Do I stay or do I go?

One of the hardest things about travel is actually biting the bullet and deciding to go, especially if you are planning to do it alone. It takes bravery to leave behind everything and everyone you know to head into the unknown, and for some that obstacle is too hard to overcome.

When I decided to backpack through South East Asia I initially wanted to travel with friends, but the time I wanted to go didn’t suit anyone else, they had either just been travelling or had jobs they couldn’t leave and so I was left with the choice of either not going or going alone. It wasn’t much of a decision really, I wanted to go and nothing was going to stop me, but that didn’t make it feel less scary. As my departure date got closer I was terrified and couldn’t think about my trip without a huge sinking feeling in the pit of my stomach, I was really sad to leave behind my family and friends and really worried about what was waiting for me on the other end. It helped to do lots of research and planning but I still had an awful fear of the trip going wrong. The fear didn’t subside until I left the airport in my first destination, Singapore, when I realised that I had arrived in an exciting city that was similar to other big cities and not the scary place I had worried about. With every day of my trip the fear ebbed away, it came back briefly each time I moved to a new destination but after a few weeks my confidence grew and I realised that fear is just a natural reaction to change and in fact I was really pleased that I was undertaking this adventure alone.

‘The fear’ never really goes away, I’ve traveled many times on my own and know from my experience that the initial upheaval of leaving home is worth it but that doesn’t stop the feeling creeping back every time I decide to undertake a new adventure. I’m struggling a little with this at the moment as I am currently planning a couple of solo adventures and it’s making me feel scared and teary about packing up and leaving behind a life that makes me happy, but the feeling of wanderlust is stronger so I’m doing it and I know that the second I arrive in my first destination it will be totally worth it. I’m determined to live the life that I’ve dreamed of, and I won’t let fear stand in my way.

The best advice I can give to anyone letting ‘The fear’ stand in their way is to remember that you can always come home. If your trip really is awful or you are missing home too much there is nothing stopping you from coming back, but go in the first place and see! It’s so easy to talk yourself out of travel, ‘it’s the wrong time in my life’, ‘I can’t leave my job’, ‘I will go next year’  ‘I will miss out on things at home’, ‘I can’t afford it’, ‘travel is dangerous’, but none of these things are genuine obstacles it’s ‘The fear’ talking. So focus on talking yourself into things, don’t miss out on fantastic opportunities because it’s scary... nothing worth doing is easy. And believe me, it’s worth doing.

The Globetrotters Nemesis: Travel Burnout

When planning an exciting round-the-world trip you will probably imagine yourself on the beach, meeting new friends and partying. You may worry about potential problems like getting ripped off or loosing your passport but you are unlikely to imagine getting sick and tired of the whole travel experience, but getting tired of travel on a long trip is actually quite a normal (even inevitable) part of the experience, so here's my guide to dealing with the dreaded travel burnout.

What is travel burnout?

Travel burnout is the point during your trip where you get fed-up. You're not enjoying experiences the way you once were; a beautiful sunset is now just another sunset, a bustling city is now overcrowded and meeting new friends feels like a chore. But when you take a long trip on your own, on a budget, you will be putting yourself under quite a lot of pressure; transport will be hot, overcrowded and unreliable, budget accommodation will be uncomfortable, haggling can be difficult and travelling solo can be lonely, so at some point during your trip it's quite likely you will snap.

Personal Experience

My worst episode of travel burnout happened 4 months into my trip in Siem Reap, Cambodia. I'd had quite a difficult few days travelling across the Laos border spending hours on buses, so I was tired, jaded and primed for burnout.

There were no seats left on the bus, so I'm sitting on the engine casing at the back... it was so HOT, there was nothing to sit back against and the journey took hours.

I decided to get my laundry done when I arrived in Siem Reap and took advantage of my hostel's laundry service. I got my clothes back the next day and although on first appearances they looked clean and pressed when I got them out of the bag they were still fairly dirty and four pairs of my knickers had big holes in the crotch.

Normally I would have been a bit annoyed or disappointed about this, but I was on the edge of travel burnout and the knickers were the final straw... I became inconsolable. I started crying and couldn't stop myself, I felt like I had looked after my possessions for months and suddenly they had been ruined, I felt like my knickers were irreplaceable and I felt fed up of travelling. My poor roommate came in during my melt down and although she sympathised with my situation I think she was very confused by my reaction. I complained to the management and despite trying to remain composed I was very teary, again the poor guy looked a little taken aback, but they re-washed my clothes and he was quite apologetic about the knickers.

At the time I knew I was being fairly ridiculous but I couldn't help my reaction, I was exhausted and feeling lonely and needed some time-out. I spent a few days being miserable but luckily for me I happened to meet up with some friends who were also in Siem Reap. I spent the next few weeks travelling with them which resolved my burnout, for the rest of my time in Cambodia I had two friends to share the fun experiences with but I also had someone else do the planning, organising and haggling for a bit!

How to fix travel burnout:

Slow down- trying to visit a long list of destinations and attractions in a short space of time is exhausting. Take a few days to chill out, have a lie-in and just enjoy where you are. Don't think of this break as a waste of time, this is time well spent if it helps to shake off the burnout.

Upgrade- Travelling on a budget is hard work, so give yourself a break. Stay in a nice (air-con) room for a few nights, eat at a restaurant rather than eating street food, or take the tourist bus rather than the local bus. You don't have to blow your budget, but a little treat is a good investment.

Have a dose of normality- Sometimes a trip to the cinema is all you need to beat the blues, it will feel like you're at home again for a few hours!

Change your itinerary- Don't be afraid to change your plans, if you don't like a destination just leave. Similarly if you have made friends somewhere and you're having fun stay a bit longer. I did exactly that in Koh Tao. Also, if you are travelling solo, it is definitely worth adjusting your itinerary to travel with new friends for a bit.

Change continent- It may not be enough to change city or country, it might be time to change the continent you are travelling! After 5 months in South East Asia I was ready for a change; although each country was different with it's own attractions, food and culture I was feeling fed-up. When I arrived in New Zealand  the change of culture and scenery left me feeling re-energised and motivated.

But if you really can't shake the blues, it may also be time to just go home...