Member-only story
Getting homesick when traveling is normal, how do you deal with it?
Reflections
Getting homesick as a long-term traveler, I thought it would not find me if I ignored that it existed. Well, I was wrong.
When I first started traveling, I struggled after leaving the US. I ended up visiting my family after only five months! I did not want to go back to my old life, yet I did miss my family.
I missed being around things that were familiar to me. No matter how brave and independent you are, these feelings still will pop up. Now I am homesick a lot less; I have also vowed to return home once or twice a year to visit.
For the past two years, it has been less frequent. Starting in 2020, and since it has been a rough few years for everyone, I am sure even those near their families were homesick. Not being with friends and family is tough, but I always think it is hard to talk about as a traveler; in the past, I always would say, go home and visit. I was a bit of a pain in the ass.
My new self looks back, and I shake my head. After traveling and surviving a pandemic, my thinking about the world has dramatically changed. I also think getting a broader view of the rest of the world put my priorities into perspective.
As I miss my family and get homesick, I do…
