Culture shock is the real deal, and it happens to the best of us. We go to another country for a week, a month, six months or a year, and come back a changed person.
So, how does this new person fit in to the American life, and how does this new person fit back into old routines? As a student that studied abroad in Paris for five months, I know the hardships of culture shock when returning to your homeland. It was one of the most difficult things that I had to deal with upon returning. I decided to ask a couple of people who are UF students and studied abroad what their biggest culture adjustments were. Here are a few things to look out for upon returning from a trip across the pond.
Returning home from gallivanting in a foreign country is a pretty difficult adjustment. The fact is that new places are always more exciting, there are new things to see every day and fresh memories to create. This exploration of a new place and culture keeps us searching for more. It is pretty difficult to return home to some place you know like the back of your hand. It almost takes all the excitement out of day to day life when you have to fall back into the same old places and people. We tend to explore less in places we know better, but in a foreign country or city, we are endlessly searching for the hidden gems in the unknown culture. Falling back into your old routine can be tricky, so try and get out of it by going biking around your hometown and explore all the crevices that you may have overlooked.
By trying to explore the things we see as so familiar, we can get over some of our culture shock when returning home. Another aspect of the shock can be brought on by the fact that it is harder to travel in America to new places. We don’t have a very good national train system and flights tend to be very expensive. From my experience in Europe, it was extremely easy to go from country to country because of their amazing train system, the Eurorail. It made exploring beyond borders so easy that you had no reason not to. It is harder to do that here, so like I mentioned before you have to put the effort in, once you return home to explore all the places you viewed as familiar in your hometown. Put in that extra effort and you will find your adjustment to be easier.
Whether you live in a small town and visited a big city (or vice versa) it can be a bit discomforting upon your return. Try and bring home many of the aspects of the foreign location you visited so that you can always carry a piece of it with you. Those past experiences will allow having more of an open mind in situations when you feel uncomfortable or want that big city feel back or want that small town vibe again.
Being close to your family and friends can also be helpful. Try talking about fun times you had abroad, but not too much or else you will begin wishing with all your might that you were still there. Hanging out with old friends and family is always comforting. It can make you feel more at home and not quite as culture shocked.
There are program at UF for current students to help with getting used to being home. UF NaviGators is an organization that helps international students studying at UF get used to Gainesville again. Students aid these international students and in turn have a wonderful eye opening experience of the local culture. This could definitely help with many of the aforementioned obstacles.
If you are going on a trip soon, don’t think too much about the after effects. Have fun and do everything that you hope to fulfill.
