The Unpacking you don’t hear about: Reverse Culture Shock after Canada.

By Aleksandra Wozniak, University of Calgary, Canada.

And alas, the year came to an end! Once again, I traded snowy campuses, poutine and copious amounts of maple syrup for rainy weather and obligatory cups of tea. But coming home felt strange. In fact, home didn’t feel like home anymore.

I found myself comparing everything to my life in Canada: the weather, grocery stores and even connections with my friends. This is an experience commonly overlooked by travellers: the unexpected reverse culture shock.

Read more: The Unpacking you don’t hear about: Reverse Culture Shock after Canada.

Although some may not notice this nostalgia for months, it hit me a week after coming home. I was back in my hometown, in my room, surrounded by familiar objects I collected over my life. Yet, I felt like a stranger, as though these possessions no longer reflected who I was. Especially, I was surprised by a couple things:

1. How “small” my home now felt. – After exploring the vast Canadian landscapes, from Vancouver to Montreal and Ottowa, diverse cities like Toronto, and meeting people from all over the world on campus and during my travels, home felt claustrophobic. I commonly found myself unknowing of what to do next. The conversations I once engrossed in, the landscape of my town, even the restaurants and shops around me, felt oddly local.
2. Missing the culture – I began to miss the politeness, the dry humour, even the amount of public spaces (including parks at every corner)! Even the way people queued felt different. Although I was used to the UK, I craved the Canadian way of life. This was expounded due to the multiculturalism of Canada. The politeness mixed with the diversity of the country makes the integration into its society easy. Coming back to a less diverse enviroment, and one that’s less focused on such integration, was hard. At times “home” felt no longer adequate.
3. Feeling like a foreigner at home – This was easily the weirdest part of coming back home. I noticed that my values, habits and even my sense of humour have shifted. Being back in the country I grew up in now felt out of sync. My friends and family didn’t fully understand my new jokes, hobbies (like winter hikes) and even routines. I tried to go back to the “old ways,” but these no longer felt fitting for the person I was: Although I wasn’t fully Canadian, I wasn’t fully my old self anymore either. This lack of self-understanding is sometimes referred to as the “Third Culture” space.
4. The inability to articulate the impact – I found it especially surprising how hard it was to articulate the impact of the exchange. People expected me to explain how I felt and what I experienced, but they wouldn’t be able to fully grasp the impact without having experienced it themselves.

So, how do you navigate re-entry?

Reverse culture shock is normal and a sign of growth. Here are a couple of things that have helped me accustom to the “old way of life”:

1. Acknowledging that I feel this way, and, equally, that I am no longer the same person I was when I left. This is a natural phase of cultural adjustment!
2. Connecting with fellow returnees – it can be helpful to find others who also studied abroad. Swapping stories, venting and joking can make the transition back into old life easier.
3. Find ways to connect with your exchange life! For me, I went to Tim Hortons for breakfast every week and joined a Canadian society. Other things you could do is cook food from your exchange country at home (like poutine), hike, or even just watch Canadian shows.
4. Be patient – re-adjustment takes time. Getting mad at yourself for these things will only prolong it!

Coming back from Canada isn’t just about unpacking your suitcase; it’s about unpacking a new version of yourself into your old world. It’s messy, surprising, and ultimately, another part of the exchange journey.

That feeling of displacement? It’s proof that your time in the Great White North truly had an impact 🙂