fly4funsea

I've had this issue too. A couple years back I thought I'd fly down to LA and Vegas for a week. Odd thing is I usually have a great time in both places because I have friends that live in both. But after about day 3 I was more then ready to come home. Last summer same thing in Chicago. After a few days again ready to come home and I LOVE Chicago and I was out there seeing the Queen of pop. After having this happen to me twice I've vowed now not to take more then a weekend trip because of this. I often travel alone since the bf and I don't travel well together. He's a trucker so we only see each other in passing during the week and for a full day on Saturdays. So we aren't used to being around each other all that much. Picture it Las Vegas strip middle of summer busy as all get up and two guys yelling at each other. It was like parting the red sea. I was able to put both arms out and not touch a single person or driving around the burbs of Chicago trying to find a Sprint store me getting frustrated and hoping out of the truck at night at a red light.

thegeneral

It sounds like you have a lot of issues with anxiety and co-dependency. I would suggest that taking vacations to more familiar surroundings would be far more appropriate. Japan is great, but if you're xenophobic or afraid of getting lost then go somewhere close to New York and stay close to your hotel. You might also want to talk to a professional. It sounds like your issues are more chemical (as in chemical imbalances) as opposed to the normal travel anxiety and fears.

Droneklax

A theory is that FTers may be a depressed bunch to begin with, who use travel to avoid stuff at home or compensate for other things difficult to deal with at home.

It's the use of travel as a drug; as in an addiction.

Therefore, as with the use of any drug, depression is not far below the surface, and it pops up at the first opportunity.

<I apologize for the grotesquely broad brush, I am sure not everyone fits that description, and I will admit that this theory is not mine>

Thoughts?

boxo

Travel is definitely my drug. Yes, I'd much rather be anywhere but here.

I'd never thought of that. I'm not a depressive-type (I don't think), but can easily see how it fits.

brendog

I have the opposite problem of the original poster: I get depressed if I have to be home for more than a week. I have no problems to escape at home and I have a very happy marriage (my wife frequently joins me on my travels when possible), but the thought of waking up in the same place every morning and seeing the same sites is the most depressing things that I can imagine.

I sometimes invent reasons to travel on business and volunteer for any opportunity, particularly to places I have never been in order to get out of town.

I'm sure there's a clinical name for my "issue", but, hey, I'm happy and racking up the miles. I'll have mid-level status on all 3 major US FF alliances this year if all continues to go well.

Droneklax

Yes. It's called being mildly depressed.

And don't forget: this diagnosis is worth what you paid for it.

In any event, the last 2 posters would tend to reinforce the theory. Give me another 10 and I'll call it my theory and we'll call it the Droneklax Disorder .

boxo

What am I reinforcing?

I'm not disputing anything you're saying, but I do think "depression" is overused.

infinityplusone

A theory is that FTers may be a depressed bunch to begin with, who use travel to avoid stuff at home or compensate for other things difficult to deal with at home.

Although it could also be said that posting on a message board continuously shows a tendency to avoid real life or to compensate for other things that are difficult to deal with.

Then what should it be called?

Droneklax

Yup. Pretty close if you ask me.

Spenser

I have this all the time when I travel. I love to travel, and despite some well-managed flight anxiety, really look forward to getting to my destination. But even when I'm with my family, I can get homesick. Without them, it is worse. Here's what I've noticed. 1) It is worse for me in the evening. I suspect there may be a blood sugar and time change issue. 2) Food helps. 3) SKYPE is ideal for staying in touch. I just spent two wonderful weeks in Paris on business. I "called" home for free on Skype every night and talked for a half hour or so. It made me feel at most like I was in another US city, not half-way around the world. You can download the software for free. Just Google up Skype and get started. Your friends and family back home will also need to install it. 4) e-mails during the day. Since I'm often traveling on business, I always have my laptop. 5) Become a regular at a local restaurant. Find one that is affordable and has a friendly staff who speaks English if you don't speak the local language. I found a Lebanese place in Paris where I must have gone five or six times. It started to feel like home. 6) GET OUT OF THE CITY for a good day trip. Go to a nearby town, or better yet, somewhere in the country. Really big cities, even wonderful ones like Paris, can make me feel a little alienated and claustrophobic. What I find is that after 8 or so hours away, and then a train trip back, the hotel room feels a little like home. 7) Bring something really intimate and familiar: your own pillow, or your own bedroom slippers. 8) Go to a show in the evening once in awhile. If you don't speak the local language, go to something like a ballet or a musical event. 9) Eat on the late side, so that the day itself feels long, and the evening alone in a hotel room feels short. 10) The hostel suggestion someone else made was terrific. In a place like Britain, think about a B and B. It is smaller and more intimate. More homey. 11) Finally, just accept the fact that a little traveler's funk, like jet-lag, is part of the overall picture of traveling. Get into experimenting with things to cheer yourself up. Some will work, some won't. But just trying will help get your mind off the funk.

OK, off to Tel Aviv in two days!

Red259

This is a way old thread but I have experienced this in a number of non-english speaking countries. When I was younger I would stay in hostels and meet people who spoke english (usually europeans). Now that I am older I don't do the hostel thing and hotels can be very lonely. On my most recent trip I found apps such as whatsapp and wechat were very good at keeping in touch with people back home and having that human connection. Visiting expat bars is also helpful if your looking for someone to chat with. I found social websites useful, especially in places like china where I could meet women who were local but fluent in english and interested in learning about the US. Keeping busy also helps a lot and if I found myself spending too much time in the hotel room (an easy thing to do in nicer rooms) I would force myself to go outside and walk around and observe the local culture and try a new snack. Striking up a conversation with other solo travelers you come across at tourist destinations is also useful. There are many solo travelers at there feeling the same way.

JY1024

As this is a VERY old thread, let's archive this thread; we can continue the discussion in a new thread or one of the existing threads of similar topic. Thanks. /Moderator