Yes, I expect I have a lot yet to learn, but I'm excited for it. I've seen some videos of people returning to their home countries and having reverse culture shock. That's probably one of the least expected things I've come across in researching expat life.
That is very real!
I moved to England in 1995 and I had no intention of returning to the US. I simply accepted that my life was with my husband and children in England and that was that. I settled in very well. However, the telecoms bust of 2000 hit my family very hard. We lost our business and then my husband tried to return to the sector as an employee and couldn't find work. Finally, after two years of unemployment and we spent every last penny of our savings, we declared bankruptcy and had no choice but to move back to Texas in 2004.
My husband and kids did okay because it was seen as a huge adventure to them but I literally cried every single day. It was hard to start over and live in my father's home while waiting for my husband's green card and not knowing what was going to happen. I left my hometown in 1990 as a 20-year-old and here I was back as a 34 year-old with kids and a husband and no income and no clue what was going on. I had to navigate schools, getting a driver's license, getting a job after eight years as a SAHM, the tv was totally weird and buying food in the grocery stores was different. It was very hard to adjust and it took years for me, especially, to fit in. My husband took to the US very well almost immediately and it was lasting...
Until now.
He and I celebrated 20 years of marriage and we were discussing the plans for our next 20 years. He admitted that he's ready to go home to England. We knew we would be returning eventually and I'll admit I didn't really believe we would but he's ready to go in three years which was a little bit of a shock to me. But here we go again. So, I'm interested if we will experience culture shock in reverse.
