Hello everyone, I hope you all had an amazing week! This post will be about my personal experience with reversed culture shock.
What is reversed culture shock? Taken from http://www.investopidia.com, reversed culture shock is: “The shock suffered by some people when they return home after a number of years overseas. This can result in unexpected difficulty in readjusting to the culture and values of the home country, now that the previously familiar has become unfamiliar.”
Just as the picture above says you cannot go abroad without coming home a changed person. I am currently in Toronto, Canada. I have been here for over a month due to some illnesses that unfortunately I cannot leave until I am fully recovered. I am doing well and should be leaving for Beijing soon enough. However, staying in Toronto after having been gone for months has been rather stressful and exhausting. I have been experiencing reversed culture shock. Although the definition said “when they return home after a number of years overseas” and it hasn’t been even a year yet that I’ve been away from home, I still have suffered from some reversed culture shock. Here are the major 3 things that I’ve suffered from.
1. LIMITIED FREEDOM
My life abroad gave me ample amounts of freedom because my parents were not there. Even though I lived with a roommate, she is not my parent but a friend. There were really no house rules (we didn’t have a routine on who cleaned what exactly), no curfew, no asking where I am going, etc. Being back home has definitely limited my freedom which has taken a while to get used to again. Although it isn’t exactly a bad thing, as I don’t have to do certain things again because I have parents, it can still be frustrating.
2. OTHERS DO NOT UNDERSTAND
I understand many people are curious as to how life is in a different country, I love telling my personal experiences and just seeing the reactions of friends and family. But with every story comes assumptions (that I’m always having fun or I have all happy days) from others. No matter how many times I tell people the struggles I had to deal with, it will most of the time end up with those assumptions. It can really be exhausting telling people over and over again. It also does get frustrating forgetting that, unless someone has been abroad before, no one will really understand all the trials and tribulations that you had to go through in order to survive in a foreign country. This really was a struggle for me and it honestly has made me feel somewhat lonely even. This type of loneliness had increased as each week passed by and it even had me a tad depressed at times. This was a very hard to overcome it.
Please know that just because I’m living abroad does NOT mean I have all good days, there are both good and bad days.
3. SLOW ADJUSTMENT
Adjusting to life in Toronto was actually harder and slower than I had anticipated. The first 2 weeks were probably the hardest 2 weeks that I’ve faced. I was not only adjusting to living with my family again but I had actually forgotten how to get to some places downtown Toronto (yes I am truly embarrassed that I actually forgot) and also forgotten things like merchandise has tax, you give tips in restaurants, you do not push people to get into the train, drivers do care about pedestrians (I know it’s apart of the law), and so on. It was the little things that I can’t believe I forgotten. Not only is forgetting them embarsssing but it is very stressful to re learn them again.
Although there are more things that I had to deal with, the 3 things that I have stated are the major issues I’ve faced and am currently facing. Even though I have faced these issues, I do not regret my decision for living abroad. I have grown in many ways that I wouldn’t have if I stayed in Canada. I have also learned many new things and have a new appreciation for another culture (even if it is my culture). I would honestly not change a single thing for I am truly grateful!
rachelinglivesabroad 