Life After the Road: The Transition from Tour to Home
Adjusting to life off the road can be surprisingly challenging sometimes, for roadies returning from tour. The shift from a fast-paced, tightly scheduled environment to a slower, more relaxed home life takes some getting used to. This blog explores the various hurdles roadies face when they come back home and offers insights into navigating these transitions smoothly.
From struggling to slow down and constantly seeking tasks to fill the day, to funny sleeping habits and the challenge of getting back into cooking, there are many unique aspects to this adjustment period.
Read on to understand these common post-tour challenges and how to tackle them effectively.
1. Slowing down is hard
When you're on tour, you're expected to be in multiple places on time, get your work done quickly, and adhere to a very strict schedule. You're always on your A-game, minimizing mistakes.
Coming home can present a surprising challenge as you try to slow your pace and avoid imposing this urgency on family and friends. On tour, you arrive early and ready for load-ins or bus calls. But when you plan to go out with family and friends, and they're not ready at the agreed time, it can quickly agitate a roadie used to the constant rush. This is understandable and often takes a few days to calm the mind and adjust.
2. Ticking every box
Similarly, you might notice a roadie who has just come home picking up or even creating tasks to stay busy and preoccupied. You wake up, and they have changed all the lightbulbs in the house, sorted out the garden, cleaned the house, and made a trip to the tip. This constant activity reflects the pace they've maintained while on tour, and it takes some time to realize they don't need to operate at full throttle anymore. However, having an eye for things that need to be done and getting them done can be very strong in the first week of being home.
3. Sleeping like you’re in a box
This one can be quite funny. After spending a large portion of a tour sleeping in a bunk on a tour bus, it takes a while for your body to remember it has more space to sleep. You'll see a newly returned roadie moving while they sleep, but only covering a very small area. If we didn't, we'd be falling out of our bunks every other night. Hence the motion of lifting our bodies and turning either way in mid-air. Don't worry, we'll take up the whole bed again before you know it.
4. Not leaving enough time for cooking meals
You can blame catering and restaurants for this one. While my stage manager claims he does the opposite, returning roadies often struggle to get back into the habit of cooking meals. We're so used to having all our meals prepared for us while we're working or eating out at restaurants on our days off that cooking at home just doesn't cross our minds until it's too late. This often results in ordering takeaway instead.
5. Always packed and ready to go
We often keep a lot of our gear in our case or day bag, even when we’re at home. This can make sense if we have items specifically for touring or another tour coming up soon. Personally, I do it to minimize the chances of forgetting something when I hit the road again.
So, don't be surprised if, when your roadie gets home, it looks like they're just making a pit stop.
6. Getting yourself back into peoples minds
When we go on the road, our families and friends don’t just sit at home waiting for us to return. They continue with their lives. When we finally come home, it can feel like we’re not really there, as they continue with their routines without us. It takes time and determination from the roadie to remind everyone that we're home and available for get-togethers.
Remember, you were the one away, and if you want to get invites to things, you need to put in the extra effort. None of this, "If they don't reply immediately, I'm not asking again." We have to put the effort in, so get on it before you return home and hit the ground running.
I hope you had an amazing time on tour, and now that you're home, you can enjoy your time there as well. Every roadie has unique dynamics and experiences—some of the things mentioned above might sound familiar, while others might not apply to you at all.
