Cross-cultured irony

When abroad, the Westerners that I mix with are like-minded adventurers - travellers who are happy moving from place to place, experience to experience. We share our stories and I am normal to them, nothing unusual or particularly interesting about me. I feel somewhat new to this experience, fresh as I am to the art of travelling and ironically when travelling I sometimes catch myself thinking 'Oh...for a simple, family life at home...'.

Then when I am back 'home', here in the UK, I observe families and hear them talking. They listen to my story, and to them I become interesting, unusual, adventurous, lucky and brave. Their lives are smaller than the one I have embarked on and I catch myself thinking 'Oh...to be back exploring something larger than this...'. And yet their lives are not necessarily simpler than mine.

What is this happening in me when I catch myself wanting to be in the other place? This is a real 'the grass is greener on the other side of the fence' situation arising here. Why am I not settled and enjoying where I am?

Because in reality, I have so much. I have very green grass on both sides of my fence. I have a family in the UK - granted they are not my children, my spouse. But they are my sister, brother, mother, father, nephew, niece, cousin ... So, I shan't give up on my home culture, and I shan't try to change myself to fit another culture. This is how my family, my friends and my country are.

I also have the ability and the means and the 'oomph' to travel...
...so I'll explore.