So, you’re back home and you’re sharing your study abroad story with all of your family and friends. It feels good to finally be home. Then, after about the third time you mentioned, “Oh, when I was in (fill in your country),” you begin to notice that no one seems to be as interested as you’d hope they’d be. Eyes are glazing over and heads are nodding. Meh.

 

You’re missing cheap street food, you’re frustrated that you can’t take your siesta after class, and the life you once knew before studying or interning abroad is all of a sudden unfamiliar… what’s going on here?

 

Reverse Culture Shock – A Series of GIFs

 

Phase 1: Leaving the place you’ve grown to love.

It’s tough. You’ve made forever friends, grown both academically and personally and you’ve become more culturally aware. You really don’t want to leave, but your life back home calls and you must go.

 

Phase 2: Arriving at the airport stateside.

or maybe even….

This phase can go multiple ways. Most students are so excited to showcase their new fashion and language skills, and overall giving your loved ones a great big hug. You may also feel the instant urge to turn around and hop on the next plane back to your host country.

 

Phase 3: Seeing friends and family – not to mention eating your favorite foods you’ve missed!

Being abroad was life changing, and of course you want to tell everyone all about it. It feels good to have in-person conversations and pick up where you left off. But wait, can you actually pick up where you left off?

 

Phase 4: Starting every sentence with “when I lived abroad” and receiving blank stares (or eye rolls) in return.

Unless you’re chatting with others who’ve also lived abroad, feeling relatable may seem challenging for a while. It can be frustrating at times, but understanding that your friends and family may struggle to know what your experience meant to you and how you’ve changed can help put things into perspective. We encourage you to reach out to your personal and professional contacts from your host country and seek clubs and organizations on your campus with students who share similar experiences as you.

 

Phase 5: Trying to get back into your old routine after a few weeks of being back.

You may be asking yourself (or others) things like, “Why do we have to drive everywhere? Why do professors take attendance? Why does the fruit abroad taste way better? Why is literally everything better abroad? Take me back!” Again, these are genuine questions that most of us ask once we’ve returned home.

 

Phase 6: Lastly, accepting that reverse culture shock is a part of you and that your time abroad is just the beginning of your international experiences.

It’s important to know that these emotions you’re feeling are normal and you’re not alone. There’s an entire network of people who have been here before and have overcome reverse culture shock.

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NEXT UP: Keep reading for our tips on embracing and overcoming Reverse Culture Shock!