How to Deal with Reverse Culture Shock

Living in another country changes the way you think. You return home a different, "expanded" person. After all, that's a large part of the reason most of us travel.

The problem with all this mind-expansion is that it comes with its own kind of growning pains, also known as culture shock. Volumes have been written about how deal with the akwardness of adjusting to a foreign culture, but there's another kind of culture shock that can be just as disorienting. Reverse culture shock, sometimes called re-entry shock, refers to the feelings sadness and frustration that engulf many travelers soon after they land back on their native soil.

I know how it is myself. After living in Europe for several years, I decided it was time for a trip back to the States just for a few weeks to visit family. I expected that a few things had probably changed. What I didn't expect was the overwhelming feeling of foreigness that hit me within just days of getting off the plane. In some ways, my first week "back home" was harder than my first week abroad because I didn't expect the place to feel so foreign. I felt like a total outsider. Just the sound of English all around me felt strange.

Fortunately, a well-traveled friend brought it to my attention that most people need a little re-adjustment time. The next time I came for a visit from Europe, I knew how to make the transition a little more smoothly.

Here are five things you can do to soften your landing, too.

1) Know what to expect

One of the most important factors in dealing with any kind of culture shock is being prepared for the feelings you might have. The emotions caused by reverse culture shock are similar to those when you enter a foreign culture. You've already survived them once. Just keep in mind that the initial "honeymoon stage," followed by feelings of sadness, alienation, and frustration are normal for reverse culture shock, too. They don't imply that you've lost the abililty to live in your native culture.

2) Prepare for landing

If you haven't been keeping up with news on the home front, start a few weeks before you leave. A lot can change in just a year. Read through the online versions of local newspapers and make a few phone calls to chat with folks back home about what's been going on. Don't forget to pick up a little entertainment and sports news, too, so you won't feel like an outsider when everyone's talking about that hit sit-com you've never even heard of.

3) Keep busy

Make plans for the first few weeks after you get back. Catch up with friends and family, visit your favorite hang-outs again, or just take in a show. This not only helps you take your mind of the stress of re-adjustment, it also re-immerses you in the culture you once felt perfectly comfortable in. The trick, though, is to make these plans before you leave so any disorientation you feel once you get back home won't stop you from wanting to go out. In general, about a week before you leave, try to start mentally living in your native country as much as possible.

4) Respect your fellow citizens

When you first entered that mysterious foreign land that was to be your home for a while, you worked hard to be "culturally understanding" of the locals, right? Well, the fact is, you'll probably have to do the same with your compatriates. Once you see how other cultures do things, it's easy to get frustated with your fellow citizens for doing things that are "obviously" ineffecient or illogical. Mentioning that, "In Paris, they've solved this problem by...," might make you seem worldly, but complaining, "You know, a Frenchman would never do that." isn't likely to win you any friends.

5) Seek out other travelers

Now matter how much your friends and family love you, there's only so long they can stand your constant rambling on about your travels. And ramble on you will. Don't worry, it's normal. It's the mind's way of assimilating the information you've picked up. To avoid wearing out your near and dear, though, look for cultural centers and other places where you can find frequent travelers or immigrants (from your host country or elsewhere) who can truly understand your expereinces. If you're really enthusiastic, talk with a local library or school about giving a presentation on your host country.

Fortunately, reverse culture shock generally takes less time to pass than "regular" culture shock. After all, you don't have to learn a whole new set of customs and social rules (not to mention a language) from scratch, just re-adjust a little. Within a month, you'll probably feel perfectly comfortable again.