The Art of Coming Home by Craig Storti
The evidence is compelling: the overwhelming majority of people returning from a period living or working abroad find returning to their home culture more difficult than adjusting to the foreign culture. Expecting that home will be the way it was when they left, most returnees are shocked to discover that both they and their home have changed. Indeed the differences between what they expect and what they actually find are so striking that the phenomenon of re-entry is known as "reverse culture shock". In this book, the author takes readers through the re-entry experience. He discusses the highs and lows, the problems and the solutions and what to expect at each stage along the way, defining four clear stages - leavetaking and departure, the "honeymoon", reverse culture shock and readjustment. He provides practical suggestions for successful repatriation, looking at the issues most returnees face.