A US traveller has revealed the unexpected downside of visiting Australia, warning others she 'wouldn't recommend' the trip for one surprising reason. Maya Beatriz, who recently spent three weeks in Sydney, said returning home to New York City has been far harder than she expected.
The Emotional Toll of Returning Home
'I need to be honest and I need to get real for a second,' she said in her video. 'I just spent three weeks in Australia and I would not recommend travelling to Australia unless you want to end up like me right now.' She explained that the feeling hit almost immediately after landing back in the US. 'I've been back in New York for 48 hours and I do not want to be here. There's no part of my body that wants to be here,' she said. 'I would rather be in Australia right now and that hurts my soul so bad.'
A Transformative Experience in Sydney
During her time in Sydney, Beatriz said she experienced a version of herself she hadn't felt before. 'I felt like I was my best self when I was in Sydney,' she said. 'I was my most active, happy, healthy, chatty.' She said one of the biggest differences was how easy it felt to connect with people. 'I've never had that many conversations with strangers and been so open and out there. I was thriving, and now I'm back,' she said.
Since returning home, she admitted she has spent much of her time planning how to go back. 'I've spent the whole time on Airbnb and looking at flights planning for the next time I can go back.' Beatriz, who was travelling solo for the first time, said Sydney felt uniquely welcoming. 'As someone solo travelling abroad for the first time in my whole life, I could not have picked a better place than Sydney,' she said. 'If you're coming from the States, Australia is one of the best places you can go.'
Welcoming Culture and Safety
She described Australians as some of the 'most welcoming and nicest people' she had encountered, and said the social culture stood out immediately. 'In Australia the culture is just chatting for the sake of chatting,' she said. 'There are so many people who are also abroad here. Everyone just wants friends. I've not been lonely a single time.' She added that even when she set out to spend time alone, it rarely stayed that way. 'Even if my intention is to go somewhere for solo time, I'm suddenly having a conversation and adopted into a friend group and hanging out with a bunch of different people. That has never happened to me in New York,' she said.
She also pointed to how safe she felt navigating the city compared to home. 'Safety wise - it's a city and no place is perfect, but I come from New York and Sydney compared to New York is a utopia for me,' she said. However, she acknowledged the experience may not be the same for everyone, particularly when it comes to cost. 'All of this also depends on your budget because Sydney is quite expensive. But if you can just get past the length of the flight it's perfect,' she said.
Divided Reactions Online
Her experience has divided people online, with some Australians echoing her sentiment and others saying they feel the opposite. 'As an Australian - come home,' one person wrote. Others shared similar stories of falling in love with the country. 'That's how I felt when I visited … I felt so empty when I got back home. I ended up selling everything I owned and going back,' another said. But not everyone agreed. 'That's weird because I've lived in Sydney my whole life and I feel the opposite,' one commenter wrote. Another added: 'It's a beautiful country but I didn't feel at home there.'
The Familiar Travel Comedown
The reaction highlights a familiar travel experience - the emotional comedown that can follow an intense or meaningful trip. For many, it's not just about the destination itself, but how they felt while they were there. In Beatriz's case, it was the sense of openness, connection and ease that made the biggest impact - and made returning to everyday life feel unexpectedly difficult. It's a reminder that sometimes the hardest part of travelling isn't getting there - it's coming home.
