How does one cope with travel nostalgia?
I went to Australia for a year three years ago and it was the best year of my life. I have been back in Canada for two years now and i have not been happy since i came back. I see my friends in Australia post pictures on Facebook and i just get this terrible feeling in my heart. I feel like i should have never left and i belong there. I think about it everyday and it is hurts. I think about going back but i have no idea how. I am currently in school and i dont know how well my future career would transition overseas. Some times i consider just dropping out and getting a trade like plumbing with the hope i could get a job in Australia
There's the whole honeymoon phase and grass is greener on the other side and everything. And how you get slightly special treatment as a foreigner.
I had the same with vietnam (australian m myself) and on going back and strongly considered becoming an english teacher so i could stay there. Its just escapism. You need to learn about how to interact with your own culture and face your problems and insecurities where you are.
I might still go do the english teacher thing but it wont be because I'm running. It will be for the right reasons.
>>1089153
>Its just escapism
>face your problems and insecurities where you are.
Those comments and that picture really hit home for me anon.
It has been two years since i have been back and i have tried to establish a life here but i find it difficult. I tried moving to a new city here in my home country and it did nothing for me and now i am trying a career path and i feel like i will still feel like this one year from now
I went on a cruise alone last year and had a blast, don't want to go back cuz I'm afraid of having too high expectations
>>1089149
It is pretty easy to make a go of it in Australia. Very culturally similar to where you are from and you are from a decent country so any qualifications you have will likely be recognised. When you are done with school, head over and have a go at making a life for yourself. It wont be as fun as when you were just visiting and within a year or two you will know if you want to make the move permanent, or if it is time to go back.
I am Australian myself and made the very rash decision to go work in Thailand... I had just left the army and finished a teaching qualification. I just sold everything and went. Looking back, I was totally running away, but it has all worked out.
Now I have worked in a number of different countries, am very happy with my career as an international school teacher and have married an eastern European qt (with a baby on the way). I definitely left for the wrong reasons, but luckily I found something to run towards rather than self implode.
>>1089218
>>1089153
>>1089149
I think if you're determined, qualified, and resourceful, you can make a decent life for yourself wherever you might go.
I can easily see where OP is coming from. I lived in New Delhi for probably close to two years in total. Although I have friends here at home in the United States, most of them have left overseas to work with the Peace Corps or are getting ready for medical school in summer. I have exes, contacts, and buddies back there, and know some parts of the city better than my hometown. It doesn't help when everyone is constantly asking when I'll be around next.
I also have a girlfriend here in the States. While Indian, she doesn't want to live there unless I got a very high-paying job. I can see where she's coming from, too. It's a country with a lot of problems, but I've had enough important things happen in my life there to have formed an attachment and acquired a profound sense of nostalgia. I mean, I had my first sober kiss in a movie theater in Saket, and had my first relationship start up around Safdarjung and CP.
I guess the way I look at is that I'm going to keep going back. I talk to a few of my friends in India almost every day on WhatsApp and Skype.
For now, I'm just going to focus on getting some more work experience and my MBA. Maybe my mindset will change and I'll want a more traditional and stable lifestyle in a couple of years, but I don't anticipate that happening based on where I'm now.
I don't think wanting a non-traditional lifestyle is necessarily "escapism." However, I do think you have a responsibility to yourself to ensure that don't make a decision which is too impulsive and from which you can't recover if things don't proceed exactly as planned.
In the meantime, for myself, I'll keep traveling to different places, finding time to go back to Delhi, and trying to make my boring Midwestern life spicy enough to stay acceptably exciting.
>>1089149
>my boyfriend beats me
>i want to leave him
>thats just my insecurity talking
>i need to stay and figure this out
;)
>>1089149
Put your efforts into building a nice life at home. Make friends. Expand your activities. Get involved on campus. Create ties. Date someone with a hugeass family or social life.
When you finish your education, work hard for savings, and think about vacations or relocations when it makes sense to the reality of your life. Don't mooning and dreaming now.
>>1089218
>>1089222
>>1089153
I don't want to hijack thread but maybe you guys could give me some advice.
I am about to finish my Bachelor's degree in a couple of months (will be 21 when I graduate). I currently stay in the UK and I definetly want to leave for a variety of reasons I won't go into as it will take a while.
In any case, I spent a year studying abroad in Montreal, Canada, and had a good experience. I really liked the city, and its pretty much tailor made for my interests. I also build up a lot of friends and connections in the short time I was there. Once I graduate, I will be able to gain my permanent residency for Canada due to my degree and the fact I studied there for a year, so I would be able to settle and work in Montreal. I know it won't be as fun as my exchange year, but I still think I will enjoy myself there.
However, I have been looking into teaching English abroad (which I am qualified for) and I am very tempted to go live abroad in the Middle and Far East maybe for around 5 years or so teaching English and using the money I save to travel. Although its hard for me to say at the moment, I think long-term I'd want to live in Canada when I am older, but I'm not entirely sure yet as I don't think I have travelled enough to know.
So my question is really, which path should I choose or how can I come to a decision? As I said I am turning 21 soon. Canadian permanent residency would require me to live in Canada for at least 2 years in a rolling 5 year period, so I could stay for 2 years and then go away and do TEFL or whatever for 3 years. On the other hand I could stay 4 years straight in Canada then apply for citizenship (the process would probably take about another year) so 5 years total.
Pic Related: Montreal in winter
>>1089404
Cont'd
I feel that on the one hand, going back to Montreal is a great opportunity for me as I like the city and I have a lot of friends and contacts there already. On the other though, I feel that I am limiting myself in a sense, and I should go and make the most of my time now to travel and live abroad, and see new things. The only thing is though that if I go and live abroad for say five years, then try to move to Canada, I will have to provide police background checks and proof of paid tax in each country as well as having to get these documents translated into English or French. Not to mention the critera for the visa I want may change in the next few years and I may not be eligible after.
>>1089149
Travel more.
>>1089368
>Date someone with a hugeass family or social life.
This is actually great advice. Someone's social circle is actually a huge factor in how fun it is to date them.
>>1089404
>>1089406
>maybe for around 5 years or so
>I don't think I have travelled enough to know.
You might be satisfied with much less time than that. No need to commit to traveling that long, just go for a bit and see how you like it.
OP, where you from in Canada? I just got back and it sounds like you need a fucking beer and some good conversation.
I feel the same way about Oz and luckily it's one of the easier ones that we can get to. Harder if we're unqualified, but there are ways if you really want it.
>>1089404
If you have a burnning desire to go and teach your way around the world, or even juust a curiosity, then I say give it a go.
Just don't leave it too long before you get serious and make something of yourself. You get a lot of people who cruise along in ESL gigs for years an years living on the edge, one dodgy contract or missed pay cheque away from being destitute.... that shit is fun as hell when yoou are young, but not when you are 30 or more.
If you have any kind of ambition within you though, you will hit a point where you pack it in and head home and do something more than ESL. Just don't ignore the signs that it is time - don't try and keep the party going.
>>1089363
im this guy
>>1089153
Living with constant abuse is different to normal life. If he can't cope with normal life how is a foreign country where he understands even less going to help?
>>1089368
its fun to do crazy shit when you are young though. Its shit you cant do when you are older and have all these responsibilities to uphold.
>How does one cope with travel nostalgia?
I just look at streetview of the places I went to and if there's any, watch people's holiday videos from the region.
It's not great for curing the nostalgia and makes me want to go back even more but damn if I don't love doing it
