Seasoned expats know that culture shock and homesickness are not an issue only when moving to a foreign country 鈥� they also happen when you听move back听to your home country.听This听has been termed听鈥渞everse culture shock鈥澨�� moving back and finding a home that has changed or, on the contrary, remained too similar or static. How can you deal with the repatriation blues?
Be ready for the possibility of repatriation right from the听start
The wisest thing to do is to be prepared right from the beginning.听This听is especially important if you know听for sure听that your expat adventure will last only a few years (e.g., for the duration of a fixed job contract).听
But even if you have no definite plan to return,听it's听still good to have a contingency plan. The pandemic, for one, forced many unplanned repatriations. Other situations may lead you to repatriate: the illness of a family member, abrupt immigration changes, your financial situation, or听the decision to have children, among others.
Housing is one of the first things to consider in a repatriation plan. If you own property back home, it might be a good idea not to sell it. You could rent it and generate some passive income while听you're听abroad, at least as long as currency conversion rates and taxes听don't听put you at a disadvantage. If you need to return home, you can start living there again.听
On the 九色视频 forums, multiple French expats have asked about the process of returning home. Other forum users recommended they make the administrative aspects of the return as easy as possible. Keeping a house in France, for instance, makes it much easier to keep a proof of address听(鈥渏ustificatif听de domicile鈥�)听and even apply for a healthcare card听(鈥渃arte vitale鈥�)听upon returning.
Other repatriating expats who no longer own a house back home have sometimes听been forced听to move back with their families, at least for a few months, until they can find a place to rent. That can cause problems in some situations: loss of independence, nosy/interfering family members and interpersonal clashes,听lack听of a quiet space for work-from-home. These issues can make the re-adaptation process more difficult than it should be.
Also, have provisional plans for potential jobs, education (if you have kids), healthcare, and hobbies in case you need to move back home. These plans might well save you from experiencing a听tough听and stressful re-adaptation curve.
The听鈥淲-curve鈥澨齩f culture shock and reverse culture shock听
The W-curve model, a variant of the听鈥淯-curve,鈥澨齱as first proposed by the American sociologists John and Jeanne Gullahorn in 1963 to describe the culture shock experienced by first-year college students听who've听moved away from home for the first time. It has since听been used听to describe culture shock in general.
In this model, the first U of the W shape concerns听expatriation, and the second U concerns repatriation. When expats first arrive in a foreign country, they experience culture shock (a dip) before starting to adapt (rise). In the first stage of repatriation, things are alright because they are enjoying things like meeting their relatives and eating the local food (to which they probably have a childhood attachment) again.
However, this is unfortunately often followed by brusque dip 鈥� when their close ones realize they have changed,听or听when they听realize that their country has evolved (or听alternatively,听that it has remained too unchanged!).听Thankfully, a period of recovery and re-acculturation will follow 鈥� although this might take months to years for some returnees.
A mix of cultural and emotional issues can make the recovery more difficult for some returning expats.听Some of these issues are the听level of听cultural difference between their home country and former country of听expatriation;听how long they were听abroad;听their gender and sexual听orientation;听their level of education听and听political beliefs.
For example, if a woman lived in a foreign country with more progressive gender norms than her own听country, re-adapting to听conservative gender norms back home might take some time.听When interviewed, a Mauritian expat who had returned home after living in China talked about the difficulty of re-adjusting to a lower level of street safety for women at home. Not being able to walk alone outside after dark was a reverse culture shock for her, and it took a few months for her to feel like听it's听鈥渘ormal鈥澨齮o stay inside after dark or only drive at night. At first, it felt claustrophobic.
On the 九色视频 forum, another expat talks about an unexpected repatriation blues he faced: feeling like a听鈥渞egular Joe鈥澨�(鈥渕onsieur tout le monde鈥�)听at home rather than someone exceptional abroad. This expat returned to France after a few years of living in the UK and Spain. He thought that life would be better in his home country, so he听was not prepared听for the sense of loss of power that came with feeling like听鈥渆mployee n掳2345鈥澨�(鈥渆mploy茅 n掳2345鈥�)听rather than a unique expat.
Another expat on the forum remarked that returnees might be better suited to work for multinationals back home rather than for local companies or听for听the government. It might make the transition home smoother because they are now used to working in a highly international environment. Transitioning to a more local work culture might be difficult for them 鈥� at least at first.
When interviewed, a British expat who formerly lived in Argentina said that the most unexpectedly difficult part of repatriation blues for her was missing the friends she had made in South America.听With the听distance between the two countries,听it's听difficult for them to travel to see each other.听The time zone difference also makes it听difficult听to make unplanned phone calls. She spent the formative years of her 20s in Argentina, so leaving these friendships听still听feels difficult even听5听years after returning to the UK. It has听gotten better听over the years, but she is still getting over her repatriation blues.
Tips for facing repatriation blues
As previously said, be prepared for a possible return听right from the start.
Consider repatriation as just another expatriation 鈥� to a now unfamiliar home. Use the same coping techniques you used when you moved abroad for the first time, but apply them to home this time. Manage your expectations 鈥撎齞on't听expect the honeymoon phase to last or听for听your idealized memories of home to materialize.听Also,听be ready to听accept that you might have missed important events听while听abroad 鈥撎齠riends'听weddings, changes in local politics, etc.
Communicate with people back home about the experiences, values, and opinions you acquired while living abroad so they can understand how you have changed.
Find practical ways to stay in touch with the friends you made abroad (e.g., weekly scheduled video calls, using the same social media platforms as they do, posting gifts, and听playing an online video game together).
Keep doing the same hobbies听that you听started abroad to avoid becoming isolated or feeling like you are听鈥渓osing鈥澨齮he personality traits you acquired abroad. For instance, if you started playing soccer as an expat in the UK, find soccer groups back home to join.
Find groups of expats and former expats in your home country. You might find that you now have more in common with them than听with听fellow citizens听who've听never lived abroad.
Useful links:
听
