There are many struggles when one comes back home from a semester abroad—more so than just re-packing your suitcase with all of your souvenirs. You’ve been out of the country for about four to five months and have absolutely no idea what’s going on back home. Your friends have made new friends, and have even become frenemies with people that you don’t recognize. Your school has made renovations so that everything you thought you knew is wrong. To top it all off (besides the jetlag)—you’re out of the gossip loop.
Transitioning back into life at home after being in a foreign country for a semester abroad can be overwhelming. You don’t know where to start or what to do when you see your friends and family again. However, the biggest difference of them all is you.
You’ve grown from your experiences. You’re not the same person that left four months ago — you’re a better version of yourself. Your friends, however, haven’t changed. Life as you know it has carried on without you. Your friends have been doing the same things that you used to do when you were home. You use to find these things fun and exciting, but after being abroad, do you still?
Whether you realize it or not, being abroad has been a whole new cultural experience for you. If you have gone through culture shock, you’ll remember how hard it was to adjust to life abroad. Despite your difficulty adjusting to life abroad, what about returning? It’s actually called reverse culture shock, and it has almost the same effects as culture shock had in your first weeks abroad. Avoiding it can be easy—or not.
Your attitude will prove essential to this process. The first couple of weeks home you’ll have fun seeing everyone that you left behind, but then you’ll start to miss the country you left behind. You’ve molded your American culture to fit into a completely new one, therefore, you’re out of whack with the status quo. You’ll miss the experiences you had while abroad, but it’s important to try to assimilate back into your daily routine. When you have a routine, you won’t have much time to wallow in pity about the fabulous life you’ve had abroad. Distracting yourself with what you’ve been missing at home (and the endless stories that your friends have to catch you up on) will make your transition feel like normal.
Another important aspect to tackle when back home: your friends. You’ve been away for so long and done so many things without them—but what have they done? When talking about your adventures abroad, you might start to notice a jealous glare in your friend’s eyes. This could be because you’ve been bragging for a solid 20 minutes about a trip you had to Paris—but most likely it’s plain and simple jealousy that your friends are feeling (considering the fact that you now have way too many cool stories). The best way to get back into the groove (and not have your friends constantly jealous) is to bring up the stories that have funny (instead of envious) moments. Not that you should downplay your amazing experiences—but if you start to feel like you’re talking too much, it’s a simple fix.
Studying abroad is one of the most rewarding experiences that you’ve done for yourself—but going back to normal life might feel difficult. The experiences you’ve had have changed you. You’ve discovered yourself while you’ve been away, and that you can handle living on your own in a foreign country. So give yourself a pat on the back. Your accomplishments deserve recognition and your travels won’t end now that you’re back. You’ve probably conducted a serious case of wanderlust. Indulge it!
The best part about traveling is experiencing a new culture—and it doesn’t end now that you’re home. If you ever feel nostalgic about your time abroad, plan a road trip. Even just getting out of town for a while and trying new restaurants, new national parks, or a change in daily scenery will remind you of your semester abroad and help you continue your traveling adventures.
You’ve been gone a whole semester; now it’s time to go back. Remember your travels as life lessons and remind yourself of all the good that being abroad has done for you.
