The Travel Chica

Live Simple. Consume Less. Experience More.

What Will It Be Like to Come Home?

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After the initial excitement of knowing I am going see my friends and family soon, I am starting to wonder what it will be like.

I will have been gone for 9 months, traveling in countries that have different lifestyles, cultural norms, and beliefs than my own country.  I have adapted to this, and I have accepted some of the lifestyle changes.

Will I have culture shock?

I don’t think so.

The last 4 months have been spent in Buenos Aires, which is a large, modern city full of activity and trendy restaurants, bars, and boutique shops.  If I was coming home after living in a small town without any stoplights in rural Nicaragua where I couldn’t drink the water, had to shower outside, and awoke to roosters every morning, then maybe I would experience culture shock.

But I am sure some parts of Latin America will come with me.

Will I still keep my in-case-of-robbery money in my bra?

Will I try to barter for my vegetables at Kroger?

Will I think I am unattractive because the men don’t say, “Hola, linda!” (linda = pretty/ beautiful) when I walk past them on the street?

I have a few worries too.

Will I be able to stick to my lifestyle choices?

Even though I am coming home, I am still on my travel budget.  In fact my travel budget has shrunk on a monthly basis, since I am planning to stretch my funds further and travel longer.  So I will not be eating out for every meal and going out for drinks every night.

But it is not just about the budget.  I like to live a healthy lifestyle. I have to admit I drank too much wine and indulged in a few too many empanadas and sweets.  There are no regrets, especially about the amazing wine, but I want this period at home to be about getting back to my normal lifestyle.

Will I forget all of my Spanish?

This is a big deal for me because I have struggled to learn Spanish to the level I want to be.  I am going to practice vocabulary every day with flash cards (thanks to Nate for this suggestion).  I can email and Skype with the Spanish-speaking friends I have met on my travels.  And I can check out all of the website suggestions people posted in the comments of my last post about learning Spanish.

Will it be harder to leave this time?

I really do not know what to expect.  The logical side of me says it will not be more difficult because I have already been gone for a long time and know I can do it.  But you never know.  The goodbyes were really hard the first time around.

I am looking forward to many things during this trip home.

I will get to see my 4-year-old nephew, who I have been told has not yet forgotten about his Aunt Stephie.  My friends’ kids have grown up.  My friends have had more babies.  My friends have gotten married. My friends have bought new homes.

I am looking forward to the face-to-face conversations with friends and family.  Skype is awesome, but most people I know don’t use Skype.  And even with Skype, it is not the same as being in the room.

I am also going to force the friends and family that have not yet figured how to use Skype to do it while I am home, so there are no excuses (you know who you are).

On a less sentimental note…

I am going to use my credit card EVERYWHERE and NEVER carry cash with me. (Don’t worry.  I still pay it off every month).  But I want to earn that cash back and miles.  Plus, it is just so much more convenient.

I am going to drink free re-fills of Diet Coke and coffee like it’s my job.

I am going to enjoy having water at my table in a restaurant free of charge.

I am looking forward to feeling safer and carrying my camera around without constant glances around me to see if someone shady looks like they want to steal it.  (Wouldn’t it be ironic if I was robbed in Ohio?)

I am looking forward to having the opportunity to pack again and replenish some supplies.  I didn’t do so bad my first time packing, but I definitely will change things up this time around.

I am looking forward to having a new wardrobe. I am going to wear cute clothes and quite possibly every pair of high heels I have in my storage unit.  I am so sick of wearing the same outfits every week.  Plus, my clothes are looking a little ratty.  I’m going to be a little higher maintenance and look like a girly-girl for a few weeks.

I am looking forward to drinking a great IPA (or 2 or 3) and eating a properly baked brownie that does not snap when you break it in half.  Yes, I know I just said I want to eat healthy, so this will be done in moderation of course.

Have you gone home during a long trip?  What were your worries?  What did you look forward to?

Comments

  1. If you haven’t already thought of this, leave everything you have in Argentina with a friend in Argentina. You said everything is tatered the way it is. leave it there. Only bring home the stuff you want to leave in Ohio. That way you will have even more room in your suitcase on the way back. If you are going to use Buenos Aires as a base then leave some of the clothes you have there. When you get back you will have twice the amount of clothes. If some of them are already worn out then when you move back for good(if that happens) you can just leave the old ratty clothes there or better yet donate them to the poor. If I ever move back alot of my stuff will not be going with me…

  2. I really like having REALLY hi speed internet on a mostly constant basis. Changes of clothes are good too as are hanging out with old friends. However, after two months here I am seriously planing the next leg of my rtw adventures (thinking early November departure).
    Philip recently posted..Panamanian Chicken Bus

  3. I feel like I’ve forgotten all my Spanish… I know I’ve forgotten a LOT. But the rest will be soooo fun! Whole Foods! And safety! And family! Then it’ll be time to go again. :) How long will you home? Come to Vegas!!
    Abby recently posted..An All-American … Castle?

