Why do I feel more at home travelling?

On a rooftop in Sahiwal, Pakistan.
On a rooftop in Pakistan.

Every time I travel, I fall in love with the country I'm visiting. I picture myself living there, the people there get me, I feel at home. And when I come back, my post travel-blues hit me hard.

My parents came from Pakistan to Norway in the 70s. I was born and raised at Sola, a little town in Rogaland county and I think Sola has a lot to offer. Like, we have sandy beaches, our own airport and because of the wind: windsurfing. These last years however, I've been living in the metropolitan city Oslo, which I think is pretty awesome too. At some point, Sola got too small for me.

I love Oslo, and it is my home now. But why do I always feel more at home everywhere else than my actual home? When I was in Los Angeles and talked with strangers about my creative ambitions, they were totally on board with that and shared some of their own as well. I remember one of them saying "You're totally LA".

When I was in Japan, on our way to do karaoke (at Karaoke-kan, the same spot as in "Lost in translation") with our new Japaneese friends I felt so happy. I remember wearing a wig and cracking jokes and people actually laughing at them.

When I was just strolling around in Berlin, I thought to myself, "I wish I could walk in these streets everyday".
Los Angeles, USA.
Los Angeles, USA

I get it, when you're travelling you do stuff everyday, you are looking for things to do. When you're living somewhere, things calm down and you don't explore as much. But the thing is, I've never lived anywhere else than Norway, and each time I make connections with people living in other countries I am reminded of all the possiblities. That I could actually live somewhere else and I would do alright. 

I am aware of the fact that when I'm travelling, I am in a bubble, but why does it hurt so much when that bubble bursts?

For a while I thought that this had something to do with me being a third culture kid, but then I noticed other travellers (all kinds of travellers) talking about this exact same feeling, it got me thinking about how restless I am, how restless all travellers are. Maybe that's why we travel so much...

If we stay somewhere too long, we stop feeling like we belong, it stops feeling like home, because travelling is home.

Comments

  1. Girl I feel the exact same way! I just want to travel all the time, and be constantly on the go! I totally feel you on the “traveling is home” this really resonates with me!

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    1. I know you exist, but it is still so nice to actually «hear» other people say the same! Makes me feel more normal 😂 Thanks Laura!

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  2. Aw. I don't really view myself as a traveller. I don't think I've travelled enough to earn the title. But I know the feeling, from every small to every major trip I've done, I've pretty much always felt that way about a new place, that it felt like home, like I could live there, belong. I think it's the feeling of being free, away from everything that confines you in your everyday life: Routines, jobs, school, the friends who know you too well, the surrondings you know too well. Travelling makes you feel free, so maybe more yourself? And when we feel free to be ourselves, whoever that person is at the moment (because when you travel and noone knows you, you can choose who you want to be, really), it makes you feel more at home in yourself. Wherever you go, there you are. I guess. :)

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    1. Omg, that is soooo true! And deep G.! I’ve always thought that I’m «free» and being completely myself at home-home as well, but maybe this happens on a sub-concious level. A lot of this is making so much sense now, you got my philosophical brain working.

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  3. Ugh i feel the same way ....i feel such anxiety right now because i want to be traveling and everytime i feel like i have enough money to go somewhere something unexpected happens and there goes all the money!

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    1. Adulthood - sometimes sooo challenging. But gotta pay them bills and what not. Hope you get to travel soon!

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  4. I adore traveling, however, I must admit, when I return home after traveling for long legs at a time, I always get really excited to get back to my comfort zone!

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    1. You have a point, there is a moment when it’s nice to get back in my appartment and lay down on my own bed - but for me that moment never lasts for long 😅

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  5. I know the feeling, not every place I travel to, but some. It hit me hard when I travelled to Phuket, I even went to a real estate office to price homes. Because Phuket felt like home.

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  6. I thought I was the only person in the world who felt this way! Honest to goodness. In 2016, I ran away to the island I'm on now for a five month break from life. Both houses I stayed in were furnished. When I decided to permanently relocate here though, the game changed. The very day my furniture arrived (a day later than I did), it was suddenly no longer home. Odd, really, because all my things were here. It was then and only then that I realized I am happier when I'm traveling from place to place and surprisingly, amongst other people's things! My dog doesn't travel well, so I can't do it right now, but my future plan involves selling everything I have so that I'll have to freedom to feel home everywhere except what's actually home. I could live out of a suitcase for the rest of my natural life and be blissfully happy! Great post! I sooooo resonate with it!

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    1. Thank you! It is honestly so nice to read that others feel the same! And I share your dream, I'm not sure if I'll be able to build up the courage to actually do so, but I hope so, because I think I could live out of a suitcase blissfully happy for my entire life too!

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  7. I definitely feel like this too! The more I travel, the more I want to travel! It seems now if I spend more than a month without traveling, I start to go stir crazy.

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    1. I know, me too! I'm just counting the days till my next travel now, and feel like time is running too slowly :/

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  8. I feel this. Very much. I can't help but fall in love with a place while exploring, and then I can't help but dream about what it would be like to make that place home. I have lived in the state of Florida (USA) most of my life, and that may be part of it. I am ready to move on and out (and hopefully will, next year). Having spent less than a month in most places I travel to, it's incredible how quickly they can feel like home. It's as though part of me will always be drawn back to those locations (Iceland is a big one, in addition to some other US states). I certainly feel most like MYSELF when I am traveling. My true, authentic self.

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    1. Thank you for sharing this, I have also only lived in Norway, but at least in a few different city. But I’v always dreamt about living in a different country for a longer period of time. Right now, I feel like I need a change. Good thing I’m travelling to London tomorrow!!

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