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.

Being female should not be an excuse for staying home, but the sad reality is that often women travelers do need to be more cautious than men, especially if traveling solo.

Still, many women travel alone and have a blast. How? By being sensible and following the tips below.

Ways to stay safe:

• Leave the diamonds at home. Flashing bling will not help you stay unnoticed.
• Don’t swing a handbag. Either put your bag right over your shoulder, so thieves can’t grab and run, or wear a money belt with a minimal amount of cash.
• Be aware of local standards of dress. Don’t bounce around the beach in a bikini if locals cover up. In more conservative countries, keep shoulders and legs covered and wear loose-fitting clothing.
• Look confident. Walk with a purposeful stride and keep to public streets.
• In some countries, solo women travelers are highly unusual. Either find a travel companion or avoid empty places and don’t wander round after sundown.
• Don’t respond to stares and catcalls. If a man is trying to get your attention, ignore him. Responding may be seen as sassy and egg him on. Look away and move on.
• Consider wearing a ring and calling yourself ‘Mrs.’. It says you’re taken and may deter unwanted attention.
• Take a self-defense course. This can come in handy anytime and may make you feel more confident. But use only if being attacked – don’t start the fight!
• If attacked, make a lot of noise and fight back if you can. Afterwards, seek help immediately.

Doubtless this advice will make things sound much worse than they’re likely to be. The trick is to be alert and careful. Don’t let the fear of the unlikely stop you from going, just be prepared.

I try and limit myself to collecting postcards. I have quite a large collection now. It may add up, but they generally cost 50c-$1 each, and they don’t take up much room. I used to buy it all: the clothes, the toys, the wooden figures and keyrings. I’ve learned not to.

But the souvenir industry is huge, a billion dollar monster with tempting shops everywhere you turn. For example, I had an encounter with yet another one today when I took a ferry over to Alcatraz Island, here in San Francisco.

Alcatraz was a prison for many decades, housing hardcore prisoners such as Al Capone. It was a windy, bleak, stony place, with narrow cells and little hope (nice views, though). After completing the audio tour, I coincidentally found myself in the souvenir shop. So, what was the building which formerly housed some of the country’s worst criminals selling?

DVDs. Posters of inmates and grim slogans. Alcatraz salt & pepper shakers. Magnets, playing cards, toys, t-shirts, badges, handcuffs, toy knives… and so on. Really. Salt & pepper shakers? Classy. A compulsory photo of me standing in front of an Alcatraz background was on offer for $22.

So when did this madness start? Check out An Ode To Souvenirs, a great piece about the history of souvenirs dating back to Homer’s Odyssey. It reminds us that we buy souvenirs to remember our trips (“we’re trying to buy back our memories”), but also as status symbols to show where we’ve been, and because human beings simply like collecting things. That’s how I feel about my pile of postcards, although I have no idea what to do with them all.

To be honest, my most sought-after souvenir would have to be a snowglobe (I’m a fan of Citizen Kane). They’re on sale everywhere, but I have yet to find a nice one. So I keep looking.

What do you buy when you travel, and what do you have on display at home?

Related Reading:

• Buying Tasteful Souvenirs
• Trash and Trinkets – souvenir buying guide from Australia’s The Age newspaper

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?