For every traveler, there comes a moment when it’s time to head back home. For me, that moment is now.

This is me 18 months ago, looking all fresh and ready to embark on my journey.

After 18 months of traveling, on March 26th, 2011, I am heading home. Home for me is in North Wales, where the sun is apparently shining again, flowers are blooming, and little lambs are hopping around. It’s the perfect time to go back.

I have to admit, I’m a bit nervous about returning to the UK. So much will have changed in the last 18 months, and the economic climate is pretty bleak. Friends and family have been telling me about job cuts and rising prices. Everyone seems convinced we’ll be on the first flight back out here as soon as we set foot in the UK.

I’m naturally optimistic and tend to see life through rose-tinted glasses. I hope I always view the world this way, but I’m starting to wonder if the UK is really as bad as people say. After all this time away, I only seem to remember the good things: Sunday roasts, endless green fields, country pubs, and great shopping cities. I didn’t leave because I hated the UK; I left to explore the world, and I wonder how this will affect my perception of home.

I know finding a job will be tough when I get back, but I believe in hard work. The British weather isn’t great, but after two years of summer, I’m looking forward to cozy, warm clothes. I’ll be moving back in with my parents, but I’ve missed them so much that I really don’t mind.

It will be an adjustment, going from lazy days on the beach and discovering new cultures to having a regular routine. But it will be nice to sleep in the same bed every night and have my old friends around to gossip and laugh with on Friday nights.

So let’s hope my optimism holds, and returning to the UK after 18 months of travel is as wonderful as I hope. But don’t worry, just because my travels are over doesn’t mean my blog will fade away. Now, I’ll have the time and resources to post all those stories I never got around to, including my 14 months in Australia and the rest of my time in Asia. I also have thousands of photos, travel tips, thoughts, and musings about travel. If you haven’t already, grab my RSS feed so you don’t miss anything that’s coming!

Do you have any tips for making the move home and adjusting back to life a bit easier? Let me know!