{"id":20375,"date":"2013-08-12T12:15:18","date_gmt":"2013-08-12T16:15:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nomadicmatt.com\/?p=20375"},"modified":"2024-08-27T07:57:27","modified_gmt":"2024-08-27T11:57:27","slug":"going-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nomadicmatt.com\/travel-blogs\/going-home\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Going Home Does Not Mean Failure"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"Nomadic<\/p>\n

\u201cI hear you\u2019re going home?\u201d I asked her as we sat in the hostel\u2019s common room.<\/p>\n

\u201cYeah, I really miss my boyfriend and family. This long-term travel<\/a> thing just isn\u2019t for me. I\u2019ve cut my trip short and will be going home in a few weeks.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWow,\u201d I replied. It’s not often you hear travelers say they are going home early. If anything, most people want to extend their trip, not cut it short. Well, it\u2019s important to do what makes you happy. At the very least, traveling taught you something about what you do and do not like. That’s a win.\u201d<\/p>\n

“Yeah, I guess that’s one way to think about it,” she replied.<\/p>\n

And, with that, we moved on with the conversation.<\/p>\n

She, like many others I\u2019ve met on the road<\/a>, headed back home, not in defeat, but victorious, content in the knowledge that they discovered more about themselves.<\/p>\n

When I began my travels, a million and one fears<\/a> and worst-case scenarios went through my mind. <\/p>\n

What if I can\u2019t make it?<\/em> <\/p>\n

What if I can\u2019t find friends?<\/em> <\/p>\n

What if I get so lost I can\u2019t find my way back?<\/em> <\/p>\n

What if I get hurt?<\/a><\/em> <\/p>\n

What if I run out of money?<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

What if, what if, what if!<\/p>\n

Thanks to the many emails I get from this website, I know those fears are faced by others. It’s comforting to know you aren’t alone. <\/p>\n

Many of those \u201cwhat ifs\u201d that race through our mind keep people from traveling in the first place.\u00a0We can become so paralyzed by our fear of failure<\/a> that we forget that all those fears don\u2019t matter because, no matter what happens to us, we can always come home<\/a>.<\/p>\n

There is no defeat in it. Travel is the art of learning about yourself and sometimes you learn travel isn’t for you. It\u2019s OK\u00a0to say, \u201cI miss my home, I miss my friends, I hate hostels, and it turns out my idea of travel involves moving from one luxury resort to the next.\u201d<\/p>\n

The most important thing is that you tried.<\/p>\n

I had no idea long-term travel would work for me. My original trip was only for a year and I could have decided to come back home three months in. I had no idea what to expect. I was scared shitless.<\/p>\n

But, here I am, over fifteen years later<\/a>, still in love with travel.\u00a0I would have never known if I didn’t ignore my fears and try.<\/p>\n

We can give in to fear<\/a>, the \u201cwhat ifs,\u201d and the worry, and instead stay safe at home.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Or you can head out the door and try.<\/p>\n

Who cares if you decide to cut your trip short? Who cares if you think \u201cthis life isn\u2019t for me?\u201d You travel for yourself. You do this for you<\/a>. The only way you’ll know is if you pack a bag and go.<\/p>\n

When I decided years ago it was time to settle down and create roots somewhere<\/a>, a lot of people emailed me, expressing sadness that I had “given up” traveling.<\/p>\n

That couldn’t have been further from the truth.<\/p>\n

But times \u2014\u00a0and people \u2014\u00a0change. <\/p>\n

I had nothing to prove by continuing to travel when my desires lay elsewhere. Travel is a personal experience and at the end of the day, how you feel about it is the only thing that matters. I still believe life on the road is amazing \u2014\u00a0but sometimes I just want to sit in front of my TV, watch a movie<\/a> or read a book<\/a>.<\/p>\n

If you\u2019ve been thinking about traveling but worry that you can\u2019t make it a full year around the world or that you might not have the skills to travel, I say to you: Who cares? You can always head home if you want.<\/p>\n

So what if you can’t make it? It doesn’t matter.<\/p>\n

Going home is not a failure.<\/p>\n

Travel teaches us about ourselves and makes us better people<\/a>. Deciding to come home simply means travel taught you something about yourself that you wouldn\u2019t have known otherwise \u2014\u00a0that extended travel is not<\/em> for you.<\/p>\n

And there is nothing wrong with that.<\/p>\n

A lot of people don’t want to travel long-term. A lot of people don’t like travel in general<\/em>! <\/p>\n

But you will never know what you do or don’t like if you don’t push yourself out of your comfort zone a little bit. <\/p>\n

And travel is always something that pushes you out of your comfort zone<\/a>. <\/p>\n

Don’t worry if you don’t like it. <\/p>\n

Because there will always be a path back. Home will always be there. <\/p>\n

So travel and learn something about yourself.<\/p>\n

Even if what you learn is that you’d rather be home than in a hostel.
\n 
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\"How<\/div>

My New York Times<\/em> best-selling book to travel will teach you how to master the art of travel so that you\u2019ll get off save money, always find deals, and have a deeper travel experience. It\u2019s your A to Z planning guide that the BBC called the \u201cbible for budget travelers.\u201d<\/p>\n

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\n 
\n

\n

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks<\/h4>\n

Book Your Flight<\/strong>
\nFind a cheap flight by using Skyscanner<\/a>. It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned. <\/p>\n

Book Your Accommodation<\/strong>
\nYou can book your hostel with Hostelworld<\/a>. If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com<\/a> as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels. <\/p>\n

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance<\/strong>
\nTravel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:<\/p>\n