I am not the same after the trip: an invitation to accept change

“What a change!” we hear from our family when we return home or “when did you start (that new habit)?” they ask surprised. Our friends also remind us that we are no longer the same and deep in our heart we know they’re right.  

We can’t have a long conversation with the same people because we see the lack of importance in the subjects. We stop talking about the things that once worried us because now we understand that we don’t get anything from complicating ourselves… we accept that there are bigger problems in life.  

The excitement of coming home fades away with the weeks. We bring a bunch of new manners and we left part of ourselves ‘there’. We come with more dreams vision, with less fear and with many stories to tell. 

It’s our turn to talk but the people don’t react the way we expect. “Don’t they think is awesome?” we ask ourselves insecure of our storytelling skills.   

We question everything and with nostalgia remember everything we left behind. We have a sort of existential crisis because we feel as nobody understand us and constantly hope for one more trip… one more, just one more moment of adventure. 

Accepting change

The problem starts when we consider going back to our previous routine, the same that we left when we travelled. Being or doing something that we were used to or something that we wanted then. But now our mindset is different, we have other priorities and we shouldn’t fight against that.  

Stop and hear that new self. Find the way to apply what we learnt and develop the ideas that we brought.  

As the life itself is a journey and we choose how to enjoy it, coming back shouldn’t signify the end of the adventure but a continuity of it.  

By joining communities such as Airbnb, Couchsurffing and  MeetUp one might be able to do so: opening the doors to strangers, exchanging skills for others and discovering more people like us at home.  

Let’s not go back to the same, it is part of our past. Let’s move, run, and jump just as we did it where we come from. Let’s spread the energy and share with the people our burning desire of travelling around the world.  

…let’s not stop being our new and better self! 

Original post at:   No soy el mismo después del viaje - Vivir Viajar Amar 

Photo: At Ha Giang, Cambodia