After spending 4 months in Milan, I finally returned back to the United States and it truly was bittersweet. I loved my time abroad and I really do miss being there, but at the same time it was a very long time to be away from my family and I did miss home.
It may seem crazy but you really do experience reverse culture shock when you return home. I thought this would not happen to me because I was returning to my “normal” so none of this would phase me but I couldn’t have been more wrong.
Since being back, I noticed how different the U.S. is from Europe. A major difference is the people. You may be surprised but people in the U.S. are actually a lot friendlier. Strangers here smile at you when they pass you whereas in Europe they think you are really weird for doing that. Additionally, customer service agents are so much friendlier and more willing to help. It was also really hard to manage my jetlag. It took me days to get myself back into a normal sleep schedule and routine. Similarly, I became so used to eating dinner around 9pm every night that adjusting to dinner around the American norm of 6pm was very strange for me. I also found myself occasionally using Italian words, or searching for Italian food in grocery stores, forgetting that people do not know what I am saying or that product simply does not exist here.
One of the biggest things I struggled with was comparing everything to the places I traveled. Quite often I found myself saying “this doesn’t taste like the pizza in Italy” or “this isn’t as pretty as the highlands in Scotland.” Many of my friends have also said they struggled with this as well after they returned. You’ve spent 4 months enjoying a whole new environment and traveling to all these incredible places it really is hard not to think back to it. My biggest piece of advice really is to try your best not to. Think of all the amazing things you have here in front of you and try not compare. While some things may not be as good, some things may be better!
Studying abroad is an amazing time in your life and you can’t just simply forget it or replace it and it truly is a long time that is hard to just “snap back” from. Be patient with yourself. I promise you will figure everything back out. Remember the good from your trip but also think of the good still ahead of you and you will have no trouble at all adjusting to being back in the USA.