Why It’s Important to Take a Break from Traveling

It is okay to stay home every once in a while. Anyone that has traveled for an extensive period of time will tell you that sometimes you just need a break from the constant going of traveling. We aren’t robots and jumping from one country to the next every couple of days can be exhausting, and hard on the pocketbook. Taking those well-deserved rests can help you reevaluate your priorities and recharge you for the next adventure.

As someone who did a whirlwind backpacking adventure through 25 countries in nine months, I can tell you that traveling isn’t always fun, but can be exhausting and stressful. Seven countries in seven weeks is a ridiculous trip, but I did it, and needed a vacation from my vacation by the end of it. Traveling 24/7 is extremely hard to maintain forever, and if you do, you’ll likely find yourself spending half of your time in your hostel or hotel trying to recover.

Travel burnouts don’t just happen to the backpackers or the digital nomads, but to expats and the everyday tourist. If you’re teaching abroad in Asia and you travel every free weekend you have, you’ll soon find that you lose the desire to even get out of your city, which is absolutely fine! Taking that well needed break from traveling can be beneficial in the long-run. If you’re a tourist going on a vacation in Italy, you don’t have to make every day full of activities. Work in some free time so you can either choose to walk around the city or relax on a city bench enjoying some gelato. Balance in travel is everything.

For backpackers, a break doesn’t mean you have to go home. You can book a stay in a city for a longer period of time, which means you can still get out and explore while taking a more laid-back approach to your travel. This also applies to digital nomads. Setting down roots in one place for a month or so doesn’t mean you are giving up on seeing the world, but it helps you dive deeper into a place and lets you rest from the constant strains of traveling. These times of rest can also be a chance for opportunities. You’ll never know who you will meet or what things may pop up that you may never have experienced if you were traveling in another place.

A break from travel can also help you relook at your future plans and life. When you are constantly traveling you can get lost in the planning and romance of visiting new destinations like Tokyo and Barcelona and can forget about the other things that are important in your life. Getting home and visiting family or taking on a short-term job to help you cover those future expenses are just as important as walking the Wall of China. You shouldn’t feel ashamed by taking some time off to just rest. These are the times when you can really reflect and look back on the places you’ve seen and things you have done.

With so many travel blogs and magazines pushing people to travel, I admittedly am one of them, I think we sometimes forget that people can have travel burnouts. You lose your motivation to see the world and the idea of going to another tourist attraction is the last thing you want to do. However, you should never feel guilty about taking time for yourself and resting up. The world will still be there, you can take a nap and still have plenty of time to explore.