New Nomads: My Life Before and After Travel (video)

 

I can’t believe it’s been a year since I first spoke about my round-the-world trip to We Said Go Travel! I had just come back from a solo adventure providing work exchange (a form of volunteering where I worked for local hosts in exchange for food and lodging) for the entire year of 2011, and a lot has happened since then.

For starters, I had a heck of a time settling back into my life in the States. I was warned by other long-term travelers that reentry would be tough, but I had no idea what that meant until I was in the throws of it. The struggle to find my place again—both at home and in everyone’s lives—after such a life-changing experience was painful. For instance, how could I ever go back to the mad rush of stocking up on milk and bread before every snowstorm, and how could people tolerate my new diatribe about how lucky we are to be able to afford milk and bread in the first place?

You get the idea. It was a problem…

But now that I’ve been back for a year and my life has somewhat stabilized within that timeframe, I’ve been able to more objectively reflect on my travels and straddle both worlds successfully—the world from before I knew how different people’s realities are from my own, and the world after my eyes were cracked open to how lucky I really have it.

So here I am again on We Said Go Travel, to share a video of my interview by the Canadian broadcast channel Travel+Escape where I touch upon not only the inspiring aspects of long-term travel, but also how life can change afterwards. And how—despite the discomfort of growing pains—I would never go back to my old life, even if I could! Because there’s no greater education than the one you receive on the road…

Christine Maxfield

Christine Maxfield is a travel writer and photojournalist who has been on staff at Philadelphia magazine, Men’s Health, and Arthur Frommer’s Budget Travel, and has contributed to Bon Appétit, Women’s Health, Girlfriend Getaways, New England Travel & Life, and many more. Follow her adventures online at www.CompassMag.com.

6 responses to “New Nomads: My Life Before and After Travel (video)

  1. These are great tips. I once navigated new nomads with someone in a wheelchair, and SO wish I had done more research beforehand! That said, we had some incredible adventures, and came home with plenty of stories!

    1. Hema, Thanks for your comment! We would love for you to write about your adventures on our site! Connect with us through the contact us page! Looking forward to sharing more! Lisa

    2. Wow, that would make an amazing story to talk about traveling with someone in a wheelchair! Did you write something about it afterwards? I’d love to read it! And thanks so much for your kind words about my video, I really appreciate it.

      Thanks for watching, and happy travels,
      Christine (aka CompassMag)

  2. I’m travelling the world, with one camera and one lens, taking street photography, mixing it with the locals, and writing about my experiences. I’ve been to 37 countries so far, and I have a growing audience who appreciate that people everywhere, when it comes down to it, are indeed, people.

    1. That’s an incredible journey, I can’t wait to follow along on your journey online! And yes, isn’t that interesting how people are the same no matter where you go in this world? It’s a beautiful realization, really. Thanks for sharing!

      Cheers,
      Christine (aka CompassMag)

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