34 Things I Miss & Don’t Miss About Home When Traveling

I was having this discussion with someone the other day and we were amazed by the list of things we take for granted back home when travelling. Whether it’s a weekend getaway or long term travel, I’m sure there are moments when you find yourself missing that pet you’ve left behind, or thanking your lucky stars for leaving that desk-bound job you despise.

DISCLAIMER: I don’t want this post to make me sound snobbish, but rather, to share the common #FirstWorldProblems of travelling that many of you probably think about but don’t necessarily like to share out loud. Just a bit of fun, really. Enjoy!

What I DO miss:

1. Family and friends
2. Pink, fluffy bathrobe/gown that I wear permanently around the house
3. Nothing like sleeping on my own pillow, and
4. Mattress/bed – I’ve spent years perfecting the groove on the mattress that makes me feel comfortable
5. Momma’s home cooked meals
6. My home cooking
7. Certain comfort foods such as an Aussie meat pie or fish and chips by the beach
8. Having a steady stream of income
9. Decent WiFi – there are some places where I wish it had decent Internet to post my brag-worthy travel photos
10. Having a selection of clothes, and
11. Footwear to choose from
12. Not living out of a suitcase or backpack
13. Great coffee – call me biased, but I do believe Australians know how to make great coffee
14. Beaches
15. Sydney Harbour
16. Convenience of having my own transportation
17. Overall feeling of familiarity and comfort
18. Seasons/Weather, particularly the famous Sydney sunshine and blue skies
19. Regular TV shows – in English. No subtitles.
20. Not having to translate every word
21. My own home. Couch. TV. Room. Kitchen.
22. Wearing make-up – when I travel, I usually only pack the basics ‘cos let’s face it, who has time to do make-up when you can spend your time visiting Ancient ruins?
23. Social life – missing out on important milestones like birthdays
24. Having a hobby – sometimes I find it hard to focus when I’m in another beautiful foreign land because there’s just so much to see and do.
25. Being in one spot, but having said that, I also don’t miss this (so I’m adding this below)
26. Easy access to Sriracha sauce – Hey! I’m Asian after all
27. Plain, Cadbury dairy milk chocolate
28. Aussie accents and slangs – although I do always tend to meet fellow Aussies in all of my travels so I get my Aussie slang fix (G’day mate! Got plans for this arvo?)
29. Diversity and multiculturalism
30. Being a local and having local knowledge I never knew I had
31. My shower and unlimited supply of hot water
32. Safe, drinkable tap water
33. Fresh fruit and veges I can trust – Yes, I’m talking to you Australian farmers. You guys do an amazing job.
34. Tim Tams. Better yet, the famous Tim Tam Slam.

Tim Tam Slam

What I DON’T miss:

1. 9to5 daily grind
2. Answering to someone during the 9to5 daily grind
3. Routine
4. Material stuff – The “pressure” Western society puts on you to buy/own things. Lots. Of. Things. I don’t generally like to shop retail or brave shopping centres.
5. Sydney traffic
6. Idiotic cyclists
7. Paying excessive toll every time you drive on a major highway or going over the Sydney Harbour Bridge
8. Public transport – despite what y’all think, I think Sydney is quite behind compared to a lot of other Westernised countries.
9. The smell of public transport
10. Mundane feeling of being/living in the same city
11. High cost of living – no thanks, AUD$15.00 burgers!
12. Through-the-roof petrol prices
13. Experiencing 4 Seasons in a day (do I or do I not pack that umbrella?)
14. Red back spiders. Enough said.
15. Cockroaches. Let’s not go there.
16. Cricket. Not the insect kind.
17. Isolation from the rest of the world
18. Mortgage
19. Bills – they follow you around weekly, monthly, quarterly, annually
20. Being in one spot
21. Fast-paced life
22. Constant planning of everything
23. Expensive domestic flights – some prices are equivalent to a return ticket to Asia.
24. Weekly (or it seems) baby/kids birthdays and baby showers – Don’t get me wrong I love my friends but being the only one without a kid, it can sometimes get too much.
25. Crappy free-to-air TV
26. Bondi Beach – it’s not that great. Trust me, there are plenty of other beaches.
27. Doing household chores
28. Long commute to anywhere
29. Cooking everyday
30. Paying for excessive shipping even when purchasing goods in Australia
31. Not being able to order from some international retailers
32. Baristas who don’t know the difference between burnt coffee and a heavenly cup
33. Inability to bargain or negotiate a good deal – People here don’t know the concept of bargaining. Labour rates and cost of living are so high that there’s no room to discount anything. I’m Asian – it’s in my DNA to bargain.
34. Post-travel blues – I tend to feel depressed for the longest time after coming back from any trip.

What do you often miss about home when travelling?

 

Feature Image: Flickr Alessandro Casagrande and inset image lucy and her dent – under Creative Commons license agreement