So you just returned from your amazing semester abroad. You’re now an expert traveler with amazing stories of eating gelato in Italy, seeing Paris from the top of the Eiffel Tower and being surrounded by beautiful Europeans 24/7.
The truth is returning home can be more challenging than leaving. You’ll be day-dreaming about that one time in Germany or constantly texting all of your new friends abroad. Don’t worry, I've been there. Here’s the nitty gritty truth of what it’s like to come home and tips on how to adjust back to normal life:
1. The interest fades
Everyone will be really excited to hear your stories when you get home. You will get asked “How was your trip?” at least 100 times. Sorry to say that interest lasts for about one week. Pretty soon your friends will get annoyed with the constant stories about times abroad.
2. You feel trapped
No more two-hour flights to another country every weekend; those days of jumping on RyanAir to explore Barcelona’s beaches are over. You’ll be thrown back into a normal routine where people expect you to go to class, lead Student Government, blah blah blah. You’ll feel a sense of restlessness to get OUT.
3. Things don't feel the same
You’ll realize things that were so important before studying abroad just aren’t now that you’ve seen different ways of life. Pizza back home won’t taste as good as it did in Rome, weekends will seem boring and you may have to push yourself to reconnect with people and get involved again.
Sounds pretty gloomy, right? Have no fear. Below, you'll find tips that'll help you hold onto the awesome person that you were abroad and re-adapt to regular life:
1. Stay connected with friends abroad
With hundreds of apps now, like WhatsApp, Glide, Skype, and Facetime (just to name a few), it’s easy to stay in touch if you put in the work. Send texts when things remind you of trips and memories shared, especially when you’re feeling extra nostalgic.
2. Keep traveling
Take weekend trips and use breaks in school/work to see new cities. Just because you’re not on a different continent doesn’t mean you can’t continue to explore. The U.S. is so easy to travel by car and filled with everything from country culture to bustling cities. So grab your snacks and go!
3. Be global at home
Go to travel or study abroad conferences. It's refreshing to hear from others who have shared the same experiences. Honestly, it’s like a little therapy group. You can all cry together about how you miss your host families and no one will judge you. If conferences aren’t for you, get involved with your college’s international students! You’ll make new friends, get a one-on-one peek into their culture, watch them go through culture shock like you did (instant bonding moment) AND have somewhere to crash if you happen to visit their home country *wink wink*.
4. Take a gap semester/year
Who says you can’t go back? Instead of jumping into a career right out of college, find an awesome program that’ll take you halfway around the world. Don’t follow the common path...feed that travel bug! It might even make you stand out at your dream job someday.
Studying abroad is and will be one of the greatest experiences of your life, and it’s okay to mourn it. There’s nothing more liberating than jumping from city to city with your passport in hand and a journal of crazy memories, but don’t let that nostalgia hold you back! Bring what you learned to the present, keep traveling and stay global.
