So I started writing this blog post last night at 1:30am after just returning back to Montreal after my 1 week vacation in Australia and my first week ever backpacking in Los Angeles and San Francisco.I wish I could write some really happy fluff piece about how excited I am about my upcoming trip, which while is true and I will write one of those. But I promised myself when I started this blog that I was going to be honest and that includes blogging about the lows as well as the high’s.
Truth of the matter is last night after returning back to Montreal to my half empty cat-less apartment as I was attempting to write this blog post I was trying to stop myself from bursting into tears.
Let me start by saying that in the last week I have had a phenomenally awesome time. Especially with everything else that has been going on recently I cant even remember when i’ve had this much fun and felt like I could be myself. I’ve seen amazing locations, done a stack of activities and more importantly met so many amazing new friends and people.
It was great to let my hair down and have a bit of fun and not think about anything that had happened in my life in the past 3 months in Montreal. However now that i’m back everything has hit me all at once.
Sun setting behind golden gate bridge in San Francisco marking my final day of my initial backpack adventure
Things that have hit me:
- Half of my furniture is gone, more notably my tv which makes my apartment very boring.
- My two cats have now gone to live with my wife which is great for them seeing as I know they will be loved and cared for, Just is hard being without them.
- All my friends are moving on with their lives and their careers and although its I’m excited about going travelling the uncertainty of not knowing what ill be doing or where I will be going after i’m done can become daunting at times. seeing as I dont really have any place I call home. I just have to live in the present and hope things will become more clear as time progresses.
- Flying back into Montreal from Washington Dulles late at night hit me pretty hard seeing as that was the same flight that my wife and I had originally taken 2 and a half years ago when we decided to leave Australia to come to Canada, there was so much excitement and hope for the future. I would never have thought that 2 and a half years later i’d be on a similar flight by myself with things the way they are now.
- Money has really started to become a concern for me, I got taxed really hard (40%) on my lump sum payment I was counting on for my trip, which isn’t the end of the world and ill probably get that back early next year when I lodge my tax return just means I’ll have a couple of thousand dollars less than what I had originally thought
How I feel after my trip 😛
This is something I think more travel bloggers should be talking about. I’ve noticed that most bloggers love to talk about how wonderful it is to travel long-term and live outside the norm. However, not many people talk about the lows. And I think almost everyone goes through lows – it’s just part of being human and part of making such a big life change.
I think jet lag and exhaustion can really increase feelings of depression or anxiety. When I first landed in Iceland after a 7-hour flight, I just wanted to turn right back around and go home. After I got some sleep and could think more rationally, I was feeling better.
Hannah recently posted..Wednesday Word of the Week: An Icelandic Phrase from the Wilderness
Ya I agree Hannah, you dont see a lot of travel bloggers writing about the lows. I think its good to give readers an idea on what its like to leave everything behind and travel because sometimes it can just seem like everything is all sparkles and sunshine when thats not always the case.
But I totally agree with jet lag and exhaustion really contributing to depression and anxiety, When I returned to Montreal and wrote this article I was completely exhausted and a bit overwhelmed. However a few days later I’m feeling a lot better and am actually happy to have these 2-3 weeks to relax and sell the rest of my stuff. Plus I figure I should enjoy it while it lasts seeing as I wont be able to enjoy the luxury of having a whole apartment to myself for a long time.
Oh wow you are right, you are dealing with the same kind of lows I am going through. If anything I always try to remember it can only go up from here, I hope things are going better for you.
Ayngelina recently posted..Food Friday: Farm to table
Ya, Your Right Ayngelina, Things can only get better. Plus I try to remind myself each day that this is only the beginning and although it may suck now these are the sacrifices I have to make to be able to live the life I want to live . Just have to make the best of each day and keep on powering forward.