The Bubble Theory
Travel lifts you into a different dimension of yourself — never stop wa/ondering.
Is there anything more poetic than an airport sunset with piano music?
Last update: November 19, 2025
In the most visited regions, mass tourism is sometimes perceived negatively by the local population. Locals often complain about tourists: "They wouldn’t do this at home"!
Without reaching the extreme case of party tourism in seaside resorts, most travelers notice an alteration of their behavior and perception. And for long stays, they even come back transformed, different.
How can such a phenomenon be explained? Find out more about what I (Eli) call the "bubble theory".
Freedom
Travel means freedom. No routine to obey, we eat when we’re hungry, we sleep when we’re tired: in a nutshell, there are no constraints. We rediscover authentic sensations which sometimes get forgotten in our daily life.
For me, this feeling already starts at the airport. I love to observe departures, arrivals, expressions on people's faces. Taking off is also very symbolic: we fly away from our daily routine and towards new adventures. Above the clouds, the soothing sensation is liberating.
Inspiring travel quotes
"The world is a book, and those who don't travel read only one page." - St Augustin
"We do not travel to escape life but for life not to escape us" - Robyn Yong
"Traveling reveals the best part of me". - Unknown author
"Every one of a hundred thousand cities around the world had its own special sunset, and it was worth going there, just once, if only to see the sun go down". - Ryu Murakami
"I left my heart in so many places." - Unknown author
On the picture: Flying over Northern Norway. What a high!
New start
Even for a short stay, a trip abroad is a new beginning. At your destination, nobody knows you, everything is new: it's the perfect occasion to have a brand-new start. If you move abroad for an extended period of time, the experience is even more rewarding. You’ll have the opportunity to make new friends, to have a new home, and to create yourself a new life.
Many people (who usually don't travel) consider traveling as a mean to run away from problems. I don’t entirely agree, since real problems will follow you wherever you are. But sometimes, new horizons allow us to become a better person and pull ourselves together.
Besides, our personality doesn’t always match our nationality!
Out of the comfort zone
Stepping out of your comfort zone is not easy. You can get used to it, but it’s always an important and sometimes delicate process, especially when traveling alone.
It takes a lot of courage to venture out there and, let's face it, it’s pretty scary. Nevertheless, the most rewarding experiences usually happen in unfamiliar situations we have no control on!
We meet people who will change our life, and we live moments we’ll treasure forever.
The well known "cultural shock" makes us open up, adapt, and change our way of seeing and understanding the world.
And this bravery we didn't think we had is absolutely intoxicating, affecting our travel behavior. Everything seems possible, and we rediscover ourselves.
Consciously or unconsciously, our daily routine was inhibiting a part of us which comes back to the surface.
-38 ºC in Svalbard
Svalbard was by far our most challenging trip, both emotionally and physically.
The Arctic is usually our comfort zone, but this was next level and definitely not comfortable!
Spending 10 hours in extreme weather without any break, mushing with exhausted dogs, snowmobiling on hazardous glaciers in a snowstorm, snowshoeing in the polar bear realm, meeting incredibly resilient & fascinating locals…
We thought we knew what the wild Arctic was, but we didn’t until we experienced the harsh, hostile, surreal and undescribable beauty of Svalbard.
And we also got engaged at the polar bear city limit!
Long after we recovered from our injuries and bruises, this trip left an indelible mark on us. Read more about our Svalbard adventure here.
The Bubble Theory
When we travel, we’re under the impression to live in another dimension, almost out of time and reality. This is what I call the "bubble theory". When talking to other "compulsive" travelers, I realize that I'm far from being the only one to perceive it this way. A close friend (who will recognize herself :-)) was telling me the other day "There is my Barcelona me and my native country me".
If you visit many countries, as many "yourself" will be created! Personally, I feel like I'm a mixture of dozens of countries, of hundreds of experiences, of thousands of faces.
Living out of reality gives us audaciousness. We sometimes dare to do crazy things, since they won’t have any repercussion on "reality". Foreign exchange students will of course understand what I mean!
The French movie "L'Auberge Espagnole", from Cédric Klapisch, perfectly illustrates the Bubble Theory. If you haven't seen it, I strongly recommend you to! If you understand French, I also recommend you to read "Touriste", written by Julien Blanc Gras.
When the bubble bursts: back to "reality"
The longer you live abroad, the most difficult it will be to return to reality. Your friends and family back home haven't changed, but you have. In lag with what used to be familiar, landing can be very painful.
Penguin Trampoline tip:
Bubblesick after an experience abroad?
Try to keep in touch with the people who were in the bubble with you — thanks, social media!
In case of a severe nostalgia crisis, they ‘ll be of great comfort!
Planning, or at least thinking about, the next trip also helps.
You can share your pictures and experiences, but you’ll always get the feeling that your friends and relatives can’t really understand. It's very important to keep in touch with the people who were in the bubble with you. In case of a severe nostalgia crisis, they’ll be of great comfort!
The good news is that it goes away with time, and that you’ll probably want to leave again and look for new bubbles.
And that above all, memories are forever, and if you had to do it all over again, you would without hesitation. And even years later, you’ll still smile about it, I promise.
We just got married this year, and many bubble friends were there with us to celebrate :-)
❓ FAQ – “The Bubble Theory”
What is the “travel bubble” you describe?
While traveling, you enter a state where your normal rules and routines no longer apply. The “bubble” refers to that suspended feeling of alternate reality—new place, new self, new possibilities.
Why does time feel different when I travel?
Because familiar cues—work, chores, usual social patterns—are removed. Things stretch or contract differently. You’re freer to respond to your instincts, not just your calendar.
How does traveling change who you are?
Travel exposes you to new cultures, unfamiliar settings, and unknown versions of yourself. When the bubble bursts and you return home, those experiences often stay with you and shift how you see the world.
Is the travel bubble always positive?
Mostly yes—but it can be disorienting. The return to normal reality after an extended trip can feel odd and jarring. You may feel like you don’t fit back into your old world quite the same.
How do you cope when the “bubble” ends?
Keep connections from the trip alive (people you met, places you saw). Plan your next experience. Don’t treat the burst bubble as an ending—it’s a layer of you now, not a departure.
Can I create travel-bubble moments at home?
Yes. You can simulate this by breaking routines, visiting new places locally, changing your daily environment, meeting new people, and giving yourself permission to be someone different for a while.
Ready to enter the bubble?
For more bubble inspiration:
✨ Northern Lights for Dummies — Your warm-up guide to the most surreal light show on Earth.
🐪 Adventure in Morocco — Marrakesh & the Sahara — A journey that bends time, heat, colors, and reality.
❄️ Why You Should Visit Ilulissat — Icebergs the size of cathedrals and that feeling of being very small (in a good way).
🍃 European Wilderness Escapes for Autumn Solitude — Pocket universes of silence and color.
🔥 5 Destinations in Portugal Off the Beaten Path — Soft light, quiet towns, and that delicious sense of being somewhere entirely new.
