As we stepped off the plane at Frankfurt Airport, I immediately felt a rush of nostalgic excitement. After all, we had not been back since pre-COVID times. Now, being back in the country where I was born and raised and with the addition of my husband and baby, I could not describe the joy I felt, seeing my entire family in the arrivals hall. But with the joy, there was also an unexpected wave of disorientation, a feeling of being a stranger in the country that I called “back home” for so long, whenever someone asked me about Europe.
After more than a decade of calling Australia home, this was meant to be a seamless transition. Hello Reverse Culture Shock! I just could not believe that despite my excitement of reuniting with family and friends, there instantly was a part of me which was longing for Australia. I was homesick!
One of the most striking aspects that hit me was the difference in social dynamics. I felt like child again, with even the simplest of tasks, such as obtaining a phone number or a bank account, having the potential to become challenges. We are in Germany, the country of rules and regulations, could nobody just have written an instruction manual for this?
But amidst the whirlwind of emotions, we knew that moving to another country would be an adventure. We will always remember the reasons why we decided to move here and know that we have a beautiful journey ahead of us.
So to my fellow returners, immigrants and expatriates experiencing the whirlwind, quirks and surprises that come with (reverse) culture shock, remember that you’re not alone. Discomfort is part of the journey and will lead to growth. Welcome the unfamiliar, and remember that home is not just a place on a map.
This blog will detail our journey in the months prior to our arrival as well as our ongoing challenges of building a new life and (re-)discovery. We will take you along and try to show you the country and its (sometimes charming) quirks through the lens of our polarised Aussie sunnies.
