Arriving Well: Stories about identity, belonging, and rediscovering home after living abroad

by Cate Brubaker

at some level repats sense that due to the absence of any realistic alternative, the stakes of failing at re-entry are much higher.

You are basically the same person who went away and yet fundamentally, totally different. And so is your “home.”

Re-entry into our native countries is often approached as if it were a simple logistical challenge, and not the physical, emotional and mental journey it really is.

Often people are very surprised by how significantly they’ve changed while they were gone. You have enjoyed transformation while overseas. And then you might find yourself in a new city in your old country, which looks massively different.

There is no single “right” way to return.

We believe that re-entry can be an inspirational journey of personal growth that can catapult us to new lives that are as meaningful, enjoyable and transformational as our lives overseas.

Learning to feel at home where I am, while the songs of other places echo in my head, has been like navigating an ever-changing river. There is work to do. Sometimes I need to rest. And there are always new wonders to behold.

What you do in water is different than what you do on land. Swimming is not walking, and floating is not standing. If you choose the water you must use different skills than you would use on land. While you gain something, you leave other things behind.

In order to thrive, I need to remember my environment, and choose the actions that fit.

Once you’ve learned a new way of being, you can’t unlearn it. Once you’ve gone and returned, you can’t unknow what you discovered on your journey.