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

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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!

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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!

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"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.

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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

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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

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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

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Steve Barnett
Panama City, Panama

I have been back 6 months now. I did the prudhoe TDF ride. by the time i hit patagonia, i thought i was pretty full and didnt mind going home to clean pants, edible tapped water, my bed, fluffy comforts and being understood in conversations. My job was kept open. A low rung job in a postroom, slap bang in the centre of greedy londons financial heart. i walked straight back into where i had left off. nothing had obviously changed. i didnt even think about how i would feel when getting back home... I`m blooming bored to the point of hardly thinking about anything, with a purpetual expression of gommyness. First thing that smacks me in the mouth is the grey way everyone ignores everyone. I was stuffed with confidence and chat. no one listened. mates just smile for 2 minutes then yorn, when i started bleeting on about, pisco, helpful villagers, dead bodies, kuna indians, sunrise at low breath altitudes, volcanos & wrestling the bike in deep sand . I forgot you cant smile at someone walking in the other direction , without receiving a stare of fear or contempt. I have become greedy again. wanting a big flat screen & shiny new bike. My thoughts, when i do think are always away looking at the wonderful people i met. longing for the company of those interested , genuine, rascals, with so much to share........ i made lots of mistakes on my trip. i was to fast through some places. fear got the better of me sometimes. i know now, that fear isnt that hard to face and is actually nessesary... before i went away i would just walk away from fearful stituations and live in some sort of small denial... i am loving the way memories suddenly zoom back. forgotten moments. even the tiny things that happened. I have unfinished business with foriegn roads. A direction is not obsessing yet, but it is definatly rumbling away in a part of my head.

If any of you find your way into south london sometime, lets meet and moan over s by the river ?? !!

Nice summary siggsy. Thanks for sharing your thoughts.

KEITH (in Cornwall) .. who's going quietly nuts down here, for the same reasons.

Wossit all about, eh?



.

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Right Way Round ...

Very nicely put Siggsy. Couldn't agree more.

I was always hoping for that 'epiphamy' moment on my trip when I would go 'ah, thats what I want to do for the rest of my life' but like you, my old job here was kept open and in the current financial state, it was a case of 'the better the devil you know' and all that. Even with a decent job and despite being pretty frugal, I find my salary just gets sucked up each month with very little to show for it and just keeping your head above water in the UK is pretty damn expensive. I think any city, no matter where it is, is pretty much the same though. I always tried to avoid the big cities while travelling as I enjoyed the smaller places which were generally much more friendly.

So while I'm plotting my next escape, I've just thrown myself into stuff I really enjoy like playing guitar and have so far managed to get myself back into playing again and have joined a good band and am also studying jazz. At work, (I'm a building surveyor), I'm just taking on bigger projects to get useful experience and hopefully look into getting work elsewhere like Canada (one of my favorite countries) though their visa system doesn't seem to be that easy to deal with, especially if you're job isn't on their list of approved occupations (eg hairdressing!). Will keep plugging on though!!

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Mike


www.singapore-scotland.blogspot.com
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My little Vid: India/Pakistan

BMW R1150GS
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I can relate to a lot of that Siggsy !!!

Seems very hard to let go of that western comfort and greed mentality .....

I was also looking for a pinacle moment when my life would suddenly change but it just doesnt work like that.

I do think I am a much different person for my travels but not for where I have been or what I have seen, its definately been in the people I have met and their warmness, love of life and friendly trusting nature.

Many people fear the "3rd world" for corruption, crime and greed where really the western world are really the biggest criminals of the lot.

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