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A big lump in your throat. Tears in your eyes. Not able to find words, that could possibly describe what you’re feeling in this moment.
That’s the moment of farewell.
I’m certain, many of you have felt such a moment more than once in your life.
THE FIRST GOODBYE
The first big farewell when we start a long journey is usually the one at the airport. Unsure about when we will see our loved ones again, we stagger into the plane – dazed but also full of excitement for the upcoming months.
The biggest farewell is over… you would think.
During the first couple of weeks you will be overwhelmed by new impression and wonderful people, who become your friends much faster than you’d have ever expected. Name, origin and age don’t matter. Everyone is open-hearted and follows one goal: to drift around the world.
Some friendships are from short duration, maybe just a few hours or days. Others are longer. It feels like you’ve found a soulmate, with whom traveling could never become boring. Those humans touch your heart and it will be difficult to let them go again once you go different paths.
HOW TO DEAL WITH SAYING GOODBYE
After this kind of farewell many travellers must fight a low. They want to be for themselves and some might even lose their thirst for adventure for a while.
Because you are much likely to find yourself in a similar situation during your travels, we listed some tips below that might help you to deal with saying goodbye.
Take a short break. Exciting times lay behind you and it is important to take some time for yourself to deal with your feelings.
Try to reflect. If you’re not doing it already, NOW might be the perfect time to start with a travel diary, where you can write down your thoughts and experiences.
Be grateful. Try to not only see the negative aspects of the farewell. Look back on the amazing memories you were able to make and experience with your travel buddy. Be grateful for the long talks, the exciting adventures and your deep connection.
Jump back into the backpacker-life. Try to meet other backpackers again once you feel ready for that. Distraction will most definitely help you and you get the opportunity to find new travel buddies.
Change of location works wonders. Think about your next steps and where you’d like to go. To start planning could help with distraction as well and to focus on your path again.
Talk to someone. To call home or to talk with backpackers, who were in the same situation before can be a great way of dealing with your sadness. Tell them what’s on your heart, it will be very relieving.
You’re never alone. At least if you don’t want to.
There are no goodbyes. Especially in the era of social media it will be hard to lose track of each other. Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp und co. make it possible to chat, even though you’re on opposite sides of the world. You have the opportunity to follow your former travel buddies around the world online and you can always meet up again. This is something you both can look forward to, right?
CAN I GET USED TO SAYING GOODBYE?
We agree on this: No! Getting used to saying goodbye also means that you’re not opening yourself up to other people. You’d have to keep all your emotions and feelings for yourself. Even though you will be less vulnerable, you will most likely miss some of the best moments!
„Never get used to saying goodbye!
to protect yourself from sadness you have to protect yourself from happiness”
– Julia Dudorov
We would like to know from you: How do you deal with saying goodbye? Do you have any more tips, that would help to get over the sadness?
Leave us a comment!
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