Reverse culture shock help?

N

Nostalgia

New member
Has anyone else ever experienced reverse culture shock? I studied in China for quite a long while and now that I'm back I am definitely experiencing some sort of reverse culture shock.

I guess it is because while there I was having the time of my life and now that I am back in America, I am doing absolutely nothing. I am bored out of my mind and it is starting to really depress me. I am unhappy and lazy and really missing the situation and fun I had while abroad. I have also noticed that people aren't near as excited about my experience, another common reverse culture shock phenomenon.

I suppose I am just wondering if anyone else has experienced this. If so, how did you feel? How did you help yourself get over it?
 
Almost everyone one does. It's quite common. And, besides that, none of your friends or family is really interested in your experience any more. They weren't there, they don't care.

You kind of have to do the same thing you did when you went to China in the first place -- keep yourself busy, don't sit around on the computer moping. You learned a lot there -- what are you doing to keep your language skills up? Do you have Chinese friends? Do you volunteer to help immigrants in your community? Are you active with your school or organization to persuade OTHER kids to do an exchange?

All of these things will help you "get over" reverse culture shock. It's interesting, when we do our pre-departure interview we warn our kids about this. They swear it "won't happen to them" -- and invariably it does.
 
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