This is something that interests me as I'm in that stage myself...

I came back and went straight back into work to pay off the hefty debts I accumulated while being away... Now I'm bored, restless and even more desperate to get away again. This time permanently.

What have you done when you got back ????

Did you settle down into your old life ??

Did you not come back ????

Has your trip made you urge for more ??

Discuss

__________________
Did some trips.
Rode some bikes.
Fix them for a living.
Can't say anymore.

http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/hub...ing-home-40955

Hey tedmagnum. So im not up there with the 'big boys' yet, and it was a very relaxed three day jount around derbyshire, but I hated every minute of coming back to my home town. That being said I think dan walsh summed it up perfectly as 'dont get off the boat' (apocalyspe now lol), becuase you loose momentum. next time, on my trip atound the uk somewhere, i would like to keep going day after day.

Ted,

a fearful time. In 2 days we are heading home after 13 months on the road.

We have 3 boxes of mail to go through, we have to live with my in laws until we find a new house, we are low on money. The list goes on and on, a real bummer. Will we do it again? YES!

Look at all they gray people around you, they have never lived, you have!

May life get on track for you quick and may the next trip come sooner than you expect! Good luck!

__________________
__________________
Jean Visser

http://ons4.reproroom.com

I like to travel quite a bit, and spent about six months on the road in 2007-2008. And you know what? While I really enjoyed the trip, I was damn glad to get back home. I travelled alone and met lots of people, saw lot of places, but the whole thing was so very transitory and by the end I was ready to get back to real life and real relationships.

If you hate going home that much, maybe the solution is to fix something at home? Move to a new city or country, find a new job, go back to school, find new relationships, find new interests, whatever...at the end of the day maybe you're travelling to leave problems behind rather than try to solve them. That lasts only as long as you keep moving...

Hi TedMagnum, same as you i got off my "ASS" and did something that only most dream of doing, would like to meet up with you sometime, as i too want to go again, did you meet up with my mate,"Bazza" in USA/ Canada, HU meet? take care, Alan.

Hi, Ted

Got back from a stint in S-America a 3 years ago, and started working 2 days later but was ruined for the 'normal' life (Johannesburg, South Africa). Best answer is to get away on as many weekends as possible but also start planning for the next long(er) trip asap. Once it's in your blood, there's no cure I believe.

Keep going!

__________________
"The fates lead him who will; him who won't they drag." - Anon

We decided to do a big trip back in 2003, but it did not materialise until 2006. We saved up, as most people do, before we left. This big trip was quite small by a lot of stardards: 13 weeks across Argentina and Chile. The mileage was relatively small: 7500 miles. This, however, did not bother us (although 6 months would have taken the pressure off some bits) and the whole experience definetely left us with the travel bug under our skin as well as a strange rash that made our feet itch when we read a good travel blog.

So yes, we came back and yes we have the urge to do more of the same.

There were several advantages to doing a 3 moth trip such as ours:

1. We did not have to save a ridiculous amount of cash: only slightly ridiculous.
2. We did not come back with any debts to pay off.
3. It meants we were able to keep the flat we were renting (we loved it).
4. We did not feel completely baffled by the daily grind on our return.
5. My other half was able to negotiate keeping here job open.

So basically we had one income, whilst I looked for work, which I found. Since then we have moved to Estonia. Partly its a good launch pad for Asia, but also its simply not the UK...

My move Estonia was prompted (althgouh a few years ago: I would have opted for France, had I been single) because I knew I did not want to live in the UK.

I say this becuase I get the impression fro your post that you want to get away from the lifestyle, rather than the place, in which case moving to another country may be the answer, but then again may not... I think you need a place where living there is lie an adventure to keep you stimulated ie perhaps somewhere less westernised?
Just a thought, if you do decide to emmigrate.

__________________
Adventure: it's an experience, not a style!
(so ride what you like, but ride it somewhere new!)

Our London to Cape Town trip was over a year long, and to be honest (and this isn't the best place in the world to be saying this) by the end of the trip we were bored of travelling - After you have been up and running for a while, travelling isn't a particularly difficult task to undertake and we found that all we were doing is riding the bike, talking to people and looking at things ! We found it a bit self indulgent eventually and a return to the "nobility of labour" and contributing to society on our return to the Uk was very welcome.

Find a job you enjoy, then work a bit, travel a bit, work a bit, travel a bit.

3 month trips sound just about perfect now. Plenty of time to enjoy the process of planning, anticipation, the departure, have enough cash to do interesting things whilst you are on the road and it is short enough that you don't have to destroy your life at home. I think shorter more intense, purposeful trips can be just a rewarding as big epics, especially if you set yourself challenging goals, which mean you are achieving things rather than just existing and looking.

