When Climbing the Highest Active Volcano in the World Doesn’t Excite You Anymore

I’m writing this blog today sitting in an overpriced coffee shop in Austin, Texas. I never ever thought I’d be starting one of my travel blogs with that sentence. After twelve months of living in twelve different locations, nine of those locations being outside of the United States, I am so happy to say I am back home in Texas. For now.

I wanted to talk about what no other digital nomad talks about, and what I experienced first hand: Travel Fatigue. I am going to be completely transparent: I was very nervous to post this blog. My words and opinions about travel fatigue can get twisted very easily, so I invite you to read this with an open mind, and to know that I am extremely fortunate and grateful for all of my experiences thus far as a full-time digital nomad.

Now, let’s rewind a bit. I have wanted to become a digital nomad for as long as I can remember. When I finally made that dream come true in October of 2020, I was ecstatic. My heart became full as I had the freedom to live in these beautiful locations – locations I never thought were possible for me to live in. In October of 2020 I was living life on the road within the United States, but in January of 2021, I became an international digital nomad, taking remote-working to a new level. I was living in Latin American countries for a full month. The equation was easy – one country: one month. The reason we chose to live in each country for a full month was to be able to easily see and do everything that country had to offer while still working full-time online. Our international journey started in Guatemala in January, Mexico in February, Costa Rica in March, Colombia in April and Peru in May. Once June came around, we had obligations and family vacations that we committed to, so we headed back to the United States for a couple weeks. After spending time in the United States, it was time to pack our backpacks again and head back down to Guatemala for July. After July, we move to Ecuador for August and September. I’m going to be honest – even writing those few sentences made me out of breath. When September came around, I was EXHAUSTED. I was and am so fortunate to have been able to see the world through adventurous excursions: scuba diving in the Caribbean with sharks, rappelling down 120ft waterfalls, climbing active volcanoes, trekking for five days into Machu Picchu, eating salad and getting E.Coli poisoning (definitely the most intense one out of all of them lol), etc. The list goes on and on. But after a year of these adrenaline boosting activities, something felt…off. 

When I hit six months of traveling full-time, I started noticing the difference I felt when it came to exploring, and honestly, just living my daily life in a foreign country. When we landed in a new location, we had a month-long plan for everything we wanted to see and do in that country. In the first five or six months, these plans made me more excited than anything else. Then, these plans slowly started seeming almost chore-like. I know you’re probably wondering how that is even possible, but hear me out. When we landed in a different country, we wanted to see EVERYTHING and do EVERYTHING. We wanted to hit all the best restaurants, cafes, museums, parks, viewpoints, hikes, etc. All while working full-time. If we didn’t hit all of these spots, I felt extreme guilt. Guilt for not taking advantage of the freedom I have to be able to visit and immerse myself in these beautiful countries. Sometimes this guilt would keep me up at night, and instead of prioritizing my very fatigued mind and body, I neglected my health and said yes to everything. Because, at least on social media, that’s what every other digital nomad does. 

Besides trying to squeeze in every activity we could think of, a lot of our energy went towards our “normal” days. These are the days that Instagram doesn’t show you. I post all of my “high” moments with everyone on social media. But what my social media doesn’t convey is when I have to work seven days a week to be able to afford full-time traveling. Those nights when I stay up all night questioning if it was the right move for me to quit my stable corporate job and transition into the unknown world of freelancing (unknown to me at the time). Those moments when I don’t have an office/desk, so I end up taking meetings from the floor of my room with pillows propped up acting as a laptop stand. When I cry after a FaceTime call with my best friend or my parents, knowing how far away I am from them, and that something tragic could happen and I wouldn’t be there. When I get sick and become weak, and can’t properly communicate to my doctor about my symptoms because my spanish isn’t good enough. These are only a small handful of obstacles about my everyday life that can quickly add up and become very tiresome. After one year of constant and daily problem solving, I am burnt out. There, I said it. I am burnt out from “living the dream” full-time. 

As I had these thoughts of doubt, I tried to push them away. I dealt with these feelings for months, not wanting to admit to anyone, and more importantly, not wanting to admit to myself. This has been my dream for years – why do I feel this empty inside? After speaking with other digital nomads, I found a common theme: Travel Fatigue. The feeling when climbing the highest active volcano in the world doesn’t excite you anymore. When, in fact, thinking of going on a walk in the suburbs of Dallas, Texas, makes you feel giddy. This is the first major sign of extreme travel fatigue, and a sign it’s time for a reset.

I took this feeling and really sat with it, figuring out what went wrong and when it did. I had such a competitive mindset when it came to living on the road full-time. I wanted to live this lifestyle for years. But why? Because I actually wanted to, or because that’s what most digital nomads did? I met this couple who was also traveling full-time, but they had started only a couple months ago. When we talked and bonded about the worst parts about travel and living on the road, that’s when it clicked. This is occurring for so many people, and we all just go on our days ignoring it, sitting in the guilt. Everyone thinks there is something wrong with them for having these doubts. And the truth is… it’s normal and justified. 

We are all human at the end of the day: we all need a stable community, a safe shelter, and proper nutrition. Without these things, detrimental effects start occurring physically and mentally. It’s time to open the conversation, and it’s time to find a healthy, sustainable way to be a long-term digital nomad.

PG