Always Homesick?? 😔

[Anonymous]

I am fifty-five & very rarely travel.
I work full-time and when not working I tend to be a homebody + I enjoy it.

I do have friends so I do not feel lonely - I just like reading, watching movies, etc. at home on my days off.

I live alone and my two children are both adults.

I recently have traveled out of my city…
The first week of January I vacationed up in the snowy mountains 🏔️ for a week w/good friends.

We stayed in an AirBnB.
I just got back from a four-day trip to see my close cousin where I stayed alone in a hotel.

Both trips were about a 5-6 hour drive away.
The entire time I was away, I was incredibly homesick.
I missed my bed, etc.

I hated feeling this way and would like to enjoy my travels more w/o yearning for home.

How should I go about this?
Should I travel more??
Because that is something I would like to do more in the New Year.

TIA for any and all advice/suggestions.

[Anonymous]

Do you feel this way if you only go for 2-3 nights?
I kinda miss my bed when I’m away but I still enjoy traveling.

[Anonymous]

Do you suffer from anxiety? It may manifest itself as being homesick if you're missing the safety of your home.

[Anonymous]

Maybe you just don't like to travel and that's ok.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Maybe you just don't like to travel and that's ok.

This.

[Anonymous]

OP, I don't think these two examples are typical "travel" events.

In both of them your primary purpose was to visit/spend time with friends or relatives.

If you are solo, why not look into a small group trip where you can meet new people and see things that interest you.

Is there a particular place or country that intrigues you? Someplace you kind of dream about going to?

[Anonymous]

I love to travel, but I've almost always done it with other people. Recently I've been doing more solo travel and what I have noticed is - if I keep myself busy I don't notice the being alone stuff- except at night in the hotel. I think it partly stems from normally eating dinner with others so there is a conversation - when I'm by myself I rarely talk to anyone. I don't mind the alone time, but I do feel lonely. To combat that - I have started planning a few evening activities - like a play or art gallery opening - and that seems to have done wonders. If you are curious to see what traveling more - do things that you enjoy, or as others suggested try to go on a group tour.

It could just be you don't like or want to travel. And that's perfectly fine - I always miss my bed and my shower - but the thrill of going someplace out weighs the comforts of home and I know I'll be home before I know it.

[Anonymous]

I enjoy limited travel, but I always miss my bed and home. I just do not ever sleep well in other spaces. So OP don’t feel bad about missing your space.

[Anonymous]

I love traveling and don't really miss my own bed per se even if I don't sleep that well, but I usually do sleep well. It helps to take take your own pillow. Keep toiletries and other essentials like an extra phone charger packed so you're not exhausting yourself worrying about what you'll forget before you get there. Give yourself permission to buy what you forget.

Maybe start with some 2-3 hour drives. Some suggestions depending on where you're from: Williamsburg, Richmond, Brandywine Valley, Philly, Shenandoah National Park.

We also almost always use the same two hotel chains so we know what to expect for breakfast, etc. That may help you.

But even as much as I want to travel and try to go places as much as possible, two 5-6 hour driving trips in the same month would be exhausting (not necessarily the traveling but the getting behind at home) so don't overdo it.

Some people find washing clothes on site helps them. I don't do that, but someone else I know thinks it's way less stressful to come home with clean clothes.

What specific things do you miss from home that maybe you can replicate like get somewhere with a kitchen to make certain meals, etc. Just do whatever it is if it suits you even if other people think it's weird or wasteful.

[Anonymous]

Take things from home that can serve as comfort items. A favorite pillowcase, your favorite teabags, a stuffed animal. Whatever.

[Anonymous]

To answer your question - I think you need to do it more so it becomes part of your experience. Covid limited travel - once things opened up again I found traveling to be anxiety producing (and I use to travel a lot for work and personal). I likened it to being out of travel shape. I'm traveling a lot more and its become second nature again - I do miss my home and routine, but I also really like getting away from things that are too scheduled. My vote is for trying more of it before you toss in the towel on travel.