Title Image Credit: Pixabay
By Rachel Greenberg, Nativ Alumna
It’s hard feeling like a stranger in your own home, but just as you needed time to adjust when you got to Israel, so too you need to adjust back to life here in the United States of America. When you were in Israel, you probably did not realize how much you changed every day, but you did. You learned from everyone around you, picked up new mannerisms, and adapted completely to a totally new lifestyle. So what happens now that you’re home? You’re not the same person you were when you left, but everything around you remains seemingly unchanged.
Here are 9 ways to deal with reverse culture shock:
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1. Share Your Experiences
Now that you’re home it may seem like you’re alone, but your friends, family, and community do want to hear about how you lived like a local, became a master negotiator in the shuk, and found your way around Israel via public transportation. Plus, if you become a mentor for others who want to go abroad, you will always have an attentive audience to share your story with!
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2. Stay Informed
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If you’re feeling out of the loop, check social media and Israeli news sites to stay up-to-date with current events in Israel. This can not only help you feel connected, but you’ll be able to talk to other alumni and friends about what’s going on in Israel. Don’t just revert back to who you were before your experience; instead, wear your elephant pants out, everywhere you go, and rock it!
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3. Write About it
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Sometimes, the best way to express your feelings about your experience abroad is to write about. Writing allows you to positively articulate your feelings and express you sentiments about your recent return to America. Ten years from now, you will look back at something you wrote and you and make yourself fall in love with Israel all over again. Not to mention, we’re always looking for awesome alumni bloggers.
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4. Stay Connected
It is helpful to have people in your life who shared experiences with you in Israel. You can not only reminisce with them about hikes and nights out, but they are also simultaneously experiencing the same emotions as you, and are the only ones who are able to understand how you’re feeling without words. People you met abroad will be some of your closest friends no matter where you all end up living. The best part about staying connected with people you met abroad is travelling to see them for reunions!
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5.Seek new experiences
Find hidden gems in your area, get excited and have yourself a little adventure. Being home doesn’t mean you have to go back to your same old routine: meet new people, explore your surroundings, and try new things. You’d be surprised to find out how many places you don’t know about.
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6.Make a Schedule
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In America, one part of you will want to see everyone you haven’t seen in months, and the other part of you may want to stay in bed and look at pictures and videos from your time in Israel. Plan time in your schedule to reminisce, but also try to get back into your life at home by creating a schedule.
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7.It’s okay to miss Israel
Whatever you feel when you get back from a life changing experience is okay. It’s okay to cry, it’s okay to laugh, it’s okay to plan a trip back, but it is important to not let missing Israel consume you. When you miss it, let yourself acknowledge the amazing experience you just had and use that emotion to realize how much you learned. You miss it because of how much you loved the experience and you wouldn’t want it any other way.
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8.Let yourself process
Feel it. Dive in face first to everything your feeling. Embrace your emotions and give yourself permission to relax, absorb and really think about your time abroad. Be patient with yourself as you undergo the many different emotions and changes that come along with re-entry to America.
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9.Rock your Israeli Look
Instead of trying to revert back to your old American fashion, wear your Naot in the summer, keep your new piercings with pomegranate studs, and rock your genie pants in the supermarket.
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