Culture shock is used to describe the sensation of leaving home to find yourself in uncomforted, new circumstances abroad. No one ever tells you that it is just as unnerving to return home. The main problem is the expectation of a return to normality when you get back home. The reality is that ‘home’ is just a state of mind, and it has to be cultivated again after you return from traveling. When I arrived home, I had to move all of my belongings out of my ‘home’ and into my parent’s house before new renters moved in on August 1st. I have to look for a job, touch base with all of my friends and family, and work on these blog posts. All this to say that returning home is not as easy as you would like to imagine it to be.

 

This study abroad experience was actually my final class at UGA, so while I’m settling into the swing of regular life, there must be a building momentum to find a job, move again, and properly begin my post-graduation life. In terms of advice, I would just suggest that home is not a miracle pill for homesickness. It takes time to readjust, and this transition period cannot be fully understood until you go through it yourself. Just don’t forget that the culture you call home can be just as shocking as anything that you see abroad.

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