Traveling for a long period of time is an absolutely wonderful experience. You get to explore a portion of the world at your own pace and speed, and live among new and interesting people as you go. You can make many friends and memories along the way and have the time of your life that so many people dream about!
But when it comes time to come home again, it can be hard to settle back in. Getting back into a ‘normal’ routine is a hard adjustment after being away for so long, but it doesn’t have to be impossible to get used to. Here are our tips for doing so.
Be Strict with Your Sleep Schedule
If you’ve been away for a long time in another time zone, it’s going to take a while for the jet lag to wear off! So be strict with your sleep schedule; set alarms and don’t let yourself sleep in, and don’t let yourself go to bed too early. Try to stay on your feet for as long as possible and drink plenty of water – caffeine tends to make things worse when you’re recovering.
Safely Store Your Travel Equipment
You’re not going to need it for a little while and you don’t want to be staring at it every 5 minutes! Make things easier for yourself, and make sure the bag you took backpacking is stuffed at the back of the wardrobe. Similarly, any hiking sticks you used to walk national trails need to be packed away in the garage.
Even if you owned and used transportation equipment like a bike or a boat, stash it away using a safe unit, like one from https://www.storagearea.com/boat-storage.html. Don’t let these vehicles sit outside the house and gather dust – you’ll just stare at them longingly every time you head out to shop or work!
Have as Many Friend Dates as Possible
Traveling for a few years can mean you lose touch with good friends. Once you come back, pick up the phone and give them a call, and try to schedule as many dates with them as possible. You need to get to know your circle again, and you’re going to want to share and share alike as soon as you can. It’ll help you to feel more at home, and you’ll certainly have a lot to talk about!
Set a Budget
Living at home again can mean your financial situation changes drastically. To cope with this, you’ll want to set a budget. Maybe you’ve had a job to come back to, maybe you’re starting from square one – either way, you’ve got regular bills to pay now and that takes some getting used to. You’ll also want to set up a savings account for emergencies, and if luck would have it, a vacation budget for your next trip away!
Falling into a routine after traveling is no accidental thing. You’ll need to put some real focus in.
