Do You Have Backpacking Blues?

You might be thinking what are the backpacking blues? To put it simply it’s the sadness or feeling of loss after you finish a long trip. unlike the post-vacation blues, these come with real worries. But there is much more to know about the backpacking blues that I will cover in this article and tell you how to get over them.

Questioning Yourself

It’s funny when you are backpacking or travelling for a long period of time you never have these thoughts pop up and if you do you can push them to the side and think that’s tomorrow’s problem. but as soon as you arrive back home, they are today’s questions and problems.

Here is a list of questions you might be asking yourself

• Am I too old to be still backpacking?
• What do I do now?
• Do I need to focus on my career?
• Do I need to get on the property ladder?
• What about having a family?
• How do I earn money and travel?
• Can I be bothered saving just to travel?
• Where do I go next?
• Did I waste my time on that trip?

Some people don’t have direct questions, they just have a weird feeling when they get home.

How do you get over the travel blues?

To get over the travel blues, You could just easily just ignore all the questions that just started to eat you up, but the problem with this is you will get them worse later on. The best way of tackling the backpacking blues is to set a goal with yourself and to ask yourself why you are worried about the question or questions.

Answer the questions that causing the blues

Let me run through a lot of these questions and try and solve them with you.

Am I too old to be still backpacking?

Whether you are 25 or 55. You are never too old to be a backpacker. There are people doing this in the 80s. The problem isn’t age, it never is. If you want to be a backpacker all your life, then you can! But the problem really is do you want to be a backpacker all your life? There will be things you miss out on.

What about having a family?

Backpacking and starting a family aren’t impossible. Not only are you likely to meet your partner whilst travelling but you can have can children and travel bringing them up “on the road”. There is homeschooling and even wanting to settle down when they are school-age. But the question is are you ready to settle down and have kids right now, if not… why not travel more.

What about having a career?

Should you stop travelling so you can build a career? Why stop travelling if you are really worried about this? I know people that have gone aboard to study so they can have the best of both worlds.

How do I earn money and travel?

You want to earn money and travel, this is a rabbit hole and a half. If you go down it you could be a blogger and vlogging for 5 years and still not making any money. You need to stop thinking about the cycle of earning to travel, travel is spending and earning to travel.

You can earn money and travel, by working in new places. It’s the easiest way of seeing more of the world and getting paid to do it. Working Holiday Visas are great, Check other places you can work in the world with little or no visa. Or even better travel around your own country and earn as you do so.

Do I need to get on the property ladder?

Is getting on the property ladder more important than travel, I’m not saying you can’t have both. but saving up for property and travel is difficult but once you have the property nothing is stopping you from travelling again.

Struggling to Answer the Question?

One simple way of getting over the questions that dig into you when you get back from travelling, the questions that might stop you from your next trip. Ask yourself “Is travel worth the sacrifice?”.

This might seem a little vague question but if you mix it with your doubts you will have the answer if you should travel or not and this should quickly get you over the backpacking blues.

Here are 5 tips on getting over the backpacking blues quickly

Still not helped your backpacking Blues?

Well here is a video on how Holly and I got over our latest backpacking Blues

Plan your next trip

Sometimes the best way of getting over the in-between travel worries is to just book your next trip. Or even better have the next trip planned before you get home.

This might be a great time to read this article Unwritten Rules of Backpacking Europe, It has great advice about travelling Europe! ( this may be your next trip)

And I’ll See you Again Sooon.