Reverse culture shock is a bitch.

  This is something he stumbled upon, a short note for the batch after his that went to USA  as exchange students, on a little of what to expect when they come back here after 6 months. Somehow still rings true for himself, even if its just coming home after only 2 and a half months in Sarawak.

    Everyone tells you how different its going to be when you go to this place half way around the world. Of course the people are going to be different, of course the weather is going to be different, of course cultures will be different, and of course a thousand little things that you usually take for granted will not be the same when you’re in a different country. And of course you're going to take some time to adapt. It’s called a culture shock.

  But you would never expect what happens when you get home. As far as most of you(and this goes for myself too) are concerned, the 6 months seemed to have passed only for yourself, everyone and everything else back home would be right where you left it 6 months ago. But of course, that’s simply not the case. And when you do realise that, well, it’s called a reverse culture shock.

  The fact is, 6 months did not pass just for yourself, 6 months also went by for everyone else too, and circumstances and people do change in the 6 months that you have been gone. Your friends have been living and going on with life in your absence, your friends may already be enrolled in college; they may have gotten a whole new circle of friends, in short, people move on, and relationships change, along with countless other things that you may or may not be aware of. To top it all off, even you may have changed to the people here. When you consider all these, it is hard for things to go back to exactly how they were when you left, and if you are expecting it to be that way, you are going to be disappointed.

  That doesn’t mean that you have to start from scratch like you did in the States but the point is to be as prepared as you were to experience changes in the States when you readapt back home, instead of taking it for granted that you can fit seamlessly back into old routines and relationships. But regardless what happens, just be ready to accept the fact that people, circumstances and relationships will be different, and that you too will be changed in some way(hopefully for the better), just remember to be open minded, understanding and especially do not expect too much from people back home, even among friends and family.

  Hey, if you can survive the culture shock of being on your own on the other side of the world, this should not be too much of a challenge for you right? Just remember that it works both ways.