The Post-Trip Hangover, Notriphobia, and Chasing Your Travel Self
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The Post-Trip Hangover, Notriphobia, and Chasing Your Travel Self
Ever find yourself late at night, staring at a video timeline or scrolling through old photos from a past adventure, hit with a strange, hollow ache? In this solo episode of the Winging It Travel Podcast, I dive deep into the psychological weight of returning home from the road.
Tune in as I explore if we aren't actually homesick for a physical location, but are instead mourning our untethered "vacation self" or could it be both? Plus, I tackle notriphobia—the low-grade panic of looking at an empty calendar with no next adventure booked—and share practical ways to bridge the gap between routine daily life and your next big getaway.
I for sure suffer from a trip which could either be a long weekend or six months, going back home is a constant struggle for me and I cannot see that changing in the near future. So I thought I would lay out my ramblings in this episode to see if other travellers feel the same thing. Let me know your thoughts on it too.
Key Topics Covered:The Post-Trip Hangover: I break down the dopamine crash, the physiological shift of "travel fitness," and the shocking transition back to mundane domestic life.Mourning Your Vacation Self: Why we feel lighter and more alive on the road, and the fallacy of trying to recreate past memories or return to the exact same spots.Notriphobia & The Blank Calendar: I define the anxiety of having zero upcoming trips, and look at why re-watching old clips can sometimes feel like self-torture or living backward.Breaking the Loop: How I close the chapter on past travels, smuggle micro-curiosities into my everyday routine, and cure notriphobia without breaking the bank.
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Timestamps
00:00 – Introduction: Editing drone footage from Finland and the strange, hollow ache of wanting to go back.
01:24 – Podcast Intro: Welcome to the Winging It Travel podcast, part of the Voyescape Network.
03:03 – The Post-Trip Hangover & Dopamine Crash: Shifting from high-stimulus travel fitness to the shock of the mundane.
05:43 – The Archive Trap: Why editing old footage from Finland, Bhutan, or New Zealand brings back an intense desire to return.
07:49 – Mourning Your Travel Self: Shedding your routine identity and realizing you miss the person you were on the road.
09:31 – The Fallacy of Return: Why going back to the exact same place rarely matches your memories.
11:08 – Mid-Roll / Support the Show: How you can support the podcast through reviews, YouTube subscriptions, and Buy Me a Coffee.
11:52 – Notriphobia & The Blank Calendar Panic: The anxious feeling of having zero upcoming trips and using past clips as a digital security blanket.
15:08 – Closing the Chapter: How to finish your travel projects, sign off on past trips, and move forward.
16:47 – Smuggling Travel into Daily Life: Micro-curiosities at home, reading travel books, and planning future adventures to cure notriphobia.
18:50 – Wrap-Up & Next Episodes: A look ahead to my upcoming stories covering Puerto Rico and Hornby Island.
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Produced by Winging It Productions - https://www.wingingitproductions.com
Voyascape: Travel Podcast Network - https://voyascape.com/
Winging It Travel Podcast - Website
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Winging It Travel Podcast Credits
Host/Producer/Creator/Composer/Editor - James Hammond
Contact me - jameshammondtravel@gmail.com or james@wingingitproductions.com
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Cheers James.
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