25 Ways to “Relaunch” Yourself in Re-Entry After Being Abroad (Reverse Culture Shock)

You’re back from abroad and itching to move on to your next adventure…but what if you’re not sure what to do next — go abroad? stay home? get a job? go to grad school?

What if you’re worried you’ll make the wrong choice? Or maybe you feel torn between what you want to do and what others (family, partner, colleagues…) expect you to do?

What if you feel so down about being back home that you just don’t see any option in front of you as desirable?

Start by reframing re-entry to “relaunching”

I used to think in terms of “at home” or “abroad.” As in, I’m not that happy at home so I should go abroad. Things really opened up for me when I started thinking in terms of “home and abroad.” As in, how can I create a meaningful and satisfying global life at home and abroad? How can I live an even better life now than the one I had abroad? How can I find my next global adventure? 

That’s what relaunching yourself in re-entry is all about: living a global life you love now matter where in the world you are. A global life that fits you, and is meaningful and satisfying for you no matter where you live. It’s an ongoing process of returning home, reflecting on who you are and what you want now, and then taking steps towards making your next global adventure a reality.

Thinking about re-entry as relaunching changed everything for me, which is why I’m sharing it with you.

25 Ways to “Relaunch” Yourself

You may be wondering how you can relaunch yourself into your next global adventure. Well, the opportunities are endless! Here, for example, are 25 big and small ways — off the top of my head — that you could relaunch yourself in re-entry:

  1. Teach abroad
  2. Teach online
  3. Start a location-independent business
  4. Find a global job in your home country
  5. Go to grad school
  6. Start a podcast or blog about your experiences abroad
  7. Nurture an important relationship
  8. Spend quality time with family and friends
  9. Build your professional network
  10. Save money for a career break
  11. Find an internship
  12. Start a podcast or blog that demonstrates a skill or expertise you have
  13. Take a job that will build up specific skills
  14. Volunteer at home
  15. Volunteer abroad
  16. Become a mentor
  17. Start an exercise routine
  18. Learn how to cook global dishes
  19. Learn a new language
  20. Explore your home with the “new eyes” being abroad has given you
  21. Write a book
  22. Plan your next vacation
  23. Host an exchange student
  24. Rent out a room to travelers via Airbnb
  25. Send thank you notes to everyone who has supported your global adventures

You can think of relaunching yourself as one big next step, such as finding a teaching job abroad, or as a series of smaller steps that will fit together to create your global life over time.

For example, maybe you decide to relaunch yourself by getting a job that you don’t love but it pays the bills so you can save up for a career break, engage in your favorite hobby, and spend a year of quality time with good friends.

Your Turn!

It’s your turn to brainstorm 25 ways you could relaunch yourself, so grab a piece of paper and a pen. Write down everything that comes to mind – the big things, the little things, the “that’s impossible” things, the things you could do next week, the things you could do next year, things that would take you abroad, things that you could do at home. See how many options you have?

Doesn’t relaunching sound better than readjusting?

To me, relaunching is moving forward, whereas readjusting is moving backwards. You may be home but that doesn’t mean you’re going backwards! You’ve got places to go and an awesome global life to live.

Head over to Facebook and join other global adventurers who are finding their Re-Entry Relaunch in our Re-Entry Relaunchers Unite! Facebook group for more support and inspiration!