The 5 Worst Things About Travelling (and how to deal with them)

Hello Wonderful People!

I spend the majority of my time writing about how wonderful travel is and how much I am completely obsessed with it, that I never seem to touch on the downsides of travel (there are some, honest). So, in favour of balance, democracy and all things equal I thought I’d share a few of my personal thoughts on the drawbacks of travelling. Don’t worry though, none of these will ever be bad enough to put me (or you) off actually going. Like most things in life, not everything runs smoothly and there are always going to be a few hitches along the road while travelling; but there are always solutions, so never fear!

 Missing Friends and Family

This is pretty much a given if you are going away for any length of time and unless you can squeeze all your loved ones into your backpack, there is no sure fire cure for homesickness. However, thanks to the wonderful technology packed world we live in, staying in touch with your nearest and dearest is pretty easy! Unless you are staying on the moon then you are pretty much guaranteed to find an internet point or a phone signal anywhere in the world. This means you can easily call or text loved ones, have a Skype sesh or upload pictures to Facebook and keep everyone up to date with your adventures. And if you can’t, there’s always the good old fashioned postal system. Sure, writing a letter is pretty old school and can take a while to be delivered, but it still gives you a point of contact with those back home. And there really is nothing better than receiving a handwritten letter in the post.

Feeling Like a Tortoise

No I am not crazy and yes I have felt like a tortoise before. Anyone who has had the pleasure of lugging a backpack around a continent for months on end will completely understand where I’m coming from on this one. Carrying all your worldly possessions on your back and moving from place to place every other day really does make you feel like a tortoise. I had a serious love-hate relationship with my backpack. I would curse it for being so heavy and bulky (how dare it?!) and loath repacking it then putting it on my back as I headed for my next destination. However, if I didn't have my trusty backpack, I would have been pretty screwed. Backpacks are a necessary evil when travelling, so pack light and only take the essentials. I ended up chucking loads of my clothes away in Asia as I just didn't need them and they were taking up precious room. The moral of the story means you’re pretty much stuck with your backpack and will probably feel like a tortoise at several points during your trip. Make life easy for yourself though and pack sensibly, trust me you don’t need 6 pairs of heels, 2 makeup bags and a hairdryer. You’ll only regret it when you’re walking in 35 degree heat with 20kgs on your back.

Missing Home Comforts

If you are ever away from home for a long period of time then you’re bound to miss those little things that make home so special. Be it food, TV or your bed, there will always be something that you crave while your sat in your hostel chatting about home. I always found myself missing British food when I was hungover in Asia; noodle soup just didn't cut it as a good hangover cure. I also really missed my own bed and privacy of my room at home; living hostel life for 4 months can take its toll. Missing home comforts are all part and parcel of life on the road, but you soon forget about them when you realise what an amazing time you’re having. I sometimes thought how it would be nice to lie in my own bed for a night with a Dominoes pizza, watching Friends. But would I actually have wanted to pack it all in and go back? Hell no.

Spending Too Much Money

I’m not going to lie, travelling is an expensive hobby. Even a budget backpacker like me spends a good few thousand in one trip, so luxury travelers out there must be spending a right packet! The fact that flights alone are pretty pricey and the fact you have to pay per night for accommodation means the travelling bill can soon mount up. If you are looking to travel on a budget though, it can be done, so don’t let the price of the trip put you off. Once you've got your flights and worked our how much you need to spend on accommodation, you can budget how much you’d ideally like to spend on the extras. Remember, you don’t need to eat out for every meal and there are tons of free things to do wherever you go! So while travelling can be a pricey affair, you don’t have to go overboard. And if you are ever strapped for cash, you can always work for a bit to get your funds back up. Simples.

Suffering From Wanderlust

This has got to be the worst (yet the best) part of travelling. Before I left home on my 4 month trip, I never really thought about how travelling would affect me. I didn't think I’d have an ‘oh yah, on my gap yah I totally found the meaning of life and am now at one with the universe’ kind of experience, that’s just silly. However, I never expect to fall completely and utterly in love with travelling. I always though 4 months was an ideal amount of time and I’d be ready to come home by the end. How wrong I was. I could happily have stayed so much longer, if only my monies would have allowed it. So here I am, nearly one year on from the start of my first backpacking adventure, in a perpetual state of wanderlust. I just can’t seem to focus on wanting a real job and being a proper adult. Snore. So in just under 2 weeks I’m off again, off to have another backpacking adventure around South America, and I can’t bloody wait.