When the opportunity to live and work abroad presents itself,   individuals tend to focus their attention on the expatriation process as well as the benefits of residing outside the home country. They discuss the impact of an overseas assignment on their career and relationships, identify personal and professional challenges,   speculate about the types of skills and knowledge that will be gained overseas, anticipate career development and personal growth.  Once a decision is made to relocate overseas, practical arrangements follow with concerns mingled with excited anticipation.   

Living in a foreign country brings both advantages and challenges.  Individuals typically will go through different stages defined as the honeymoon, culture shock, recovery, and adjustment phase (Oberg model) prior to successfully adapting to their new life.  Individuals may experience the duration of each phase differently but eventually will accustom to the new environment and become fully integrated into their host country.  Some people plan to remain overseas for only a few years (i.e. transferees, students; others entertain the idea of living in a foreign country for an extended period of time(would-be emigrants).  

After embracing the expatriate life, it is quite common to defer planning the return home or not giving much thought to what will happen after the completion of the international assignment or stay abroad. In fact,  a majority of expatriates, whether they plan to return to their country of origin in the near or distant future,  assume their repatriation to be an easy affair, a simple move that can be summarized as relocating “home”, an environment that is not only familiar but also well-known and understood. However, empirical evidence and anecdotal observations that depict the realities of repatriation reveal quite a number of challenges and difficulties individuals should acknowledge and plan for. Repatriation is not as simple as it seems. As expats, we learn about our host country’s culture and practices, and as we accept and practice new customs and behaviors, we begin to see the world from different angles. These new perspectives not only change our beliefs but also our behavior.  As we go through these phases and evolve, our country of origin, family and friends back home also undergo many changes in our absence.  Internet, Skype, social media are indeed great tools to stay connected to people and organizations we care about but we shouldn’t forget that “being connected “ does not necessarily mean  “being involved” .  

Repatriating is not an easy process because the environment we considered as our home is no longer familiar and understood.   This is called reverse culture shock. It is felt more intensely because contrary to an expatriation, these emotions and thoughts are unexpected.  This may create a lot of frustration. Numerous surveys indicate that about a quarter of expatriate employees resign from their job within a year of the return to the country of origin. A sizable number of returning expatriates report considering new assignments or opportunities abroad.  So if you are planning to return “home” after residing abroad for a number of years, here are some tips to facilitate the transition:

1. Do NOT make assumptions about your repatriation.  
2. Be inquisitive, ask questions about issues to consider (i.e.  social-economic environment in the home country, business and cultural practices, career development, financial planning, education, administrative process, reverse culture shock, cost of living, to name a few).
3. Prepare and plan
4. Seek assistance as needed (i.e. coaching, counseling, professional services).
5. Keep your expectations realistic.  3. Create a support system (i.e. mentors)  
6. Be open.  
7. Accept changes.
8. Use and share your newly acquired skills and knowledge. Repatriation can be as successful and enriching as your expatriation!

Written by Anouchka Eichman, X-Expats

One of the natural things to do when you’ve relocated and are missing everyone back home, is to take a trip back there.  You get all excited about being able to eat at your favorite restaurants, know directions without having to ask anyone or look at a map, and of course, about seeing your best friends and your family.  Once you return home, however, the experience can be very different than you expect.  Whether you meant to or not, you have no doubt changed in subtle ways as a result of relocating to a new culture.  You may suddenly find that behaviors you once found normal or didn’t think about now bother you.  Perhaps you notice that everyone dresses funny, and you realize you used to dress that way, too, and so it hits you as very odd to be criticizing habits and trends that you thought were yours.

The most striking downside of the experience can be that your friends and family tell you to “STOP….”  For example, I recently overheard a conversation about a woman from Minnesota who has been living in New York for four years.  She mentioned a trip home and was struck by the fact that everything was so slow there – from the traffic to the service – that she could not WAIT to get back to New York.  In addition, she picked up some not so nice lingo from the big city, and her family repeatedly told her, “That’s not how we talk in this family.”  She found herself at odds wtih them in her needs and her speech.  This is more likely to happen if you’ve moved from a small town to a big city, or vice versa.  (You can refer to one of my earlier posts about what to expect when moving from a small town to a big city for some additional tips).

Sometimes, this causes disappointment – after all, you thought your trip home was supposed to make you feel better, not worse.  Now what?  Where can you go to feel better?  The answer may be quite simple – you actually have come to feel at home in a new place.  When this thought hits, it can be very jarring.  I remember a trip home when I was living in France.  On the flight BACK to France, I cought myself mid-thought, saying to myself, “When I get home…” and it struck me that I was referring to Paris, not New York.

The experience of what I will call “the concept of home” is a natural part of the adjustment process, and also a shift in your own personal identity, and possibly even your values.  It’s something to be aware of, because it may take you by surprise.  To this day, I actually feel more European than American because I have spent so much time in Europe and adapted many of the customs, traditions, and language I have experienced when overseas.

One potential positive impact of that trip home, though, may be that you return to the place you moved feeling more at home, and realizing that you do know your way around better than you thought, and that you feel like more possibilities open up for your life in that place.

