If people worry about culture shock, it's usually before they go abroad, not before they come back home. America's their country, their culture, and of course they know it inside out. It's in their blood. But believe it or not there's such a thing as reverse culture-shock. The world is cruel: it's possible that the better you adapted to life abroad, the harder it'll be for you when you come back. But don't think that it's got to be tough. First of all, these kinds of things depend enormously on the person in question. Second, there's stuff you can to make yourself feel better if you're down.
If you're doubting this is a real issue, consider the fact that CNN Travel devoted an article to the subject. They say that first of all, it's important to realize that this could be an issue. There's other tips, so check it out. Interesting read.
Goabroad.com has a great blog post on the subject. Their main advice? Be prepared:
"Reverse culture shock comes as a complete surprise for many study abroad students because they simply aren't expecting the phenomenon. They've been prepared for culture shock on entering their host culture, but they never imagine that they'll have the same experience upon coming home. Just understanding that this is a probability is key to dealing with culture shock."
There are more resources online, if those two aren't enough. So... be prepared!by Fedor Zarkhin
If you're doubting this is a real issue, consider the fact that CNN Travel devoted an article to the subject. They say that first of all, it's important to realize that this could be an issue. There's other tips, so check it out. Interesting read.
Goabroad.com has a great blog post on the subject. Their main advice? Be prepared:
"Reverse culture shock comes as a complete surprise for many study abroad students because they simply aren't expecting the phenomenon. They've been prepared for culture shock on entering their host culture, but they never imagine that they'll have the same experience upon coming home. Just understanding that this is a probability is key to dealing with culture shock."
There are more resources online, if those two aren't enough. So... be prepared!by Fedor Zarkhin
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