Joyeux Anniversaire à Moi-Même + Reverse Culture Shock

Bonjour bonjour,

Today is my 21st birthday, though it's a little anticlimactic.

More strikingly, today marks that I've been "home" from Canada for 3 whole weeks. As expected, though, it's taking some time to fall back into my "normal" routine.

I've seen my family, started school, gone back to work, and tried to readjust to life as it was, but I still can't shake this feeling of dissatisfaction, angst and wholehearted loss that seems to be steming from being away from Paris and the friends who surrounded me in the dorms, missing the hustly-bustly Moncton atmosphere, and speaking God-awful English all the time, (a punishable offense less than a month ago).

I feel like I'm in shock, and no one including my friends and family quite knows how to react to it.

In the meantime, I can't help but ask what keeps (most) Americans from Smiling like (most) Canadians, and why, just WHY, are there no decent sushi places in Macomb?! Reverse homesickness certainly exists, and I am swimming in the midst of its awful funk...

Luckily, some insightful Leathernecks of years past created Western's Ambassadors for Study Abroad (WASA): an organization that provides a place for study abroad alumni to share their stories with fellow international education enthusiasts to help them cope with the stress of "re-entry".

As WASA's current President, I can't wait to encourage open lines of communication within the group, and to create as many opportunities as possible for members to share these valuable sentiments, as well as memories, photos and stories of any kind. This will help future travelers understand, and prepare for the inevitable pressure of coming home, and should this help alumni come to terms with reverse culture shock, and realize that these feelings are normal and temporary, and that they are not alone.

What were your sentiments upon returning home from a trip, or study abroad adventure? Tell me below in the comments.

Thanks for reading.