I started my world tour on September 15, 2014, and I will soon finish it because I will return to France this summer as I will have been away for almost 2 years, yes, it’s a long time. In this article, I will talk to you about my perspective on returning to France.
Back from a world tour
To make the transition easier, I will return from my world tour during the summer period, and this will allow me to still have my mind elsewhere with the sun, to gradually tell myself that I have returned for good and that I will have to turn the page and move on to other things.
Returning from a world tour after such a long time is not easy, why? :
- Getting used to the idea that people have changed and that you are still at the same point in your life as before leaving but that you have a different vision of life. This happened to me during my first big trip of 20 months around the world. My friends had been working for 2 years and I had to look for my first job.
- Making people who have not lived your experience understand that you did not go on vacation during this world tour but that you went traveling. Traveling wears you out.
- Resuming your professional activity, changing career paths, finding yourself unemployed, all these things you fear upon your return and that you have to face.
- Resuming a normal life after your life as a traveler with adventures and meetings, now it’s over, you have to return to your monotonous life.
- Moving on, after returning, the first thing you will think about is the past. You have to look forward and it takes a while, it is difficult to return to reality. It is difficult to come back to reality after 3 weeks of vacation, so imagine after 2 years.
To be honest with you, although I have traveled for several years in more than 50 countries, I never told myself that I was going to settle in another country or try to find a better place to live. My world tour was an opportunity to experience something else before putting down roots. When I return, I will turn the page and move on to another stage of my life.
Making the choice to leave and to return
Before thinking about the return, you first have to take the plunge and go on an adventure. For me, each world tour is different depending on each person’s background. I may repeat myself but I will give you some advice:
- If you just need a break, it can be 3 months, 6 months or 1 year depending on what you have negotiated with your employer. Define your goal before leaving, I am leaving for X months to have a different experience, travel around the world, see the scenery, etc. This goal must be achievable within the time you have. You can come back calmly after achieving your goal.
- If you are traveling alone, before leaving, try to meet people by looking for those who have the same passions as you. Practice a foreign language through polyglot meetings. When you travel, contact will come naturally because you will be used to it.
- If you are tight on money, inform yourself as much as possible before leaving to know the different alternatives you can have and dare to do things you are not used to doing. If you have little means, there is only one alternative: “think differently”. You can read these two articles: how I financed my travels and traveling at lower cost.
- If you want to visit as many countries as possible, think about budgeting well and knowing the costs of each country. You also need to know the best ways to get around at a reasonable price. Here is an article where I went to 14 countries for less than 2500 euros.
Route completed after 15 months for less than 3000 euros in plane tickets (at least 20 different flights).
- If you have quit your job and want to travel indefinitely, my advice: start traveling and then travel long term. I explain the situation in this article: my life before the world tour.
With these tips, the choice to come back from the trip should be easier because you know what you want to do with your trip and once your goals are met, you will be happy to return.
an idea of what I will do this summer?
Although my resources are at a very low level, I will not stop traveling but this time I will travel differently. I am thinking of doing a tour of France of a few cities where I have friends I have known for a long time.
The idea of this little tour of France is to give myself the impression of traveling while staying in France and to get used to the idea that I will stay there for a good while. I will go to the south of France passing through Lyon during the month of August.
The idea is to go through Languedoc Roussillon, especially Montpellier, then stay a little while on the Mediterranean coast then enjoy the Provence Alpes Côte d’Azur (PACA) region if my finances allow it. I thought of using an economical means, camping using the site Camping and Co, I will easily find something I like and within my budget. Unlike my world tour, I will share my trip with my family and friends.
I hesitate to do some destinations in Europe that I have always dreamed of but I will see when I am back and after this trip in the south of France.
I have already experienced a return to France after 20 months of travel in 2011 but with the idea of continuing to travel, but this time it is different, I intend to stay in Europe.
And you? How did you experience this return to France?