  4. Love this post! I had many of the same worries as you, although I wasn’t gone as long. I worry about my Spanish, and so far haven’t done anything about it and I am already home. Hmmm. Maybe you have just inspired me! But really, can you EVER have too many empanadas?!! And gotta love pulling sweaty money out of your bra 😉
    Claire recently posted..Packing Heat on a Sunny Day at the Pool

  5. I’m a Norwegian born but i’ve lived between Oslo and Buenos Aires for so long that i feel part Argentinian now, the first time i went back to Oslo from Buenos Aires i was so happy but in a short time i started to feel nostalgic about the time i spent there, etc. Now it goes both ways, when i’m at Buenos Aires i miss Oslo and when in Oslo i miss Buenos Aires. I have a good memory so never worried about “lose” my language skill in Spanish even tho’ i’m terrible with it as i am terrible with English and German, meh at least i try.

  9. I just went back after being in Germany for a year and with my friends it was like I had never left, and it made me feel so lucky that I have such wonderful friends, so much so that I didn’t want to go back to Germany, but after being back for a week, I’ve adjusted and it’s been great seeing my friends in Germany too.
    Laurel recently posted..Moving to Munich

  10. I’ve done the whole Central America then going home thing a couple of times, albiet never after 9 month trips. It isn’t that bad, but expect to accidentally drop some Spanish in the grocery store or airport and get a few strange looks, haha.
    Matt Hope recently posted..A Photo Tour of London Part 1

  11. I love empanadas! I understand your worries about coming home. I feel that too when I go back home from a very long trip. Oh, and I do feel very conscious too when I take out my camera while travelling. Anyway, I usually worry about getting easily bored too soon while staying at home and feeling guilty wanting to leave again to travel.
    Sheila recently posted..CNA Training

  14. I think its weird people call it reverse culture shock, because other than looking to throw toilet paper into a basket I pretty much adapted to the culture easily – I think it’s more post travel shock that can be a bit unsettling.
    ayngelina recently posted..What backpack should I get?

  16. The hardest thing for me going back, is ALWAYS, without fail, trying to trust people the way people in the U.S. trust each other. When I don’t trust people the way they do, it makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong. But I know if I behaved that trustingly in SA I’d be taken advantage of.
    Kyle recently posted..Beautiful Baby Ava Boo

  17. Have a safe trip home. Recharge, and hope you have more adventures coming up!! Trust me, after going home for a little bit, new adventures will be even more fun and with a fresh start ^_^

    I am always sad to go home after a trip, but when I am home and relax a bit with family and friends, I always feel at peace and ready for more things to come^^
    Annie – FootTracker recently posted..Japan (3) Akihabara, Tokyo ~ Street Scene Photos

  18. I’ve always enjoyed coming back home but it’s definitely been an adjustment most times. Initially, I feel excited to see friends and family I have not met in a long time and relish in those moments of the security of having a nice big bed, clean shower and home cooked meals; however, after a while the urge to get back on the road is certainly there.
    Nomadic Samuel recently posted..Teaching English in China | Interview with Michael Tieso (Art of Backpacking)

  19. I always have initially enjoyed coming back home, but truth be told, I always found the culture shock of returning home much more challenging than those associated with being in a foreign country.Having extended foreign experiences changes you in a way that few people are able to relate to, and I think that’s why so often, and if possible, people who have gone far beyond there own backyards are driven to keep on doing so. :)
    Margo recently posted..Beach-Hopping in Cala Gonone, Sardinia

  23. So excited for you, lovely.

    When I leave in November to go to Mexico, I won’t be returning home until December 2012 so I do wonder the same things too about what it’ll be liked to be surrounded by my family and ‘familiar’ homely surroundings again.
    Ceri recently posted..The Panic Sets In

  25. It’s great to be home, and it’s great to be away…win, win! I will have only 2 nights in BA in December–do you have a suggestion for a restaurant with great food and good, local atmosphere? We will be in the area near Recoleta.

    I am traveling with adventuresome 19 and 23 year old boys.

    Enjoy your travels. Be safe.

    Peace.
    NLM recently posted..Inappropriate on Three Continents

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