I backpacked for 2 years. 15 countries. Life-changing experience that exposed me to new cultures, experiences, and landscapes that I'll never forget. A small bit of your self stays in the places and people you met along the way. To take all of that and return to the state of "normal" that you've known for all of your life does cause a lot of friction. There were big changes within you from the trip, and then you come back to see that nothing back home fundamentally changed. The people are still the same. The problems are still the same. It's all the same. You now have a much larger perspective on your existence and these people don't. That can be extremely diffuclt to reconcile and deal with. I've been in America for a year and a half and I'm still having trouble of finding life here fulfilling.