Touchdown comedown

Post-holiday blues is the ugly cousin of hangovers. One moment you’re blissfully sipping margaritas in the Caribbean, the next, you’re sobbing into an old Jetstar boarding pass. No matter how hard you try to stop the holiday flashbacks or how desperately you wish you weren’t back in your old room at home, the reality is clear - Toto, you’re not in transit anymore.

Attack of the blues

Whether it’s a working holiday in Europe or a three-month backpacking trip through Thailand, life at home can seem stubbornly lacklustre after an overseas adventure. A survey by online travel company Expedia found that almost one in three Aussies have suffered from postholiday blues. And while most of us are savvy trip planners,thanks to Gen Y’s wanderlust, few are adequately prepared for the emotionally bumpy ride back home.

Social worker Vivian, 26, remembers the harsh comedown following her recent overseas trip. After eight months of working and travelling around India and South East Asia, she was “struck by a sense of loss” even before her flight home landed. “On the last week of my travels I kept thinking, ‘Reality is going to kick in and I’m going to be back in the daily grind again’.”

Despite being happy to reunite with friends and family, the Sydneysider had mixed emotions about coming home. “Everyone was excited to see me, but in a way, I was mourning. I felt so free to be myself while I was overseas. It was hard to let go of that sense of liberation once I got home.”

Back to the grind

Travel blogger Caz Makepeace (ytravelblog.com) believes one of the most addictive elements about travelling is the utter sense of surprise and discovery.“When you’re on the road, every day is different. The choices you make are based on what you want to do rather than what you have to do. So when you return to a life of structure and routine, it could feel like that sense of freedom has been taken away, which can be difficult to adjust to,” says Makepeace.

So how, if ever, can we get back into the 9-to-5 mindset without desperately wanting to flee? Psychologist Meredith Brown (lifeworks.com.au) thinks it helps to regain a sense of autonomy in your daily life. “When you are travelling, there’s still a great deal of structure – just think of all the transport timetables, hostel rules and local tour groups. Often the challenge is more about autonomy and having the choice to create the structure ourselves.” If flexible work hours are out of the question, try proactively finding new leisure activities. “Remember what you loved about your trip and capture that feeling at home.”

To keep the travelling spirit alive, Makepeace recommends joining travel meet-up groups in your home city and embarking on local adventures. “There’s plenty of newness in your own backyard. It doesn’t matter whether you’re in China or Sydney, as long as you’re out there exploring, you can still experience that sense of excitement.”

Lost in transition

For Ally, 25, having a new job after returning home from a year in London was a great way of keeping her mind off travelling. But the Melbourne based graphic designer admits her homecoming transition hadn’t been easy.

“My friendship circle at home had actually expanded while I was gone. I’d expected to come home and hang out with the same friends, but because there were new people, I was starting to feel like an outsider among people I’ve known for years.”

Apart from the new faces, she also found herself navigating a different social scene to the one she had become used to. “In London, you could be walking across the street and spot someone famous, like Lily Allen, and go to the same bars they go to. I was used to going out, getting quite dressed up and spending quite a bit of money. But in Melbourne, everyone prefers to go to a quiet bar or a pub for casual drinks.”

You’re different…now what?

For anyone who suspects the ‘new you’ may have outgrown your old life, is it a good idea to move on? “It’s important to understand reverse culture shock is normal and it can take up to four to six months to readjust,” says Makepeace.

“The longer you’ve been away, the harder it is, because the more you will have changed.” Rather than lamenting your life abroad or shutting yourself off, let your friends know where you’re at so they can relate to you.

At the same time, try turning your wanderlust into positive energy. Start a travel blog or use your newfound love of adventure to make over your career. “A lot of my friends are making plans about settling down but I don’t want to do that yet,” says Vivian.  “Instead, I’ve made a five year plan which involves more travelling. I’ll be applying for the Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development program in Asia and I also want to spend a year travelling around South America. I guess there’s no real reason to get over the travel bug!

 

By Candice Chung