Returning home after spending time travelling can be depressing. Suddenly, you’re not seeing and doing new things every day, meeting new people, and visiting places you had previously only seen online and in guidebooks. Instead, you’re talking to the same people you always see, dealing with your normal 9-5, and accepting the fact that no one else seems to care that you’ve just been in a different country or continent- even if you were away for a long time.
For these reasons, your experience returning home can range from a light depression to full-blown reverse culture shock. Unfortunately, it can take some time to feel normal again, but we have some ideas to help you beat the post-travel blues.
It’s likely that you took a lot of photos while you were travelling, and when you get home it can be hard to decide what to do with them. Sure, you can put them into albums on Facebook and post them on Instagram and Twitter, but they also make excellent personalised gifts for loved ones.
If you were travelling with your family, your grandparents would probably love a photobook so they can see all of the amazing things you’ve been up to, and if you were away with your family and took your own kids, your parents would probably appreciate a nice canvas print of the whole family enjoying themselves.
It can be a good idea to take a photography course or at least learn some photography tips before you go travelling, as this will ensure that you know how to use the light to your best advantage and create the best possible photos for your travels.
There are many different photography courses, websites, blogs and magazines available, and while it can sometimes make sense to invest in a DSLR camera with a decent lens, if you’re naturally skilled with setting up your photos, you may also find that your smartphone can also take excellent photos (and you’re more likely to have it on you most of the time when you’re travelling.
If you’re finding it hard to get back into everyday life after travelling, it can be a good idea to surround yourself with memories of your travels. Choose one or two of your favourite photos- the ones that bring back the best memories of your trip, and get them made into canvas prints that you can then hang up on your walls at home. A photobook can be another great idea, and whenever you’re feeling like you would rather be overseas, you can pick it up, look at your favourite photos and cheer yourself up – you can use a photo book maker to help you do it with no hassle.
This is one reason why it can sometimes be a good idea to pick up some souvenirs when you’re overseas. Sure, you often have limited baggage space and weight, but one or two items that you can only get in a specific country can be nice to have around you at home once you’ve returned.
