How to Transition to a “Normal Life” After Travel with Tom Turcich (10th Person to Walk Around the World)

What do you do when the adventure ends? Tom Turcich is a motivational speaker, author, and the tenth person in history to walk around the world. Over seven years, he and his dog, Savannah, covered 28,000 miles across 38 countries and six continents, completing the journey in 2022. He is the author of the memoir The World Walk and the children's book Savannah's World of Adventure. In this episode, Tom shares what returning home after long-term travel actually looks like, from the mental and emotional toll of losing the road, to the financial catch-up game, to the harder question of who you are once the adventure is over. If you've ever come back from a trip and felt a strange kind of grief you couldn't quite name, this one is for you. Tom is remarkably open about the difficulty of that first year back, and the conversation gets into territory that doesn't often get talked about after a big journey ends. There's real honesty here about what it takes to find your footing again, how to rebuild adventure into a life that isn't handing it to you every day, and how to make peace with the constraints that come with settling down. What's one thing you've held onto from a big trip that's hard to explain to people who weren't there? I'd love to hear your thoughts, and I hope you'll share by sending me an audio message. Tune In To Learn: Why Tom describes his first year back as the only depression he's ever experienced How the world "stops coming at you" when you settle down, and what it takes to rebuild that muscle The unexpected mental and emotional challenge of no longer having a North Star Why consistency beats passion when it comes to making progress, in travel and in life What two years of walking in the Atacama Desert taught Tom about happiness Why your traveler identity matters less than the values underneath it How walking became a years-long meditation practice Tom didn't see coming The one mindset Tom would give anyone coming off the road for the first time Why building community after a big adventure takes longer than most people expect What it means to choose your constraints rather than just accept them And so much more Resources: Sign up for our FREE newsletter Tom’s website The World Walk book Microadventures book Want More? Walking the World with Alexander Campbell and Tom Turcich The World Walk (Trilogy): Lessons From A 7 Year Walk Around The World w/ Tom Turcich Exploring A Single Map: A Travel Adventure For Everyone With Alastair Humphreys Thanks To Our Sponsors Become a Fora Advisor today at foratravel.com/zerototravel Check out Morning Brew Daily for business news that's actually fun. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices