Have you ever travelled to city after beautiful city and not been able to truly appreciate it? Or been so tired of travelling that you would rather check Facebook than soak up the atmosphere of an 11th century fortress? Now, you could be old and boring. Or, you could have Wanderlust Fatigue, such as when historic monuments blur into one and you just canโ€™t stand to stare at another neo-classical painting. Hereโ€™s how to deal with the latter.

Creating my own perfume in Nice, learning about olfactory fatigue and needing to โ€˜resetโ€™ the senses between sniffing scents got me thinking about how travelling from place to place is not unlike smelling fragrance after fragrance and how we might also need to โ€˜cleanse the palateโ€™ for travel. โ€œWhat is this crazy woman talking about?โ€ you might be wondering (especially with the many health benefits of travelling). Well, it was, ironically enough, in Nice that we had hit our limit of travelling. We had our own version of olfactory fatigue in the wanderlust sense. Something I now like to refer to as Wanderlust Fatigue.

We had just finished our eight months living in Spain and travelling every weekend, followed by an amazing two weeks soaking up the sun and exploring the stunning scenery in the Greek Islands and Croatia. By the time we arrived in Nice we were extremely underwhelmed with our surroundings. A travesty right? To be in the French Riviera, in the beginning of summer, but be wishing to be elsewhere! We wandered through the streets comparing every monument to ones we had seen in the past. Youโ€™ve seen one cathedral; youโ€™ve seen them all right? WRONG! But it was sadly in Nice, that we just werenโ€™t overly enthused.

Yes, looking back through our photos and reminiscing about the things we did allowed us to appreciate the crystal aqua water of the Cote dโ€™Azur, admire the lovely Place Massena and enjoy the food and smells of the Cours Saleya market. But it was only upon having had a break and time off from travelling that we could do that. It got me thinking, is there a need to โ€˜cleanse the paletteโ€™ for travel? I think so.

Arriving into London at 2am certainly could lead to Wanderlust Fatigue

Arriving into London at 2am certainly could lead to Wanderlust Fatigue

If youโ€™ve ever gone shopping for perfume, the first few scents you smell all have a unique scent, with their own characteristics, strengths and individual appeal. However, after maybe the fourth scent, olfactory fatigue kicks in and everything starts to smell similar and itโ€™s difficult to distinguish one scent from another. Keep sniffing, and it all just starts to become overpowering and unappealing, or the potency of the scent (regardless of whether you love it or hate it) diminishes altogether. To me, this is what non-stop travel can often become.

Even this fella has hit his wanderlust limit

Even this fella had hit his wanderlust limit

Donโ€™t get me wrong, those of you who know me personally know that I have the Travel Bug and begin planning the next trip as soon as the last one is over. In fact, when I lived in Spain, my friends and colleagues were amused and astonished at how I revelled in travelling every weekend. I would always be greeted at work on Monday with โ€œHi Kim-Ling, how was your weekend? Where are you off to next weekend?โ€

Suddenly those beautiful beaches you visit start to look similar

Suddenly those beautiful beaches you visit start to look similar

I love all travel, and am grateful for every experience weโ€™ve had, but at times constant travel can have its downside. I personally find at the 3-4 week mark of non-stop travel things start to blur and you lose the appreciation for your surroundings. Suddenly that beautiful beach you visit is just like the last one. Every piece of artwork in the art museums starts to look the same. The homemade pasta in Italy doesnโ€™t taste as rich or exquisite as it once did. You even start to miss the mundane things from home that you would normally be happy to escape from. That slight indent on the couch that youโ€™ve created from hours of Netflix marathons is suddenly the only place you want to sit. Being able to wash and hang your clothes on a real clothes line are suddenly a luxury you never thought youโ€™d crave. And living out of a backpack seems more โ€˜hoboโ€™ and less liberating than you once felt.

We all have those days where all you want to do is sleep...

We all have those days where all you want to do is sleep…

Living and teaching English in Spain was a great compromise. I was able to โ€˜resetโ€™ the wanderlust fatigue during the week when I was teaching at school and living a fairly ordinary life in a pueblo. Come Thursday afternoon, my wanderlust would kick in and I was ready for the next adventure! But when we spent a month travelling around Europe, with little rest days in between, thatโ€™s when the wanderlust fatigue hit us. It seems as though we arenโ€™t alone. Speaking to other seasoned travellers and fellow travel bloggers also supported our theory of wanderlust fatigue.

Non-Stop Travel can be exhausting. Sometimes all you need is a rest

Non-Stop Travel can be exhausting. Sometimes all you need is a rest

So, how do we treat wanderlust fatigue? Ultimately, slow travel is the best option, however not all of us have the luxury to spend long lengths of time in the one spot. Nonetheless, anyone can take simple measures such as taking a day off from sightseeing for the day to read a book, do some exercise, meet up with other like-minded travellers or friends (as they may reset your wanderlust), or simply hang out at a cafรฉ or park and people-watch (preferably without looking like a stalker). The other way to fend off wanderlust fatigue is to accept coming back โ€˜homeโ€™ to work or study (albeit begrudgingly) and take well-rested breaks between trips or activities. As awful as it may seem at the time (if you are anything like us you will likely suffer from Post-Travel Blues), these breaks between trips fuel your wanderlust for the next trip.

The Wanderlust Fatigue Test: Can you tell the difference?

The Wanderlust Fatigue Test: Can you tell the difference?

So if you find yourself having difficulty seeing the difference between the Mona Lisa and Ecce Homo, thinking that the Eiffel Tower looks more like an over-embellished cell tower from home, or finding the Roman Ruins to be well, Roman ruins, then you might be suffering from wanderlust fatigue. Donโ€™t stress; take some time out for yourself and try to remember why you travelled to that destination in the first placeโ€ฆ.

Have you ever experienced Wanderlust Fatigue? Where did it happen?ย What did you do? Comment below!

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Land-Dwelling Mermaid, Hispanophile and travel addict. Kim-Ling one day hopes to convince Guy to build her a room for her huge shoe collection.

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