by April J.

Created on: January 30, 2009   Last Updated: July 11, 2011

We've all heard of "culture shock", the feeling of anxiety that some beginner travelers get when they find themselves in a country whose culture and norms differ greatly from their own. Culture shock and its companion, home-sickness, can ruin a vacation by leaving the victim fearful, angry, frustrated or anxious. Rather than enjoying the nuances of a new country and making the most of their travel experience, they may end up confining themselves to their hotel, wishing for the stability of home where things are done in a familiar way.

"Reverse culture shock" is the complete opposite of this, and often affects the experienced traveler. Rather than striking during the trip, reverse culture shock takes its toll instead when the traveler returns home and is faced with the return to the grind, often mixed with the realization that the way certain things are done in their home country just may be done better in some other parts of the world. While reverse culture shock can be a good sign as it shows that you are learning some of the great lessons travel has to offer, it can also be quite unpleasant. The following are some of the common aspects to reverse culture shock, and some suggestions for things you can do to cope.

The Rush and the Grind

One of the biggest shocks after the return from a vacation comes in the form of the return to the daily grind. You've been hanging out on beaches for weeks, meeting cool people, seeing amazing sights and exploring the world... and suddenly upon your return you find yourself once again enslaved by the alarm clock and the 9-to-5 workday. In its extreme form, the shock of this can cause you to question everything from your choice of job to your choice of which country to live in. You may feel trapped and frustrated or as though you have been given a small and fleeting taste of what you could (or should?) be doing. Many in the throes of reverse culture shock will briefly ponder that job on a cruise ship, or teaching English somewhere, anything to get you back on that plane and back out into the world. Usually this does pass after a couple weeks (although I'm sure there are those who do hop that plane or boat...)

Other challenges can be added to this as well depending on which country you have been visiting. Many travelers who return from more laid-back cultures, such as those in some Caribbean or Central American countries, find themselves questioning their priorities upon their return to countries such as those in North America.

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