You know that feeling of returning home after a long time abroad? That’s a thing. It’s called reverse culture shock. Most will think about culture shock when they move abroad but very few think about the impact of returning back home after their stint in another country. It can be difficult to settle back in to your home country but there are ways to make it easier.

Letting go isn’t easy.

Whilst wanderlust may haunt you and you may be constantly reminded of your times abroad with every photo you catch sight of or a familiar smell of street food, there are ways you can make it less painful. Why not consider getting back in touch with your host family or a new friend you made whilst abroad? We’re sure they will appreciate the thought and catching up will help the experience to feel less surreal. You could even consider starting up a blog and writing about the experiences you had and helping out other teachers who may be considering teaching abroad.

No longer a snowflake.

You were most likely the snowflake - the unique teacher when teaching in a school abroad. Coming back home, you lose that in a way. However, that doesn’t have to be the case. You are still unique in that you have taught abroad now. You can engage your pupils with international tales and the experiences you had previously and you are now able to bring a wider perspective to your classes.

Keeping the adventurer inside you alive.

Just because you are not in a completely new surrounding with new places to explore and new people to speak to doesn’t mean that you have to give up your sense of adventure. During your time abroad, chances are that your home country has changed quite a bit too. There will be plenty of places at your doorstep for you to explore and to continue meeting new people. You could potentially move out of your hometown and explore a different city. If you do, you can attend meetups in the local area to meet like-minded individuals. Whatever you do, keep that sense of wonder alive and try to see ‘home’ through a new lens.

If all else fails, you could always indulge in your passion in teaching abroad and be comfortable in the knowledge that that is what you are meant to do. Get in touch with our team of international recruitment specialists to find out more about opportunities available.