And you get to do interesting things like rake moss out of the lawn at home at weekends whilst you dream of your next Sahara trip

But if you can find a suitable job that you enjoy, that's half the battle to doing lots of travelling, surely

... my philosophy too Dick .. .. around 2-4½ months away at a time is the perfect compromise for me and 'er indoors'. Just the right balance of everything. Been doing this type of on-off travelling for the last 2½ years, and will carry on until the time comes to stop. It all works for us.

Ted, IMHO there's no right or wrong answer to your question. We're all different. I suggest that you try and discover what escape method works best for you and your circumstances.

Good luck

KEITH

__________________
Right Way Round ...

I discovered 2-4 months away was too difficult. It meant giving up my job, storing all my junk, and finding temporary homes for my animals. I moved to Egypt in 1991, thinking that would satisfy my wanderlust. It didn't, because I was an expat in suburbia. Economically things were easier as I didn't have to give up my house while traveling, and I'd become freelance which eased the job situation. But it still meant chunks of time away from my animals and partner. In 2003 I took to the road WITH my two dogs (partner didn't share my lifestyle fantasies), and began worked WHILE traveling. Seven months ago I was joined by another traveler working on the road with his dog, so now we're a happy pack of five. For me it's the dream. For many others it would be hell. Apples and oranges...
Lorraine

__________________
Rallying for A Wild Life — THE FILM!
http://igg.me/at/AWildLife

www.LorraineChittock.com
www.facebook.com/lorraine.chittock

I just got back from 6 months through South America. The end of the trip was to be in Buenos Aires, then ship the bike back to Panama where I live. However, I have a great -- and unusual -- wife. As I was approaching Buenos Aires she said "how can you ship the bike, you haven't finished the trip yet!"

So after six months on the road I was really quite tired and ready to get off the bike. But I decided to leave it in BA and come back for it in July. I figured after four months at home I would be ready to travel again... and boy was I right! I have four months to fix all those things in the house that have gone wrong, straighten out bank accounts that have gotten screwed up, visit friends, and (most importantly) prepare for another 2 or 3 months on the road. It took me about a month to miss the traveling. Now I'm ready to go.

I think this has become a major addiction. I'm so glad I retired

__________________
Steve Barnett
Panama City, Panama

well...I am sitting here just on the outskirts of the Gobi desert in Mongolia (on a very bad internet connection ) and came across this thread.
Simon and I started our trip almost 7 years ago and the plan was for 2 years. 2 years came and we felt like we had only jsut begun - we couldnt stop. so here we are 7 years later and still loving almost every minute of it.
there are good and bad times..and being ill on the road is no fun at all.
However, after all this time we still get those same questions.
Our reply - this is now our 'normal' life. How do we survive financially we are often asked. We do what we can when and where we can...write for mags, sell photos, give presentations. it all helps.
The luckiest thing about our trip is that we (Simon my husband of 14 years) do it together...so as sweet and sickly as it sounds...wherever he is is where my home is and vica versa!

if you can travel with a loved one and they love the travel just as much as you - you are in trouble - you may never stop!

__________________
Lisa
www.2ridetheworld.com

I've been home for a month.

I'm voluntarily unemployed.

I'm living with my girlfriend's parents.

Rock and Roll.

Birdy

Ps.
I've also got a plane ticket to return to South Africa, where I am going to be doing any work I can so as not to be in England.

Pps
I am also currently writing a book about our travels in Africa.

ıts always nice to be back home ...

great to sit on my own toilet again ...

its always nice to see friends for 6-8 months ....

great to plan the other trip ....

its always nice to "on the road" ...

great to reach the destination point ...

its always nice to be back home ...

AND .... Wonderful to live this "boring" life ........ ....

Future ??? .... i think nothing will change...i will again travel ... maybe with different vehicles ..... maybe closer destinations ... maybe for shorter periods ...but eventually will be on the road ...whenever and however possible ....

Got back from trip in 2006 - cut short due to injury

Old job available so back I went......
[nice your back]

Rented a house......
[why don't you buy]

Bought a 4x4 to travel in as unable to ride bikes for while.....
[when are you going to settle down?]

Did the 4x4 up......
[stop wasting money and think of the future]

Couple of short trips to Europe but too expensive....
[you need a reality check]

Missed the bikes.......sold the 4x4
[stop wasting money, she'll grow out of it]

Applied for NZ visa (never been but looks nice!)
[never happy with what I have]

Granted permenent residency.... moving May 2010

Just a summary of whats been going on for me [and my parents comments]

Bikers welcome to stay with us!

Becky