* To learn how Expat Coaching can help you further adapt to a new culture, click here! *

Repatriation is a subject that is getting covered more and more, especially in the past year as the economy has forced many Expats to return home. Of course, other issues could force a return home – from divorce, to family illnesses and beyond.

The return “home” can often be harder than the original move. This is because Repatriates assume they are “returning home to the familiar” and are therefore unexpectedly surprised and dismayed to learn that they no longer feel at home in the place they may have spent most of their lives. Adapting to a new culture implies that you will shift perceptions and ideals in the process. So, what you once thought was familiar, will now feel foreign. And if you went from, say, living in the countryside, or on the beach and loved the outdoors and openness, and return to a big city full of tall buildings, the scenery itself could be an immediate source of disappointment every day.

If you are one of these people and decide that “home is no longer home” and you want to try and find another city that fits you better, here are a few tips, fresh from a coaching session I had recently, that can help you in the process:

1. As you think about places you might prefer to live, try not to focus on the cities themselves.  In other words, if you decide that based on your needs, you think Austin, Texas or Sedona, Arizona would be a better place for you to live than your hometown of Washington, DC, you are setting yourself up for disappointment.  Why?  Because after you visit Austin and Sedona, if you decide you don’t like either, you can jump right into depression, and feel there is noplace for you to live.
2. Instead of making a list of cities, make a list of qualities you need.  For example, open space, within 20 miles of the beach, easy access to transportation, friendly people that greet passerby, etc.  The more you can be in touch with the qualities that now make you happy, the more likely you will find what your seeking.  The other benefit of this technique is that if you visit, say Austin and Sedona, and find you don’t like them as much as you thought, you can look at your list and better understand what’s missing – this, in turn, will keep you focusing on the future, and coming up with alternate cities to consider living in.  Continuing to focus on your quality list will be very helpful in avoiding potential depression.
3. Try vision boarding – this is such a powerful tool.  Use images to help you get in touch with your needs.  You can share your vision board with your life coach, or with a good friend, and they can give you additional insights on what your images reflect.

* Interested in setting up a complimentary coaching session to work on your biggest repatriation or expatriation challenges?  Click here!  *

I recently returned from a wonderful conference hosted by Families in Global Transition.  One of the big topics we discussed was repatriation.  It seems that there is very little support on this topic, though it’s a huge need.  I found the discussion fascinating, and thought I’d share some of the main points of interest-

1. The recent downturn of the global economy has forced many expats to return home earlier than expected.  This has created the sudden need for repatriation assistance.
2. Most people returning home do not think they need any repatriation coaching because they think it will be “a piece of cake.”  The truth is exactly the opposite – in many ways, the return home is more difficult, and more painful than the expatriation process.  Expat coaching can help you prepare for the challenges ahead and give you some great techniques to ease the settling back in process.
3. Most companies do not offer repatriation assistance, further complicating the process.
4. Many people don’t realize they need help until several months AFTER they return home, at which point they figure the problem is them, and they tend to isolate their feelings rather than ask for help.

Some helpful techniques we discussed to deal with the process were:

• Stay connected with your  friends even though you’re leaving soon.
• Reach out for help – get a coach or a therapist to talk through the issues.
• Find ways to engage in communities back home that are related to the country you just left

What are your thoughts?  Weigh in with the poll below and compare your answers -

One of the best parts about living in many places and fully jumping in to cultural traditions, is that it bonds you forever with the people of that culture.

Here’s an example.  I went to Japan a few years ago.  I visited Tokyo, Kyoto, and Nara.  It was an unbelievable experience, and I was exposed to foods, people, and situations I had never dreamed of, all because of my wonderful hosts, and my willingness to try everything. When we went to Nara, we visited the wooden Buddha at the temple, Todai-ji. In the back of this temple, there is a pillar with a small hole at the base.  My hosts told me that if I could crawl through it, I’d be guaranteed a spot in Heaven.  (It was so small, I worried I might get to Heaven quicker than planned!) Shown here is the proof that I made it through!  It was a definite memorable moment of that trip.

The other night, I sat at the bar of my neighborhood Japanese restaurant for the first time.  (Usually I eat at a table.) I had the pleasure of striking up a fun conversation with the Japanese bartender, about life and culture in Japan along with a few other animated diners.  When I mentioned going to the temple in Nara, and began describing how I crawled through this pillar, the bartender instantly knew what I was referring to, and gave me a high-five!  We then proceeded to speak of many special cultural experiences one can have in Japan. 

The discussion made me realize that those of us that live and travel in different places, are granted a very special gift of a bond with others from those places.  You can’t quite describe it, but it is special, nonetheless. 

For those of you who may be facing repatriation challenges, this is also something to remember.  Seeking out restaurants or people from the place you used to live is an excellent way to discuss the traditions you miss, and share your experiences with someone who understands, and has participated in the same experiences. This does wonders both when you need a listening ear, and when you’re trying to meet new people.

In the current economy, some Expats may find themselves unwillingly having to return home due to losing a job. Relocating when you don’t want to adds additional burden to the experience. But sometimes, the return home can be unexpectedly difficult, even when it’s a desired move. I found that once I adapted to another culture, I felt like a fish out of water when I returned home. I had somehow changed, and my friends had not. There was a certain gap created, and it was something I noticed for a very long time.

What are your thoughts on repatriation?