Re-entry into the U.S. may be more of a transition than you realized.

You may find that returning ‘home’ to your friends, family, and campus routine is simultaneously unsettling and comforting. Things you longed for while abroad may suddenly seem foreign and strange. This is normal, and for the next few months you’ll be going through a similar adjustment process as when you first arrived abroad. Essentially, you’ll experience culture shock in reverse.

Reverse culture shock affects everyone differently, but its effects are very real. Generally, reverse culture shock is noted by the emotions you feel in each of four stages. It is perfectly normal to experience a range of moods that may seem irrational to your friends and family, and even to yourself.

1. Leave-taking:
   This is saying goodbye directly to your new friends, host family, and program staff & faculty, or indirectly to your favorite places, neighborhood locals, and other aspects of the host culture that you really enjoyed. The sadness you may potentially feel is also eclipsed partly by the excitement of ‘going home.’
2. Honeymoon:
   In this second stage, you’re absorbed in the excitement of becoming re-acquainted with friends and family. It can continue for some time, or it may last for only a few days as the reality of life in the United States kicks in. You’ll experience marvel and wonderment over simple American items or conveniences. You’ll indulge yourself with foods you had missed and relish the sounds of American English in your ears.
3. Irritation and Hostility:
   As you settle back into your former routine, you may recognize that your overseas experience has changed some or many of your perceptions and assumptions, your ways of doing things, and even what it means to 'be yourself.' You’ll also discover that things are not just the way they were when you left. Friends and family will inevitably talk about stories and experiences that you missed while away, and perhaps not show any real interest in hearing about your experiences. During this phase, it is common to feel irritated and act hostile in certain situations.
   
   You may experience feelings of depression, loneliness, anger, alienation, boredom, homesickness for your host culture, and general apathy. It is important to give yourself the time and space you need to process how you’re feeling and to communicate these feelings to your friends and family. Counseling services are available at Syracuse University if you’d like to talk with a professional about coping strategies and general support.
4. Re-adjustment:
   The re-adjustment period can be on-going, but 'home' will never be as "foreign" to you as the foreign environment seemed while you were overseas. Obviously, the more you have changed--generally proportionate to the time you were away and how deeply you immersed yourself--the more difficult it will be to have things go back to a previous notion of normality. The key to re-adjustment is not to return to the person you were before studying abroad, but to integrate yourself into a version of American daily life that you are comfortable with. Take care to keep up your cultural awareness and world vision; being back on your home campus can be just as stimulating as studying abroad. Look for, and take advantage of, opportunities to share your experiences with others, to continue language-learning, and to engage with other internationals studying in the U.S.