Is there such a thing as too much travel? While some perennial nomads might argue that you can never have too much of a good thing, for the majority of people there comes a time when our thoughts of home become sweeter and more appealing by the day. 

The exact point when that happens can depend on many factors.

What have we left behind?

If travelling alone then missing a loved one will naturally play on the emotions; if you have a nice home, close friends and family that you miss then these too will play their part in drawing your thoughts towards coming home. 

What have we experienced?

A good trip can last forever. Except of course all trips have their highs and lows, and it is at these low points that we think fondly of going home (just as, in our low points at home our thoughts might turn to travel). Sickness, discomfort, loneliness, robbery, and unpleasant experiences all help a traveller to feel homesick quickly. 

Why we are travelling?

The motivation that was behind the initial journey will often determine when that urge to return home kicks in. Those with a strong purpose behind their travels will often endure far more hardships for the sake of staying on their mission (whatever it is). 

So how do we know enough is enough?

As with any condition the symptoms may vary, but the following are just a few signs that the traveller has become jaded and may be craving the comforts of home:

1. You arrive in a new city and find nothing you want to explore; the museums look boring, the buildings unoriginal and the food unappealing. In fact, your preferred option is staying in your lodgings and watching American comedy re-runs on TV. 

2. You're getting increasingly frustrated at other people's inability to speak English. 

3. You're getting snappy at street vendors and tuk-tuk drivers - don't they know you've said NO a thousand times??

4. You can't stand how people still try and rip you off by charging you $1 for your dinner when you know that the locals pay only $0.25. And you tell them. 

5. You decide what to do next not based on what you want to do but on how little time you'll have to spend on yet another bus. 

Others may show their travel weariness in different ways but I suspect we each of us look back we will recognise when it was that we had hit 'the wall'. At when that happens it's only natural to think of going home. Even the most ardent long-term nomads have written about their need to recharge their enthusiasm from time to time.