Creating my own perfume in Nice, learning about olfactory fatigue and needing to ‘reset’ 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 ‘cleanse the palate’ for travel. “What is this crazy woman talking about?” 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.
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- Sometimes constant travel can be tiring
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- Wanderlust Fatigue can affect anyone
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- Admit it, we’ve all been there
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. You’ve seen one cathedral; you’ve seen them all right? WRONG! But it was sadly in Nice, that we just weren’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 d’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 ‘cleanse the palette’ for travel? I think so.
Arriving into London at 2am certainly could lead to Wanderlust Fatigue
If you’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 it’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 had hit his wanderlust limit
Don’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 “Hi Kim-Ling, how was your weekend? Where are you off to next weekend?”
Suddenly those beautiful beaches you visit start to look similar
I love all travel, and am grateful for every experience we’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 doesn’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 you’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 you’d crave. And living out of a backpack seems more ‘hobo’ and less liberating than you once felt.
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 ‘reset’ 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, that’s when the wanderlust fatigue hit us. It seems as though we aren’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
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 café or park and people-watch (preferably without looking like a stalker). The other way to fend off wanderlust fatigue is to accept coming back ‘home’ 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?
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. Don’t stress; take some time out for yourself and try to remember why you travelled to that destination in the first place….
Have you ever experienced Wanderlust Fatigue? Where did it happen? What did you do? Comment below!
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I think that rest days are really important. I try to treat travelling like a job – travel for 5 days and rest for 2. Travel can be exhausting.
After a month in China, all of the Buddhist temples started to look the same by the time I got to Chengdu – I think I was a little frazzled! I like your idea of teaching abroad. Perhaps if had been teaching in China I would have experienced a lot more culture and felt like I was travelling with more of a purpose.
Great article.
Thanks for commenting Amy! I like the idea of 5 days on, 2 days off. That sounds like the perfect compromise and way to avoid Wanderlust Fatigue. Teaching abroad was a good way to really feel like a local and experience things that are often missed when doing a whirlwind trip.
Yup, I lived without money for 4 years and traveled to 42 countries, hitchhiking more than 200,000 km. On few occasions I cursed myself “Bloody hell, I’m too old for this…” 😀
About to write a book in English about these experiences. Grab it here: http://tiny.cc/nomoney
Wow that would be an amazing experience! I’m sure you would have some great stories. Good luck with your book!
Totally with you on that – after about 2/3 weeks tops we get knackered with constant travelling and just crave a base to just chill. We want to do another big trip to Latin America this time, but split between travelling a few weeks somewhere then long bases chilling somewhere else using something like housesitting.
And OMG you made your own perfume in Nice? Awesome – want to try that (going next month for the Carnival).
You’re going there for Carnival? Lucky you guys! We did Carnival in Spain last year and it was absolutely awesome!
And yeah, a base place to chill is definitely key when it comes to long-term travel. That’s what we loved about our quiet little village in Spain last year. We would LOVE to go to Latin America and, again, try to space out the time so we aren’t rushing from one sight to another! I think housesitting/volunteering would be the way to do it. Hopefully we will get there one day (It’s currently sitting in the no. 1 spot on our combined bucket list!)
Travelling definitely brings some fatigue. I’m not a full-time traveller, so I can’t afford to travel really slow. One change I can see from the past couple of years is that everything is more timed accordingly so rest is included as well. This is especially important after long flights!
Thanks Hugo! It’s a good idea to plan out rest days. We love the idea of slow travel but are also currently not in a position to do that either so we try to incorporate rest periods where we can too.
Sometimes, travel can be too tasking but the rewards of seeing the world and experiencing new things are immense! I’ve recently went on a whirlwind Eurotrip that took me to five countries in 12 days. It was exhausting but I didn’t have the luxury of time for slow travel. I was so upbeat and excited all throughout those 12 days but when I got home, exhaustion hit me so bad! And I realized that the moments I spent just sitting on a town square and watching people go by are some of my best memories of that trip. Pause and slow down, even if it’s just for a few minutes, a few hours, or it’s good if it’s a day or two. 🙂
Oh yes, non-stop, whirlwind travel can be taxing, but I agree that it is worth it! Your 12 day tour sounds intense! I bet you would have crashed by the time you got back home! And any rest or pause is a good way to fight off wanderlust fatigue. I think people watching is a great way to soak up the surroundings but also have a break at the same time. Thanks for commenting!
Loved this post! Especially the Ecce Homo “redone” painting — that’s exactly how it feels like! 😂
Haha it starts to feel that way! I’m glad you appreciated the comparison! (Any excuse to have a photo of Ecce Homo is a good one I think!) 😉
I sometimes feel wanderlust fatigue. Like everybody else, I often go for a rest period to fight it too.
I can’t believe the overwhelming response! I’m glad it isn’t just us that suffer from Wanderlust Fatigue! Thanks for commenting 🙂
I’m with you! Doctor Alice here confirms that there is indeed a case of the Wanderlust Fatigue going around but it most certainly can be prevented. Take it easy, feel OK if you are fatigued and in my opinion, turn that Netflix right back on. I need days where I just sit in my underpants to switch off and it resets everything so I can get back out there the next day and be kickass again.
I’m glad Doctor Alice can confirm my findings! 🙂 It’s definitely ok to admit to feeling a bit ‘over it all’ and rest up. And isn’t it amazing that a simple thing like hanging out in nothing but undies for a while can make us all feel kickass again! Thanks for commenting!
Been there,done that. I totally get it. I once joined 7 girlfriends in Scotland for a 10 day private tour. We practically lived in a van and toured the entire countryside, including the highlands. After about 5-6 days, I was so overwhelmed by seeing all those castles and churches, and was seriously ready to just go home. More of the same. It took me a couple weeks to recover once I was home just from all the hectic pace and head full of facts and findings.
That would have been a wonderful tour, but I can totally imagine how it would also be overwhelming! If only we all had the time and luxury to space it all out to appreciate each place (and castle and church) 🙂
There is definitively something as too much travel and one can get really tired of it after long term. But if you stay still for long you really want to get back out again!
Agreed! Rest and staying still for long enough is a great way to treat wanderlust fatigue and be ready for a new adventure!
Taking time away, or slowing down your travel can really be beneficial so you really appreciate where you are and what you’re seeing. I’ve experienced “Wanderlust Fatigue” (love your term, by the way), and completely understand what you’re saying.
Oh, and that picture of the dog is great!! Crazy how she blends in with the ground with the same type of pattern on her belly! Love it! 🙂
Thanks Dariece! I couldn’t believe how similar the dog was to the ground either! It was so funny when we saw her; laying flat out on the path in Santorini, with plenty of other amused tourists standing around her.
And thanks for loving the term. I wonder if I should trademark it? 😉
Greg and I have seriously considered taking jobs abroad as a way to travel slowly. You get to know the region so much better and avoid travel burnout. Believe it or not, our main obstacle is that we have four dogs. Taking them with us would complicate matters immensely and leaving them at home is not an option.
Four dogs! Wow, that would be difficult for anything long term. We have two and it breaks my heart having to leave them behind. Thankfully, I have a wonderful mum and brother who look after them when we are away. In fact, I think the dogs like living with them more than they do with us! It’s a tricky one, as slow travel is wonderful, but I miss the dogs when I’m away. I wish it were easier to take them with us!
I’ve experienced this too! When you can’t slow travel and you only have a couple of weeks, you try and cram in everything you can. Then you come back so exhausted you feel like you need a vacation from your vacation!
Exactly! I always feel a little guilty if I spend a day just lounging around during a short trip. But I’ve also come to realise that there’s no point pushing yourself if you are exhausted or suffering wanderlust fatigue. You end up not enjoying the experience, and like you said, come back needing another vacation!