Thoughts: Coming back from travelling

Around 7 weeks ago, I was in Bali, Indonesia. I was on a ‘holiday’ to mark the end of 6 months of travelling. I won’t go on about that too much but, yes, it was terrific.

Recently, I’ve been discussing with my friends the experience of returning home after spending a long time away. 6 months away from the 9-5. 6 months of each day not having a solid ‘commitment’. It was a different lifestyle. I had a blast and I am thrilled to be back. While I appreciate many aspects of my “real” life, such as being able to regularly go bouldering and having longer-term friends, returning to work has been challenging. Travelling has given me valuable insights and lessons that have made readjusting difficult.

This is my first blog post in 2 years, so I have a lot to say. In this post, I’ll be discussing the stress of normal life and what I’ve learned from travelling.

Let’s dig in.

Life is Stress

You think about a lot when planning to come back. Things like going back to work, seeing friends and family and all the obligations that were out of sight whilst you were gone. I never anticipated the amount of stress that exists as a baseline in our daily lives. It’s been seven weeks since I’ve returned, and while I’ve become accustomed to the hustle and bustle of city living in London, I can’t help but feel that our normal lives are inherently stressful. We’ve adapted to it so well that it’s become a part of our routine, like when you walk into a room and there’s a weird smell, then after 5 minutes you kind of forget about it. The smell never left. You just adapted to it and filtered it out.

We’re constantly improving our lives, either through advancements in technology or processes that help us move faster and do more with less. We tend to take advantage of those gains by just setting higher standards and asking more of ourselves as if stuck in a loop of self-development and self-harm. Coming back from that zero-state can be overwhelming. All those commitments, those responsibilities, just reappear, suddenly thrust upon us without warning. We have coping mechanisms and ways of detaching or softening the impact of these stressors. Noise pollution? Just wear a pair of headphones. Too many obligations? Become a calendar wizard or productivity guru. A rude bus driver who swats you away with his hand whilst you are trying to ask a simple question? Just walk off and mutter under your breath.

Personally, it took me three weeks to adjust to the demands of my routine. I was constantly tired and felt like there weren’t enough hours in the day. I still don’t. I had to say no to various social events, initially, and still haven’t reintroduced running into my routine. I’m just not ready.

Despite the challenges, I’m thrilled to be back, and my appreciation for the man I was before I left has grown. I realize now that he was a machine. It does get better though; I’ve eased back into the swing of things and even taken on a new big project - planning a wedding. Talk about stress!

Lessons Learned

Through my travels, I gained a great deal of knowledge about myself. It may sound cliche, but it’s true. Stripping away everything and starting from scratch allowed me to reach a state of clarity. There were some things I missed, and others I didn’t.

I’ve talked already a bit about baseline stress but I’m going to bring it back here and say that travelling made me seriously evaluate the level that I want my baseline to be set at. I’ve decided that the normal that I was used to is way too high. I enjoyed a lot of the slowing down aspect of travelling, having more downtime, or time to read and engage in more relaxing activities.

Travelling indefinitely may seem appealing, but over time, it would require some changes to maintain its allure. In my experience, six months felt like a good length for a trip and by the end I found myself yearning for more stability and deeper connections. Additionally, as time went on, some experiences began to lose their novelty. While climbing mountains and swimming in turquoise waters remained special, they competed with similar experiences that I had already had, recently. It’s true that too much of a good thing can be overwhelming.

Another important lesson I learned is that maintaining good health can be effortless. During my six-month trip, I was able to shed some pounds without even trying. I stopped running altogether and only went climbing every 3-5 weeks, yet I still came back from my trip leaner and healthier. This was because I engaged in various healthy activities such as hiking, kayaking, and cycling almost every day. We ate out pretty much all the time. Yet, despite this, Asian cuisine is generally healthy, and not having a permanent home meant there were fewer opportunities to indulge in unhealthy snacks. Staying healthy just came naturally. Without even realizing it, we were fasting for 14-16 hours (by having an early dinner or skipping breakfast) and we didn’t snack much, except for the occasional Oreos during long bus rides. With a daily activity level that averages 15,000 steps, not including kayaking, swimming, and cycling, achieving good health is effortless. It certainly helps to have no obligations or time constraints imposed on you. Does it apply back to the real world though? No probably not, but some modifications can be made to port over some functionality.

I now strive to choose a frictionless, effortless healthy lifestyle. I love climbing and it doesn’t feel like an effort for me (more so a passion) but I dislike running. However, I recognize that I need some form of cardio in my life and running is the most convenient and affordable option. It is also extremely effective once you get over the initial hump. I’m more likely to leverage a bike-share scheme to get around although I don’t enjoy cycling in London because of the other road users who tend to make it a stressful experience. Additionally, I now frequent a co-working space that is a 20-minute walk from my house. It provides a natural workout and has become a pleasant part of my daily routine. Although not quite as easy as it was whilst travelling, I have been making healthier and simpler choices than I have in the past. It has been seven weeks and I have managed to maintain my weight, indicating that I am on the right track.

The final lesson, and perhaps the most important is that a lot of the things that we depend on aren’t really that important. The fancy gadgets and accessories we’ve grown accustomed to are just that - accessories. While they may make us feel good, it’s important to remember that we can live without them. Although it’s tempting to indulge in luxury items like a new espresso machine, it’s not the end of the world if we can’t have them. As someone who grew up in a low-income household and now enjoys a middle-class income, I’ve realized how easy it is to blur the lines between luxuries and necessities. Our perceptions of what we truly “need” can easily shift over time. It is crucial to pause and contemplate whether our pursuits are genuinely worthwhile. By recognizing something as a luxury, we can differentiate between our desires and necessities. Thus, we can indulge without becoming burdened or coerced. So go, buy that espresso machine, because you do deserve it for all your hard work, but don’t get too hung up on it if you can’t get it right now.

Conclusion

Life is stressful. Nothing matters.

Only kidding. I suggest travelling to those who have the opportunity and haven’t yet experienced it. It goes beyond visiting stunning destinations. It’s about breaking out of your routine and gaining a new perspective on your life. You may realize what you were missing out on, or learn to appreciate what you have even more. It could be a mix of both, as I’ve experienced myself. It’s important to find a healthy balance in life. While we should be willing to face challenges when they are important, we also need to remember not to stress over insignificant things. Prioritizing what truly matters can help us avoid unnecessary struggles.

Thanks for reading this and I’d love to hear any feedback or comments on the post. Feel free to reach out if you want to talk in-depth about my travels.