"The emigrant's destiny: The foreign country has
not become home, but home has become foreign." - Alfred Polger (d. 1955)
Don't get me wrong, I'm very excited about moving back to Australia next year, but a good part of me is nervous and sad. I'll be very sad to leave this country that I love, this country that I left once and needed to come back to again. The last time I moved back to Australia, I went through nine months of horrible reverse culture shock, far worse than anything I felt moving to Japan in the first place.
When I move back next year however, I'm hoping it's going to be different. I hope that moving back with a purpose (business, home, family plans), will ease it all.
On a cheerier note, here are some others that strike a chord with me;
"You must be the change you wish to see in the
world." - Ghandi"If you have built castles in the air, your
work need not be lost; that is where they should be. Now put foundations under
them." - Henry David Thoreau"My religion is very simple. My religion is
kindness."- Dalai Lama
Thank you to Strawberry Kisses for this week's theme and to Angela, the fabulous hostess of This is...
12 comments:
Oh yours are great tooooo!Isnt this fun reading all these wonderful things??I feel completely inspired!
xoxo
I love that quote!
I think one of the things that makes going back "home" hard is that in some ways you expect "home" to be familiar, and it is, but many times it's not as familiar as you expect it to be. I recently read a quote that repatriation is like stepping in and out of a river. When you leave "home" you step out of that particular river, and when you come back and step back into that river, even if you step back in at the exact same spot that you left from, the river is different because it has continued to flow while you were gone.
I had an ah-ha moment when I read your quote and also Fuji Mama's comment. I've done the ex-pat thing and also found it difficult to settle back "home" again (even though I was "home sick").
My culture shock is never as drastic, thanks to both being Western countries, but yeah...no matter where you end up, there is always something missing now. :(
Great quotes.... I've done the ex-pat trip twice - in two different countries - and each time coming home is a shock, a thrill, a disappointment, the best and the worst thing I've done. There's no "right" place to be, it's all about being happy enough with yourself to be anywhere.
A well-travelled friend once said to me "wherever you go, you still have to take yourself. I know - I've been everywhere... AND THERE I WAS!".
oh, I am feeling this quote, and I didn't even change country... or even state!!! Ha!
I'm sure this time you return you'll be more aware of the feelings to expect, and therefore be more able to comfort yourself through them. Change is always a difficult thing, even if it's great, it's always a bit unsettling for a while. But you'll be fine. It'll be great, and you'll have 2 countries to all home :)
yeah, understand completely....you have changed but when u come home nothing has changed, therefore things have changed! if that makes sense....I think u r right that if u have plans, goals and things to get on with you will adapt more quickly.
beautiful quotes - i can relate to the foreign one...when I lived in Cyprus I was ready to come back home to Sydney but scared, nervous and sad too - i still feel torn sometimes between two places but life goes on...routine follows and things settle...you'll be fine!!
If only all people could live by the religion of kindness, it would be such lovely world.
Love your quotes Melanie.
i can really relate to the first quote, i lived in japan for three years before moving to aus {am a canadian} and indeed, home is sometimes the most unfamiliar place I can be....great quotes:)
x ashley
I know exactly that feeling! After living in Munich for four years, I got home and -I like your word for it - reverse culture shock - definitely set in. I still miss Munich, but have such great memories and I still keep in contact with all my school mates...even if they too are scattered all over the world now!
I know how you feel too, having been in the same situation myself. I think that is a great quote too.
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