That isn’t to say you’re not glad to be home again. But if you’ve been away for years, it’s not necessarily easy to settle back in as though nothing’s happened. Why?

You’ve changed.

You’ve had experiences that perhaps your old friends and family can’t understand or relate to. Perhaps they consider your travel tales big-headed or redundant. But your perspective has changed, so you may well see old things differently.

Symptoms of reverse culture shock include:

• Frustration. Perhaps things seem too slow, or too fast, or you just don’t like the way something is managed, or how people behave.
• Disappointment. Perhaps you expected nothing to have changed, but it has. Settling back in, reconnecting and finding a new job can be hard.
• Depression, or feelings of isolation, that no one understands what you’ve been doing.
• Homesickness. This one may surprise you, because you are “home”. But if you’ve been living in another country, then you made that country your home. You are bound to miss it.

Ways to cope

• Get support. Many countries have organizations to help ‘repats’ readjust to living back home again. Try a web search in your area.
• Accept your feelings. Don’t fight them. Everyone returning after a period away will experience them while readjusting. Be patient with yourself and others.
• Create a routine. Part of the alienation phase is the lack of having a regular daily pattern. Even if you don’t have a job yet, make some daily plans and stick to them. Make social plans and create goals.
• Make a list of the most positive aspects of your time overseas. Keep them in mind as you readjust and seek work. You might feel your OE has alienated you, but many employers will be impressed, and people will come to appreciate how it has shaped the new you.

As a language learner and (former) English teacher, I’m going to pass on my tips for learning a language.

How to learn a language (tips range from beginner to advanced)

1. Balance your learning. Some people learn best from books, others by interacting. Both are valid, but not exclusive. Make sure you talk, read, write and listen. Each one helps the others.

2. Don’t be shy. As a beginner, speaking up can be excruciating. Most people are understanding of this and will be supportive. Don’t be silent, and be flexible. You always know more than you think and your confidence will grow.

3. Live in the country. Ideally you will be living in or visiting the country where the language is spoken in order to accelerate your learning. If so, definitely take a course (which are usual plentiful and come in a range of prices) and chat to locals.

4. Find native speakers. Even if you can’t be in the country, you can still learn by chatting to native speakers. Pay them, or do a language exchange. Practicing with fellow foreigners is good too but remember you are likely to be sharing mistakes as well, and not picking up the natural flow of a native-level conversation.

5. Set short-term goals. It may sound obvious, but try setting goals for each week and keeping to them (eg. one language meetup, one audio book chapter etc). Learning a language is much like exercise – you need a routine.

6. Set long-term goals. There is likely to be some sort of language exam you can take. Signing up for it well in advance will give you something to work towards. Warning: don’t set your goals too high or you will become frustrated.

7. Take breaks. Language learning can be exhausting. Your brain is working very hard. Allow yourself breaks to think and chat in your native language. It will relieve and revive you.

8. Put the dictionary down. The dictionary is the beginner’s lifeline, but opening it every few seconds will stilt conversations and you are unlikely to remember the word for the future. Try and talk ‘around’ the word by describing it , or ‘miming’ it. And when you are ready, buy a basic monolingual dictionary with simple descriptions instead of the New Language – English version.

9. Experiment with ‘thinking’ in the language. Most of us chatter away to ourselves (internally) all day. Try swapping languages and you’ll probably be surprised at how much you know.

10 Don’t lose the basics. As your skills improve and your vocabulary widens you will start overlooking the basic grammar rules you first learned, because you’re concentrating on the more advanced aspects. Go back to your beginner books and skim the rules again.

1. Figure out what your options are
Do you need to learn another language? What is there a demand for in that country? What skills and qualifications do you have, and will they translate well in a new place?

2. Figure out what you would enjoy doing
After researching the above, you need to find something you’ll actually like. There’s little point nannying if you hate it.

