing, but I was too sick at the time to go.

Koh Samui: What a wonderful island. I had one of my best nights here. Just don't take photos of the people on the beaches with exotic animals, it's totally wrong and illegal. And the Thai kids will go on the beach and hustle with you. It seems funny and innocent at first, but after a while you realize that Thailand is a different world, and these young children are trying to get a buck by fucking with drunk tourists. It felt kind of sad and wrong.

Koh Tao: Unfortunately, I was only here for one day. I wish I could've stayed longer but I chose to go to the full moon festival instead. I'll go back there one day. Apparently it's the best place to get your scuba diving license, so that's on my bucket list for when I go back.

Tip: Don't go swimming when you go to the bar. You will get your cash stolen (this applies everywhere).

Bangkok: I don't like big cities. I especially don't like big dirty cities where women are exploited to shoot ping pongs and other various items out of their vaginas. If you're curious, then go, but I don't suggest it by any means.




Overall: I loved Thailand so much. I consider it a magical place that I can't wait to visit again. The locals prove that it truly is "The Land of Smiles" and you will never get sick of your craving for pad Thai (and you will never find it as satisfying as when you eat it in Thailand). If you have never backpacked alone before, it's definitely a wonderful place to start. It is cheap and easy to get around, nearly everyone speaks English, and anyone will literally give an arm and leg just to help you find your hostel or find a cab driver willing to pick you up.

However, Thailand is somewhat devoted to it's catering of tourism. I believe that is why it has become so developed in recent years. The Thais literally serve us tourists, and we come in drunken herds that hand them fuck tons of money so we can do touristy things in their beautiful country. This is fine, but of course, I wish that I hung out with less backpackers. They were quite hard to escape, and I found it frustrating after a month of backpacking through Thailand to be only acquainted with backpackers like myself. It was when I made friends with my tattoo artist and my good friend who owns the shop where I got it done that I really got a sense of what hanging out with local Thai people was like, and it frustrated me that it took nearly a month for that to happen. The Thai locals are lovely, and my next trip to Thailand will be devoted to making more connections with locals.


Also, if you want a tattoo done, go to BLACK CANDY TATTOO in Chiang Mai. The guy that owns the shop is named Peak, he's the man.