Sometimes expat partners return to their home nation but not to their hometown. Patience is one of the keys to this complex readjustment.
Home at last…
When speaking to any expat partners who are anxious about repatriating, I usually tell them that one member of our community repatriated after 37 years abroad. Adding to the strangeness of his experience, he was returning to a city far from where he’d been raised. He knew no one and recognised nothing. When his new neighbour complimented him on his excellent language skills, he was lost for words.
Surreal experience
Moving to an unfamiliar place in your home country can be a surreal experience, even if you’ve only been away for a few years. You might be unsure about your next step after taking a career break. If you have kids, they might also find adjusting to a new (non-international) school very challenging. On a day to day level, there can be a lot of small but unsettling moments that heighten your unease and anxiety.
Staying patient
It’s also not uncommon for repats to bury the complex emotions they’re experiencing. Why? Because, they feel that they’re expected to know how to slot in seamlessly. More recently another member of our community was trying to find her feet after repatriating to a town she had never set foot in. She told us that she was grateful to have been reassured by a coach (in advance) that adjusting to repatriation is challenging and takes time. Patience would be key.
Changing course
The repat also appreciated how the coach helped her to manage expectations in terms of her personal goals. After taking time to assess the situation, the repat decided that she didn’t want to return to her old career. After discussing alternatives and possibilities, she has now embarked on a new study path and intends to change course. “Having quit my job over three years ago, I was initially worried about the ‘gap on my CV’,” she told us. “However, the coach has helped me to review my expat life and what I achieved in that time. I feel that now I’m better placed to talk about my three years as an expat partner more positively. That’s given me more confidence and I’m now looking forward to exploring opportunities and seeing what’s next for me.”
This article was originally published for the thousands of expat partners that Global Connection supports around the globe. It is reproduced here in its original form.
