If you are backpacking for an extended period of time, there will inevitably be a moment on your trip where you hit the “travel wall”. On my 7 month trip in Central America, it occurred 5 months in. The timing and duration of hitting the wall is different for everybody; it really depends on how experienced a traveler you are and what’s going on in your personal life. There are some people who never seem to hit a wall but perhaps it’s their first ever backpacking trip and they have all that juicy youthful energy. The point I’m trying to make here is that everyone’s experience of the wall is unique and occurs at different points on their trip. So my first helpful tip is: Don’t compare! It will only make you feel worse. It might feel strange hitting the wall when you’re surrounded by friends who seem to be doing just fine; but the first step in getting through the wall is recognizing that you hit one.
For me, the biggest signs that I’ve hit the wall are when I feel anti-social. I have no desire to meet new people and my limit of how many times I can have the same conversation over and over is officially reached (Where are you from? How long are you traveling for? Which countries have you been to so far? Where are you headed next? How old are you?…etc etc etc). I also feel really exhausted from all the moving around, living out of a backpack, shit sleep, and constant exploring. Basically it’s the feeling of being “over it”. You become jaded, uninterested, and recluse. It all becomes a bit much and you start missing your favorite things from home: Long-time friends who you don’t need to explain yourself to…. Comfy bed in your own space…..Food that you know and love…. a healthy routine…etc
I hit the wall when I was backpacking through Belize. I had just said a sad goodbye to my two Irish friends whom I’d traveled with for a month in Guatemala. I was staying at a hostel near the beach surrounded by crystal clear waters but I felt unimpressed. I was in a gorgeous place but didn’t have any desire to explore or meet new people while there. It felt like nothing dazzled me and no people would be better than the ones I’ve already met. It felt wrong. Like I was doing a disservice to all the people who would kill to be in Belize and take my place. This is when I realized I had hit a wall.
When you become sick of where you are and dream of being home…it gets really confusing. You think to yourself, “do I want to go home? I thought I was having an amazing time but I’m just not feeling it right now.” This is the wall. From here you only have two options: go home or stick it out and get to the other side. The going home option seems easier in the moment, but once you’re home and feeling better you’re going to look back and regret not finishing your trip. Instead, I encourage you to tough it out and just take some time to recenter.
Instagram glorifies travel so much that it never really shows some of the down side. Backpacking is as revitalizing as it is exhausting. When you backpack for months or years on end, it’s no longer a vacation and transforms into your everyday lifestyle. It becomes real life, instead of a break from your real life. This lifestyle isn’t for everybody and it makes sense that being completely taken out of your normal routine for an extended period of time, eventually starts to wear you down. It’s a lot of partying, shitty dorm room sleep, long bus rides, and meeting then quickly saying goodbye to new friends. So don’t feel bad that after a while you just need a break from all the commotion.
Now that you know you have hit the wall, the second step is to remove yourself from the hostels. Take a few days alone in a private room, hotel, or even airbnb. You need your own space to regroup. I always like to pamper myself during the down days and get a massage or a mani/pedi…or both. I journal, read, sleep for as long as I can, eat yummy food, workout, and watch a gross amount of Netflix. I try not to talk to many people as my social battery is completely drained. I spend the days alone and facetime with my friends and family from home.
Hopefully after a couple days, you will start to miss hostel life. You will miss meeting amazing people from countries you have never even been to. You will miss appreciating the beauty of being in a place some people only dream of. You will miss trivia nights that turn into wild sunrise swims. You will miss staring at the stars giggling because you are so damn happy. You will start to get bored of being alone and crave getting back into the swing of things. This is when you know you have made it through the wall. Congratulations!
You took the time you needed to step back from the craziness and just be in your own space. Now you are ready to jump back in with more energy and enthusiasm. If you want to avoid hitting the wall all together, I recommend taking these down days throughout your trip. Maybe once every 2 weeks book a private room and just watch TV to shut off your brain for a whole day. This way, you are slowly recharging your battery instead of letting it become completely depleted. I noticed that on my 10 month trip to SE Asia, I never once hit the wall. But on my 7 month Central America trip I hit a big one. I realized that in Asia I would often do a night in a hotel because it was so cheap to book. Without knowing it at the time, I was allowing myself space to recharge and keep up with the hostel life for longer. In Central America it wasn’t as cheap, so I never booked a private room since I was trying to keep costs down. Now I know that mental energy is 100% worth splurging on. So on your next big trip, make sure to give yourself down days in order to keep up with the madness.
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