D
ear students returning home,
First of all, let me say this – welcome back!
We are so happy you’re back, and we are pretty confident your loved ones feel the same way.
We also understand if you have mixed feelings right now about returning home.
Let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we?
Remember how you moved abroad days, weeks, or months ago, and how you felt during the time leading up to your departure?
The excitement of spending some extended time in a new place?
The anxiety, the stress, the occasional fear that you made the wrong decision?
The worry about finding your way, finding friends, finding yourself?
(Maybe not as much that last one, but I bet that one is the most obvious now.)
Yeah, you got over most of that the second you arrived in your host country.
You had your first few days of amazement, hilarity, experimenting with typical local dishes and drinks, and you started to get to know your fellow students.
You then managed to establish a routine, become familiar with your new home, and get into your new surroundings.
Doesn’t it seem so long ago?
Do you still recognize the person you came as, or have things changed?
Can you see a shift in your thoughts, views, and even perceptions of others?
The truth is, you have changed. You have upgraded yourself, and you are now the 2.0 version of you (not even the beta version).
You have handled more than you thought you could.
You managed to negotiate your classes, your neighbors, your professors, the public transportation, the city, the people, and yourself.
You conquered little bits (or big bits) of homesickness, and even a little bit of real sickness (and not just hangovers).
You were able to get yourself out of sticky situations (remember that time when you wanted to have a complete meltdown, yet you held it together pretty well?). You even managed to use your language skills to have a real conversation with someone.
You’re pretty much a cultural ninja at this point.
However, now you need to continue being a cultural badass as you begin this returning home process.
Now, you have a whole new slew of questions that you’re asking yourself:
How long before my friends and family no longer want to hear about my time abroad?
How the hell am I going to adjust back to campus?
When will I be able to return back to my new home?
How will I survive without the local (insert thing you will miss most here)?
The fact is, you will adjust. You will be excited to be back home, and to have your clothes even smell like home again. And oh man, now you can have some of your favorite foods and meals from home again!
… And then you will realize how many things you miss from your home abroad.
And it will suck to not be there.
You will still experience homesickness, and it will never completely go away.
You are now someone who has two – or more – homes. You will always be negotiating between your desire to go home and trying to figure out which home you need.
We are here for you in this adjustment phase. Your friends, family, loved ones all support you, and your study abroad advisors are ready with ways you can continue to connect to your time abroad.
You will have highs and lows in the coming weeks, months, and years.
However, your support system is there. When you are ready to reach out, we will be ready to support you through this next phase.
For now, be present in where you are. Go have that comfort food.
And welcome home.
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An Open Letter to Students Departing for Study Abroad
Coming Home: How to Cope
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