3. Have backup savings
Finding a job may be harder than you expect. Make sure you have backup funds just in case!

4. Contact people
Once you’ve chosen an occupation you’d like to pursue, get with the contacting. Use the Yellow Pages or equivalent. Search international job sites. If you already know people in the country, ask them for some advice. This can be done before you arrive, so by the time you get there you’ve already taken steps. Make sure your CV or resume fits the standards of that country.

5. Offer to do an unpaid trial
If you’re not having much luck getting a job, get your foot in the door by offering your service for free for a week. Chances are, if you work hard, they’ll find you a job after that. Or, at worst, you’ve now have some valid experience in your new country. Get a reference.

6. Join expat clubs
Hook up with fellow expats and hear their stories. Don’t take everything to heart, though, if their stories are negative. Not everyone has the same experience.

Case Study: Me
In 2000 I moved to Berlin, Germany, armed with my CELTA. I wrote to all the language schools in Berlin asking for work. I got a few rejections but landed a job with one of the best schools in town. Lucky? Definitely. And teaching in Berlin is now much more competitive than it was then. Still, put yourself out there. People will offer advice and referrals, even if they have nothing for you.

Related Reading:

Finding a job overseas from LiveAbroad.com
10 essential tips for landing a job overseas from QuintCareers.com

I can only speak from the position of a Kiwi, but many Kiwis head to the UK on the two-year visa. Many don’t even know that similar visas are now available for Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Japan and more. The visas are generally 1-2 years’ duration and include the right to work at least part-time while there.

These visas are awesome because they mean you can travel and earn money at the same time! Well, hallelujah!

Even if you’re over 30 it’s not all bad news. There are still visas available, and several are points-based depending on your college degree and work experience.

I’ve had two Working Holiday visas, one for the UK (two years, although I only stayed for one) and Germany (one year). I worked mainly as an English Language teacher, having taken a one-month course in NZ first called the CELTA, which is internationally recognized.

I’ll blog more about work experience overseas and how to get a job in another post. This post is mainly to share the good news that there are lots of overseas visas and you should start researching now!

Where do you want to go? Visit the website of that country’s consulate and check out the visa section. Find people who have lived there (Alabama, Arctic, someone will have done it) and ask them how they managed it. People love being asked how they did something.

Note: You will generally need to apply for visas before you leave your home country.

Depending on the country, there may be some red tape to wallow through first, so allow plenty of time. My visa for England took ages, because there were so many applicants. My German visa took a few days. My visa for the US wasn’t hard but I had to wait ages in queues to be approved. Be patient.

Note 2: There are organizations that can help you arrange your visa. Do a Google search for ‘organize visa for [country]‘. I have never used one so can’t comment too much, however I’m a fan of doing it myself because a) it’s cheaper and b) that way I know exactly what’s going on with my application.

Note 3: If you find that you’re from a country that sadly doesn’t have many overseas visa options, consider finding a job at a multi-national company and get an overseas transfer. Friends of mine have done this with great success.

The first foreign country I lived in was Germany. After a few months, I felt down. It was cold, the culture was different to what I was used to and I only spoke beginner’s German. The main thing that kept me there was thinking, ‘What would I do if I went home? Would I regret it?’ I knew I would, and I’m so glad I persevered because it became one of the best times of my life!

For some, the feeling is so overwhelming that they jump on a plane back home again. I wouldn’t recommend this, as the feeling wears off. Ways to combat homesickness are:

• Stay in touch. It’s so easy now with email, texting and cheap phone rates. You’re never that far away. Ask for a ‘care package’ from home containing some local magazines, food and things you are missing.
• Keep busy. Work, socialize, join clubs. Meeting new people will help you lessen the strong ties to home, and create a new one. What were your hobbies at home? Maybe you can still do them.
• Set up your own site. A blog can help others keep track of what you’re up to and respond easily with their own news.
• Check your surroundings. Maybe the reason you are homesick is because your accommodation isn’t that great, or your location. Or try making yourself more comfortable by putting some photos up or buying some plants. Making a few small changes can make all the difference.
• Think about why you went there in the first place. What did you want to achieve? Work on your goals, it’ll keep you focused.

Have you ever experienced homesickness while traveling? How did you overcome it?