Homeward Bound: Tips for Reverse Culture Shock

Monna over at Teacher Meets World, wrote a post last week about leaving Barcelona. She’s Canadian but has been teaching high school students in Spain and, unfortunately, will be leaving soon. In this post, she talks about helping her students deal with their final weeks in school, saying goodbye to their friends and creating rituals around this sad time.

This got me thinking about my own travels, about leaving an adopted country that I love and then the re-entry back to Seattle. I’ve spent extended periods of time in several cities including Saigon, where I taught English in the early 90’s and Sydney, where I worked odd jobs (under the table) to save up some money so that I could continue my year-long backpacking trip through the Pacific Rim countries.

Tearful goodbyes are just part of the transition from having lived in one country to getting settled back into a routine at home. I long-ago stopped feeling culture shock when arriving in a new country. It’s coming home that’s always shocking to me.

Though I’ve been back from Bhutan for nearly a month, I’m just now getting grounded. Part of the problem with returning from a spectacular journey is that I don’t WANT to be home and I do all that I can to hold on to those special moments. Coming home from a peaceful destination like the Himalayas and then being thrust back into the demand of every day life always throws me into reverse culture shock where I question what we (meaning Americans) could possibly be thinking. My local grocery store has an entire aisle filled with chips and pretzels, for example. Why so many choices? Of course, this feeling of absolute absurdity subsides after a few weeks but it’s a bummer going through it.

Here’s how I deal with the transition:

1. Exchange contact information with anyone you think you might even remotely want to stay in touch with long before leaving for home. Add email addresses, phone numbers and mailing addresses to your journal. Take photos of everyone so you can remember them and so that you can send them photos once you return.

2. Purchase items from the country that you’re visiting so that you can surround yourself with them once you’ve returned. Choose more practical items over touristy souvenirs such as spices, tea, a cookbook and clothes. These are items that you’ll use over and over and can be reminders of your travels.

3. Steer clear of the news once you return. Even NPR can be depressing. (Side note – I’m not a TV watcher, so I’ve already filtered out the evening news and being bombarded with ridiculous commercials for medications I didn’t know I needed.)

4. Avoid going to large stores such as Costco. Yes, I have a Costco membership, but this store is the epitome of everything that’s wrong with the U.S.: over-consumption and overspending. I find it difficult being in that environment after having shopped at local markets and corner stores for however long I’ve been traveling.

5. Cook up lots of ethnic eats from the country you’ve just returned from. Sure, it’s never the same, but who cares? Put all those good spices and new the cookbook to use and enjoy every bite of it.

6. Seek out friends who’ve traveled to the area that you’ve just returned from. Having someone to share the experiences with can help ease you back into “normal” life.

7. Share your photos with friends and family through an online photo sharing site such as Flickr, Shutterfly or Snapfish. This gives you an outlet to share your journey while others can enjoy it at their own pace.

8. Take your time with re-entry. Avoid work for as long as possible and reintegrate at your own pace!

9. Stay in touch with the folks you met along the way. Keeping those connections will be a constant reminder to those good times and help ease you back into life at home over time.

Travel Well,

Beth

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8 comments

Comments

On June 8th, 2009 at 10:17 am, marina villatoro said:

I prefer culture shock of a different country than my own. As a matter of fact, I find it a bit painful, as though I’m going backwards in life. I love to visit the US, but I don’t want to move back yet! I need other culture shock for now:)

On June 8th, 2009 at 6:03 pm, Richard Callaby said:

This is so very true and apt for avid travelers. There is such a thing as reverse culture shock that many Americans do not understand when you have been away for so long. It is hard to transition into something as “foreign” as a large hotel room and these HUGE cars we have over here. Even coming back from a civilized country as Italy can put havoc on you if you are not prepared for it.

On June 9th, 2009 at 8:07 am, Carrie said:

These are really great tips, Beth. Exercise and keeping busy are also great ways to deal with reverse culture shock. While not as culturally-minded as the above mentioned, the power of a simple exercise routine or even a new art project or extra class back home can make a world of difference and help with the transition from living abroad to returning home.

On June 9th, 2009 at 10:59 am, Donna Hull said:

Beth, these are great tips for easing back into “normal” life after traveling.

On June 10th, 2009 at 2:56 am, Candice said:

I have always battled to be back home after an extended trip overseas (I’m South African so it’s not just Americans who suffer:) I think it has more to do with the fact that you become used to a different way of life, new habits etc
Its the change that you have to get used to which is so hard, but where all the learning occurs…

On June 10th, 2009 at 7:17 am, Beth Whitman said:

@Carrie – I like your suggestion about exercising. It does help to get some fresh air and be out in nature. We’re usually so shut in (between jobs and family) that this can really help.

@Candice – Indeed, there is a lot to learn from our own culture and the differences between cultures seem so dramatic when we return from traveling. I generally DON’T like what I see right after I return but then I get back into my routine and everything seems “normal” again. This can take me a month, however.

On June 30th, 2009 at 6:33 am, Rachel said:

Oh I hate coming back. It is always so hard to stop traveling in my head and be present back at home.

On July 13th, 2009 at 4:29 pm, Mark H said:

Some good suggestions. I aslo find walking a good therapy (I guess we walk a lot when away). I also favour buying a piece of local art from wherever I travel (which helps a local artist) and give me great memories of places that I have been. It lets me fuss about hanging it and where to put it in my place. I guess that replaces the teas and spices which Australian customs are not very friendly about irrespective of where they come.