Culture Shock, Homesickness, and What Nobody Tells You About Long Travel

When I first set off on my gap year, I was fully expecting the sunsets, the street food, and the Instagrammable temples. It was all going to be picture perfect. Of course it was. What I wasn’t quite prepared for was crying into a questionable hostel pillow in the middle of the night because I missed my dog. Or my mum. And sometimes just a proper cup of tea.

No one really warns you about the emotional rollercoaster that comes with long time travel (Not 'time travel'. You know what I mean). Despite the impression you get from the brochures, it’s not all hammock naps and beach bars. Sometimes it’s confusion, loneliness, uncertainty, self-doubt, and a very real craving for baked beans.

Culture shock is real, and it sneaks up on you.

Look, everyone is different and I am not saying you are going to experience any of this on your gap year, and if you do, it may hit you in a different way. When you arrive in a new country, at first everything feels exciting and exotic. There may be tuk-tuks whizzing past, locals selling fried stuff on sticks, and there may well be music blasting from somewhere you cannot quite place. It is amazing. It’s a vibe. You love it.

Until you don’t.

Because after a few weeks of noodle soup for breakfast and showering with a bucket, your brain can start to short-circuit. Suddenly the things that felt thrilling now feel frustrating. Why is no one queueing? Why can’t I find bread that isn’t sweet? Why is the plug socket always the wrong shape?

Culture shock doesn’t come all at once. It creeps in. And when it does, it can make you feel ungrateful or guilty. Like you are travelling wrong. But my advice is accept it. You aren't doing anything wrong. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed when everything around you is unfamiliar and it will take time to adjust. It's not an overnight process.

Homesickness is sneakier

You might be fine for weeks, even months. And then out of nowhere, it hits. Maybe it’s someone’s birthday back home. Maybe your mates just posted a pub photo. Or maybe you’ve had one too many awkward hostel conversations and suddenly all you want is your own bed and someone who knows how to make a proper cup of tea without asking which kind.

It’s not a failure to miss home during your gap year travel. It doesn’t mean you’re not adventurous enough. It just means you’re human.

I found that homesickness comes in waves. It might last a day, or it might hang around for a bit. What helped me was doing something that made me feel normal again. Watching trashy TV. Going to a Western-style cafe. Calling a friend. I even met someone else from the UK who always carried a tiny jar of Marmite with them for those 'I need to remember who I am' moments. Don't take marmite with you, that's just weird. But you get the idea.

Sometimes you’ll feel completely out of your depth. And that’s okay.

I once ended up at a bus station in rural Laos at 2am with no ticket, no idea where I was going, and a bunch of signs I couldn’t read. I sat there and thought, What on earth am I doing here?

But then someone helped me. A woman selling snacks pointed me to the right bus. I climbed on, sat down next to a chicken in a box, and started laughing. Not because it was funny, but because it was ridiculous. And that’s the thing. Gap year travel humbles you. It breaks your routines, it messes with your comfort zones, and then it rebuilds you into someone who can handle weird and wonderful situations. Like sharing a bus journey with a chicken.

The important thing is to take care of yourself

When you’re on the road for a long time, it’s easy to forget the basics. Sleep. Hydration. Some kind of vegetable. A day off from always trying to make the most of your time. You don’t have to be doing something epic every single day. Sometimes a good nap and a familiar book are what your brain really needs.

And talk to people. Don’t bottle it all up just because you’re supposed to be living your best life. I’ve had some of the most honest, healing conversations in hostel kitchens with people I’d only known for a few hours. Turns out we were all going through something. And eventually, something shifts.

The chaos becomes familiar. You start understanding local habits. You learn how to bargain. You find a little cafe you love. You stop reaching for your phone every time something feels difficult.

That’s when you realise you’ve adapted. You’ve grown. You’re still you, just slightly braver.

The emotional side of gap travel is just as real as the physical journey

You’re not just ticking off countries, you’re learning how to be uncomfortable, how to be alone, how to laugh when things don't go quite as you planned. And those lessons stay with you long after your tan fades and your backpack starts gathering dust in the attic.

So if you’re feeling out of sorts while travelling, know that it’s normal. It doesn’t mean you’re not cut out for this. It just means you’re doing something big and new and completely outside your everyday. And that’s kind of the whole point of a gap year, isn’t it?