For those of us with insatiable wanderlust, the inevitable pit stops at home to replenish travel funds, attend university and tend to other general responsibilities can cause some pretty agonising restlessness.
Shortly after returning home from living abroad in France, I had some serious travel withdrawal. I missed almost everything: the friends I made, speaking French all of the time, I even missed the metro.
So, to counteract the hopeless nostalgia I would have otherwise spiralled into, I used a couple of tactics:
1. Treat your hometown like it’s a brand-new city.
Even if you’ve been living in your home city your whole life, you’d be surprised at how many things it has to offer that you’ve never realised existed. If you live in a decent sized city, chances are there are new businesses popping up pretty often, just waiting for you to discover. And if you are anything like me while traveling, you like to get involved with everything. Volunteering, clubs, you name it. These are great ways to meet new people and become acquainted with the culture of the place you are visiting. So why not do the same in your own city?
2. Continue speaking/practicing your new-found language.
One of the things I missed most after leaving from Paris was getting to speak French 24/7. In Paris, language learning resources like Tandem Language Partners are easy to find. There are so many tourists that the city is a language melting pot. If you live in a less multicultural city, it can be harder to find people to practice with. Thankfully, there are still ways to do so. Duolingo and iTalki are two of my favourite language learning applications.
3. Stay in touch with friends.
The friends you make abroad will be some of closest you’ll make. There’s nothing like living in a place where you’re all out of your comfort zone to bond you together. It’s cool to know that you have friends from all over the world, who you can exchange cultural differences with and who might one day need a couch to crash on while visiting your country and vice-versa.
4. Plan your next adventure.
Keep up your excitement by planning where you’d like to travel to next. Pick a country, maybe start learning that country’s language and figure out how you’re going to get there. Just wait, in no time you’ll be boarding the plane.
5. Enjoy being home.
Even if your home town isn’t quite the right fit for you, chances are there’s a reason you call it “home”. Appreciate being near your friends and family, and take advantage of it. Having your support system nearby is a great thing, something you become more aware of when you’re in a brand new and unfamiliar place.
