[MUSIC] >> In this final video we'll explore some of the challenges of coming home after an extended expatriate assignment abroad. Well, your time abroad is nearing its end and you're getting excited, you're going home. You're looking forward to seeing old friends, visiting family, eating your favorite foods, knowing the language, knowing the culture, resuming your old routines. What could go wrong? Well, consider this wisdom from the ancient Greek philosopher, Heraclitus. Who wrote that a person can never cross the same river twice for the person and the river are constantly changing, and is never the same person crossing the same river. While you were away in a foreign land, you've changed. You've experienced many new adventures, you're more worldly in cosmopolitan. You've developed an appreciation for different cultures and speak new languages. You may have different perspectives on work and work life, and may have evolving views on geopolitics. While you're away, your family and friends have also changed. They're older and more mature, they have their own new experiences. They have new kids, friends, jobs and partners, and some have moved away, or even passed away. Workplaces change while you're away, old faces are missing and new faces are unknown to you and you to them. The organization has new priorities, programs, politics and leadership. Where do you fit in now? And finally your home country has changed while you were away, politics, government, news, music, cinema dress, and technology are constantly evolving. And your countries' world outlook and foreign policy may have changed. So instead of feeling comfortably at home upon return, you feel like a stranger in a strange land. The shared experiences that returning expatriates is so common, it's been termed Reverse Culture Shock. Reverse culture shock is emotional and psychological distress suffered when returning home after extended absences. Reverse culture shock is common for most returning expatriates, it's very similar to the original culture shock felt in a foreign country, in many ways returning home is returning to a foreign country. It'll take time to adjust and reintegrate into your native culture and country, and the best solution for mitigating and coping with reverse culture shock is to plan for return just as you plan for going abroad. So, start planning your return well before your return date. Where will you live? In your previous residence, someplace new, in any case have a place to land when you return. If you'll return to your current employer, renew connections at work, negotiate new responsibilities commensurate with your international experience, and if unsuccessful, you may need to consider a new job. If you'll be seeking a new job or employer, begin the job search in advance of returning, plan a search strategy for when you return and look for work that leverages your expat experiences. Spend time to reconnect with family and friends, catch up on national and local news and plan for a week or two of downtime in order to reacclimate to your new life before resuming work. Given the challenges of expat life abroad and the challenges of returning home, a natural question to ask, is going abroad worth it? To be sure, becoming an expat has trade offs but so does staying home. Here are some of the positives. A common statement for many expats is, overall being an expat is one of the best things I've done in my life. Common perceived benefits include personal growth, an expanded worldview, understanding different cultures, increased confidence and resilience, new skills and languages and newer expanded job opportunities. Regarding the negative aspects of life abroad, some expats state opinions as, being an expat is really hard like living in a bubble of suspended time. Commonly stated challenges of expat life are, missing family and friends. Personal relations and friendships that are put on hold for years and sometimes atrophy. Constantly dealing with an unfamiliar culture and language, always being an outsider, and the bamboo ceiling of reduced job opportunities with your home company upon return. In summary when coming home after months or years abroad, expect reverse culture shock, the more time you've been away, the greater will be the shock. To mitigate reverse culture shock, plan coming home well in advance of returning, much like your original expat planning. Renew your personal contacts at home before returning, don't return a stranger. Also renew your work contacts and remote and negotiate your return responsibilities prior to your return if you can. If possible, take some time off to reflect on your expat experiences, and to appreciate your new self. And finally, to help answer whether an expat experience is worth it, ask yourself the question which will cause me the greatest long term regret. Going home or staying home? Good luck and [FOREIGN] [MUSIC]
