Reverse Culture Shock: 6 Tips for Coming Home

Reverse culture shock is real. It’s an emotional time coming home from a long-term trip abroad. I enjoyed the past 8 months with no (paid) job, amazing hikes, transformative moments, all while living out of a 65L backpack. Now I am laying in my Airbnb bed in Antigua, Guatemala realizing that my flight home is in less than a week. It’s all extremely overwhelming and other backpackers or expats, I know you know the feeling. Thankfully this is my 4th time coming back from a long-term trip, forcing myself to readjust to western culture. I know what to expect and I feel more prepared versus previous homecomings.

I will share harsh realities of coming home. Things I have to tell myself over and over before I arrive back in the states.

No one cares about your trip.

I know it sounds harsh. Some people do care about your trip and want to hear about it. But majority of your family and friends have already seen your pictures on their own time, they’ve read your blog posts or your Facebook updates. It’s best to assume no one wants to sit for hours and reminisce about your amazing, life changing adventure.

It’s not because they don’t love you or that they don’t care. It’s because maybe they don’t understand or they don’t agree with your lifestyle or they might be jealous OR they are simply busy with their own stressful lives. Whatever the case is, do not take it personally.

I came home once and had a “homecoming” dinner with family and barely anyone asked any questions. I could have cried in the moment. I had to remind myself, DO NOT TAKE IT PERSONAL. Not everyone in my family agrees with a 27 year old traveling the world and “escaping the real world.” It’s fine. It’s FINE. Eat your potatoes and be grateful for your experience. There will be plenty of other people you can talk to. Sometimes it’s a stranger you meet who is fascinated and inspired by your story. Or an uber driver who is also saving up to backpack the world.

Most people are living the same life.

When you get back, it’s going to feel like nothing has changed. Your friend still has the same boy drama. Your mom is still stressed about finances. Your work friends are still working at the job they hate. Trump is still the president *sigh.* This is people’s reality and life. If you care about the close people around you, listen to their stories as well. Their life and problems are just as important as yours.

No one understands.

NO ONE UNDERSTANDS. NO ONE. It’s especially difficult coming home from a solo trip. When you have a travel companion you are able to talk day to day and reminisce once you get home. When you come home alone, it can be isolating and lonely. More lonely than your eight months traveling alone. At home, you are surrounded by familiar faces, but there’s a disconnect. You’ve changed so much, but most of the time your friends have stayed the same.

My friends would laugh and call me a hippie, confused why I started eating vegetarian or don’t want to party anymore. One of my best friends tells me how calm and relaxed I’ve become, claiming I’m a completely different person.

Truth is, they may never understand your changes. You experience so much while traveling and learn things almost daily about life and yourself. It’s almost impossible to explain it.

Accept your differences with friends or move on from the friendship if it is not serving you anymore.

Related post: Best Podcasts for Motivation & Travel

Do not get wrapped up in the consumer world.

This one’s hard. You just lived out of a backpack for EIGHT MONTHS (or however long). You wore the same five shirts, barely did any laundry. And for some reason, a few weeks after you get back, you NEED new heels or a new coat. You find yourself creating a new amazon prime account, going out to expensive dinners, buying expensive soaps and face creams that you never needed abroad.

Remember minimalism is the key to travel. I’m sure your goal is to go on another trip whether it be long or short, do not let material goods come between you and your passion.

Make a bucket list.

What has saved me from depression and the homecoming slumps is to continue to travel. You may be broke, but you can still wander for cheap in your own city. Check out free museums and parks. Take yourself out on solo dates. Fall in love with your hometown or cities nearby all over again. There’s a reason the universe brought you back. Do not quit your travel blog or reading or exploring or whatever you did while traveling.

Create an at-home bucket list of all the things you want to see and do in your town or country.

Related article: Best travel blogging tips

Make friends with like-minded people.

Go to meet-ups or events and make friends with “your people,” the people who inspire you, make you feel normal. The kind of people you want to talk to for hours.

It was a harsh reality when I realized that most of the people I met in college weren’t really “my people.” I had so much fun in college and the friends I made were great and fun, but that doesn’t mean they were lifelong friends. It’s okay to let go of those friendships that don’t fit your life anymore. It doesn’t mean you are better than them or vice versa.

Tip: for local meet-ups, I recommend: Travel Massive and Nomadic Network

Take a moment to breathe.

My last piece of advice is to pause when you get home. Whether it be a few days or weeks. Take time to digest your trip and your life. Spend time with your friends and family. Do not go back to your job right away.

When I get back to Chicago in a week, I plan to stay with my mom for a bit then live on my friend’s couch for a month. I don’t want to rush into finding an apartment or a job. I think it’s important for my health and well-being to ease into life back in the states.

Home is a completely different vibration. You may feel like an alien shipped to a foreign land. While traveling, you found your truth and learned to create home within yourself. Coming home can be confusing and awkward. It’s hard to adjust.

Take a breath and take a moment to think about what you want your life at home to look like.

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I hope this is helpful to travelers who are stressed about their homecoming. I am here to chat if you need someone who can relate. Please leave a comment if you have any other pieces of advice! Need someone to talk to? DM me, @courtneytheexplorer or email me at he***@co*****************.com. I’m always here for a chat.

Thanks for reading!

xoxo

Like this post? I also recommend: If You Love Misery, Travel the World.

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