Let’s start a conversation about a period in life when moving back home after living abroad can be an emotionally distressing experience. The struggle to re-acclimate to the previously familiar surrounding that has become unfamiliar affects more people than you might realise and is also known as the REVERSE CULTURE SHOCK. In the age of globalisation (slowly dissolving in front of our eyes), travelling or living abroad for a lengthy period of time is not an unusual occurrence. Perhaps, you are a college graduate going on a gap year in hopes of finding yourself as you dive into different cultures or you are working professional, who has been given an opportunity to learn from the leading experts in your field abroad and vice versa. One way or another, you find yourself packing your bags and leaving the familiar behind.
You will never forget the first few months it took to settle into a new place being far away from home. Once you get through that part, the foreign soil becomes the most familiar thing you have ever encountered. But, like everything else in life, eventually it will come to an end.
Psychologically speaking, moving back home can be an equally distressing experience as it is moving abroad. In any case, the longer the time is spent overseas, the greater the shock factor upon the eventual return home. I came into experience with the reverse culture shock when I moved back to Russia after living abroad for over ten years. Prior, I have already had two immigrations under my belt, first from Russia to Spain at the age of 12 and then to the UK when I was 19. To be honest with you, I thought I knew what to expect. But, in the past three months I have never felt more foreign in my life. For the longest time I could not pin a term that would describe exactly how I felt and I did not know whom to reach out to.
Another factor that may influence the magnitude of revere culture shock is the extent of the difference in cultures between the expat’s home country and the foreign country. Usually, I am quick to pick up local habits, lifestyle and get acclimated with the norms and surroundings. However, the hardest challenge to moving your life to a different place is starting over anew. It generally narrows down to finding the best places where to get food, what bus to take, which documents to apply for, where to go, whom to ask for help when you don't know anyone in town, how to get a job interview.. it quickly becomes overwhelming.
Down below you can watch a video where I go into detail about my journey coming back, help you draw out the important steps to re-acclimatisation as an expat and more. If you have any questions or are seeking advise, leave a comment down below - let's chat!
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