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Reverse Culture Shock

Reverse culture shock refers to certain feelings a traveler is likely to experience upon returning home. It can be far more of an issue than the initial culture shock was to begin with.

It can be described best as a feeling that one no longer fits into their home country or culture. For some travelers, it can be a very daunting feeling, even if it lasts for only a few days or weeks. The best way to handle the feelings and symptoms of reverse culture shock is to be aware of them.

Some things which may contribute to feelings of reverse culture shock include:

If you’ve been gone for a long time, things at home certainly will have changed, some of which may have had meaning or personal significance for you. Reverse culture shock can result from feelings about changed places, such as a favorite pub closing; feelings about changes to others, such as a friendly neighbor who has moved away and left no forwarding information after years of friendship; or changed aesthetics, when one returns home and perhaps notices a garish-looking, new shopping mall staring them in the face only weeks after having been through the Himalayas.

Some people will be unaware that you have been gone, even if your trip lasted several months or a year. This can seem impersonal and insulting, perhaps even unnerving; but, don’t take it personally. You may have been opening yourself up to wider horizons through your travels, but many people back home will have been living the same daily routines as when you left.

Everyday errands and chores, such as doing laundry, tend to take on a bit more excitement when overseas because you are navigating in a foreign language or trying to figure out what all those funny symbols on the washing machine dials actually mean. Now that you are back home, normal becomes normal, and the tedious may once again become tedious. This may result in feelings of disappointment or of having been let down.

You may infrequently encounter jealousy, even among close friends or family. Now that you have completed your first RTW trip, you know how easy and affordable it is to travel overseas for an extended amount of time. But not everyone knows how easy it is, and some people will make assumptions about you or your personal life which are none of their business. If they assume your trip is a sign that you have things easier or better than they do, some people will counter with jealous reactions. They may not even be aware that they are doing so! These are horrible things to hear, and they reflect a misunderstanding by most people of opportunities available to all. As far as the recently-returned RTW traveler goes, jealous comments may serve to amplify a feeling of alienation from home. When in the company of someone who has made such remarks, it is best not to discuss your travels further in the setting concerned. Bringing up “that time you went diving at the Great Barrier Reef” may not lead such a conversation anywhere fruitful or enjoyable.

Things that you may consider faults in your own culture may become more apparent. If you are from a culture where time is considered highly valuable and not to be “wasted” on those who one doesn’t know personally, you may observe your fellow citizens rushing about, not taking the time to truly enjoy each others’ company when circumstances allow. This may again serve to create a sense of alienation from home, and you may even perceive selfishness or greed in your own culture. If that happens, keep in mind that it is possible your culture may have more civic and cultural institutions than where you were at, and, if so, it is in those venues where true kinmanship takes place. Greed and selfishness occur everywhere, Zen temples or not.

Depending where you go after your RTW journey, you may notice vast material wealth compared to the places where you traveled. Different RTW travelers who notice such a thing will have different reactions to it. Some may think “thank god!” for material comforts whereas many others may feel guilt or disgust at what they perceive as a lack of fairness or balance in the world. No matter which way a traveler’s feelings go, however, they contribute to an overall level of reverse culture shock.

The degree to which reverse culture shock is felt depends to a large extent on how long one has been traveling or living in other cultures. As a way to mitigate the effects, go to a neighborhood in your home city which has immigrants from one of the places you visited. If there are no such neighborhoods, then try a restaurant , such as a “Thai” restaurant or a “Brazilian” restaurant if those are places you enjoyed. Talk to the owners and the staff, greet them in their own language, and order the fish-eye soup or something else which you would never had considered had you not traveled in the culture concerned. It may sound trite, but you will be effectively working your way back into your own culture just a little bit slower. Which, if reverse culture shock is a significant issue for you, may be just the moment or two which is needed to feel a little more balance.

You will eventually consider “home” to be your true home again.