Am I getting better at this?, I wondered, as I sat watching the sun setting over the Welsh coast, trying to readjust my self from the lifestyle of South Africa and into the lifestyle of, well, the UK.
Nope, a friend had told me, apparently, I was just delaying the inevitable.
Either way, I attempted to make the transition better for me this time and implemented a few lessons from first time round whilst trying a few new things out.
Some of which are one-offs and some of which can be done each time if you are lucky enough (or make that decision in life to live as such), to be able to move around for long periods of time.
Hope it helps, I would also be interested to hear of how others also cope with the transition.
- Coming home at the start of Spring was good timing. Leave for the winter and come back for the summer. It’s obvious but still worth mentioning. Except as I type this it is snowing….moving on.
- I found coming back to a new environment to live in was much better (for me at least), in that I didn’t return to the old jobs that needed doing, or the familiar houses, or the same neighbours where nothing has changed. Appreciating that this isn’t always possible (or wanted), but the difference was so noticeable it was worth sharing.
- I gave myself a ‘mini transition’ to another part of the country before staying still ‘at home’. I have a campervan in which to do this but there are other ways I am sure. I also found having a few friends and family scattered around gave me a focus to see people and still be ‘on holiday’, at least whilst I readjusted myself to the UK pace of life.
- Having some kind of purpose or project to focus on really helped. This time for me was to start writing. It is a little painful and not as fun as being on the road for sure, but it is helping and the feeling of being creative / productive is noticeable.
- If it’s an option, throw yourself back into some of the things you enjoyed doing whilst away. For me this was yoga and kitesurfing. Whilst neither are consistently up to the standard of what I experienced in SA, it is still good and I found it better to do something than completely miss out on what you enjoyed whilst away.
- Go see friends and family and make them jealous with your stories of adventures. Whilst they may not fully get it, I found that most were genuinely interested in short tales of adventures, and to relive it again always puts a smile on my face
- Book another trip. The fail safe option that works everytime 🙂
There is probably more, but for a quick hit, I hope it helps
Next post – maybe an extract from my early attempts at writing, or maybe something on what I got upto in South Africa. . .
John Alex Clarke 