If you are reading SIN PRISA for the first time, welcome. If you are returning, welcome back. Mil gracias (a thousand thank yous) for being here.
In case you missed it, check out last month's newsletter Returning to España 🇪🇸, a reflective piece on starting my travel journey nearly ten years ago in Spain. Plus an underrated region I visited on my last trip.
POV: You’ve been traveling the world for months and have grown accustomed to a slow, carefree, minimal life.
Now it’s time to return home, where fast-paced living, productivity, and materialism are the norm.
This my friends, is my forever dilemma. The escapist in me wants to cancel my flight and continue to travel. However, I am now wise enough to know escaping is not a healthy or sustainable choice.
So what do I do? Well, I land somewhere in between stressing out and practicing gratitude.
And why is returning to California a point of tension?
The truth is, I experience intense levels of reverse culture shock each time I return home.
If you are not familiar, reverse culture shock is the aftermath of spending time abroad and returning to societal norms that no longer resonate.
For me, those societal norms are fast-paced living and materialism.
A fast-paced environment coupled with a perpetual cycle of consumption are as exhausting and unfulfilling as they sound, at least to me.
The ratio of places designed for our consumption compared to the ratio of places designed for us to rest are living proof we missed a memo or two.
Tack on inflation and high cost of living, I certainly raise an eyebrow and scratch my head in disbelief.
I did not always view home in this way though.
I remember a time when fast-paced living and materialism were so deeply ingrained in me, I did not recognize them as choices. I was a willful participant and rarely interrogated why I assimilated.
I proudly shopped until I dropped, owned more than I could consume, and cluttered my home with things that did not spark joy.
Thank GOD for maturity and exposure.
Through travel I’ve learned: though we all live on one planet, we all live differently. This may sound like a simple concept but it is profound to witness up close.
Travel has exposed me to societal norms I wish I better incorporated into my life especially when I am home in a fast-paced environment.
If I am honest, I struggle immensely to maintain a slow life when I’m home. I wish I were further along my journey in this regard.
I wish I could return home, co-exist with fast-paced living and materialism, and not participate.
I wish it were easier to reject societal norms that no longer resonate rather than assimilate back to them.
I wish slow living was a communal practice as it is in other parts of the world.
To be clear, California is not a terrible place to live but it is certainly chaotic and costly.
There is no shortage of opportunity to dream big and achieve great things though with it comes a heavy price tag.
Christopher Wallace, thee Notorious B.I.G. dedicated a five-minute song to our beloved golden state for good reason.
Family, friends, and loved ones are the primary reasons I look forward to returning home. I get to spend quality time with my people, especially my nieces and nephews who are a big part of my world.
Until I take the leap and permanently relocate abroad, I’ll enjoy these teachable moments and work toward integrating what I’ve learned slow traveling across the world.
Until next time, take it slow 🦥
E
For part 2, we’ll take a slow journey through my home state. I’ve been blessed to visit and live in northern, central, and southern California. I can’t wait to show you around and share places that are near and dear to my heart.
Questions? Send me a note sinprisatravel@gmail.com.
Need support or want to chat? Book time with me here. I’ve curated 20+ trips for solo, couple, and small group travelers across the globe. I’d love to hear about your trip dreams!
<3 welcome home for now. thanks for the read and looking forward to catching up!
Wonderful read sis , welcome back ! This definitely evokes the thought of needing to slow down in our fast paced environment.
❤️