TRAVEL|TAKING OFF
Coming Back Home…
Back to the concrete jungle I go
After 4 months of venturing abroad and traveling through Central and South America, I have decided to return home. Why? Two reasons : burnout, and an uncomfortable living situation.
1.Burnout
I moved around close to 20–30 times in the past 4 months, an exhilarating yet exhausting process. I reached a point where I did not feel like moving around anymore and I wanted more stability to focus on writing and other projects, like content creation.
2. The Uncomfortable Living Situation
By the luck of the universe, I managed to get a great deal living in a 2 story house with my own room for $180 USD. I am a woman who seeks convenience, and wow this place was truly a great location: delicious food within walking distance, a beautiful park to stroll around when you have writer's block, and the metro was a mere 10 minutes walking distance.
I was living with Colombian and Venezuelan roommates, and my neighborhood was very local. I had a friend in the house living with me, and things were going great, up until we got into an argument one night over keys and he blocked me off of everything the following day.
Things got very lonely after this fallout.
No one in the house would really make an effort to speak to me due to my choppy Spanish. On top of that, one of my roomies had a major crush on me, and refused to take no for an answer. His persistence infuriated me, but it became challenging since I had no one else to speak to on days I did not feel like venturing out, leaving me no other option but to speak to him.
Up until this point, I never realized how important it is to have roommates you actually get along with. I’ve lived in hostels for the majority of my travels and lived with 2 French roommates a while ago in December. It wasn’t always daisies and sunshine but it worked out and whatever issues would arise, we would communicate it out.
As nice and convenient as this place was, I was becoming extremely depressed very quickly. I started to miss my family, and I was missing the comfort of being home. I would wake up every morning with 0 energy to do anything. I would even hesitate to get out of my room and go to the balcony or kitchen, knowing that my creepy, persistent roommate could possibly be around the corner, wanting to talk or make an attempt to kiss me.
Feelings of burnout and depression really started to get to me. I thought about relocating as well, but just lacked the energy to hunt another place. I finally decided to pursue my gut feeling and book that ticket home.
Home Sweet Home
Honestly, it has not been easy adjusting to life back home; I went from stunning scenic views on top of mountains to flat land and apartment buildings. I definitely feel better reconnecting with old friends and seeing them after months of traveling abroad. Seeing my mom has definitely been the most rewarding, there really is nothing like home food cooked with love. It is also nice not having to worry about locking all your stuff or making sure your phone is hidden somewhere in between the waistband of your jeans. However, I miss the warm weather and feeling shy when dancing salsa with a local every Saturday night.
Now What?
I am treating this time being home as an opportunity to recollect and recharge myself. Am I going to travel again? Hell yes! There is no way I’m staying here for the long term. I love traveling, I love immersing myself in the culture of another country. But I do believe in rest and wow I really needed one. I’m naturally a bit impatient, but I’m learning to focus on my health and wellness, along with working on building my online presence from the ground up. I’m also continuing to learn Spanish in my free time. Don't get me wrong, I have days where I dread getting up, and even walking outside in the cold can trigger some nostalgia for the warmth in Colombia. However, I know I’m going to be abroad again, exploring and learning along the way.
