"When extending my trip week by week turned into deciding to stay, I assumed slotting back into life in Australia would be the easiest move of my life. After all, I was used to adjusting to a new environment. My father's job in the film industry meant I spent my childhood moving frequently (13 different schools in multiple cities and countries)."
"I never thought I would experience culture shock moving back to Australia, but that was exactly what happened. All my years overseas meant I had missed large parts of general knowledge, I didn't understand cultural references or sayings, and I found Australian politics completely befuddling. Although I still sounded Australian, a quick conversation, which inexplicably always started with "where did you go to high school?" quickly established I was not from here."
After living most of life in the United States, a person returned to Australia in their early 30s and stayed after planning a three-week holiday. The expectation that reintegration would be effortless proved incorrect. Long years abroad led to cultural disconnection, missed general knowledge, unfamiliar references, and confusion about local politics. Their accent remained Australian, yet others perceived them as not from here. Familiar conveniences from the United States, including customer service and affordability, were absent, highlighting cultural differences. The person experienced daily frustrations and realized that letting go of the expectation of immediate belonging was necessary to begin finding a place.
Read at Business Insider
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