Long term travel may be a dream come true, but talk to anyone who's been doing it for any length of time and chances are you'll hear something about feeling untethered or disconnected at some point during the conversation. Paired with the desire to continue experiencing all of the amazing sights, phenomenal international food and unique cultural events is a yearning for community, connections and an eventual sense of belonging.
Globe trotting to parts unknown typically doesn't occur with your entire support system in tow. Over time, the lack of local support can begin to take its toll. This is especially true after a challenging travel day when the only person around you can take out for a beer is yourself. Following are a few strategies for maintaining some sense of connection on the road.
Video: Apps like Skype or Facebook Messenger provide the opportunity to actually see your friends when you are able to connect across time zones. After long periods of time, audio chats alone just don't cut it. Getting together for a video chat over beverages can be the next best thing to actually meeting at the local pub back home for beer and bonding. Video also gives you a chance to share the types of things you would normally share anyway, such as the introduction of a new pet, seeing a nephew's art project or offering opinions about new jewelry accessories.
Language: Five months straight of having only utilitarian conversations conducted through your favorite translation software can leave you feeling less than fulfilled. Staying with locals to deepen the destination connection or filtering the online booking of your private, short-term rentals to only include those operated by people who speak your mother tongue will alleviate this to a certain degree.
However, if you've been on the road for so long that these strategies still leave you feeling unfulfilled, you may want to skip the communication barrier altogether. Native speakers of English, French, Spanish or Arabic have numerous options available when it comes to traveling to other countries where theirs is the national language. In my case, I popped up to the United Kingdom for a couple of months in order to have a break from feeling like basic conversation was a major chore. Being able to communicate with people on the street and have conversations with fellow vacationers at my chosen lunch establishment felt like a huge perk, and left me feeling refreshed and ready for the next country on the itinerary.
Familiarity: While I am one of the biggest toads in the travel puddle when it comes to wanting to check off as many countries as possible from my bucket list, there's a reason many people return to their favorite destinations again and again. Once you know you'll enjoy a particular place, the sense of familiarity you develop over the course of a longer visit creates a comfort zone. This comfort zone removes no small amount of the stress that comes with independent travel to an unfamiliar location. Being able to hit the ground running without problem solving the bus schedule, grocery availability or the location of the nearest cash machine is practically priceless to vacationers in need of immediate relaxation.
The other solution we are thinking of implementing once we finish up our second year on the road is the establishment of at least a small home base. There are a few international locations in the running for this potential landing zone, but wherever it ends up being, it will provide a place to regroup in between more extensive periods of travel. While there is no longer any need for a large space after all of our downsizing efforts, there is something to be said for periodically having access to your own kitchen, face-to-face visits with local friends, and not having to haul personal belongings out of storage every time you need a few months off from adventure.
Traveling for long periods of time is absolutely magical, but also comes at an equally absolute cost. Disentangling from the trappings of a traditional life provides an incredible sense of freedom, while at the same time removing those elements that may have previously been the framework for your sense of security and belonging. Learning how to remain connected will go a long way toward ensuring the happiest experience possible during life on the road.
