Help for an Unexpected and Early Re-entry

ByDr. Cate Brubaker Re-Entry 101

You’ve returned home from abroad weeks or even months earlier than expected.

You likely had little warning or time to pack up your life abroad and say your good-byes. Your flight home might have been nerve-racking and chaotic, and now you’re exhausted and adjusting to a whole new reality…spending much of your time at home, maybe completing coursework online, no longer having daily adventures with the friends you made abroad, and facing a lot of uncertainty and fear.

Re-entry is a challenging experience when you know it’s coming. When it’s unexpected and earlier than planned? Even more so. But that doesn’t mean you have to just suffer through the re-entry shock you’re feeling.

You’re likely feeling a lot of complex and (even contradictory) emotions right now.

Rest assured, that’s completely normal. What helps at this stage of re-entry? Identifying and processing your emotions. That’s the first step in a typical re-entry, and it’s even more important during a sudden and unexpected re-entry.

>> That’s why I created this PDF and this accompanying audio for you.

Both guide you in identifying your complex emotions, which will help you process them and talk to others about what you’re thinking and feeling as you muddle through reverse culture shock.

I want you to know that you’re not alone in this! Here are some re-entry resources for you:

1. This PDF and this accompanying audio (as mentioned above).

2. Join our free (private) Facebook group.
Share your re-entry story and find help, support, and inspiration with people who “get it.”  

3. Here are four helpful articles: 

4. If you want more re-entry help right now, my Re-entry Roadmap workbook will help.

5. I’m here for you! As I mentioned in the accompanying audio, feel free to contact me anytime (cate at smallplanetstudio.com).

Hello, I'm Dr. Cate Brubaker! Are you a returnee who has been surprised to find your return "home" harder than going abroad? I created the Re-entry Roadmap workbook just for you. If you work with returnees, I'm here to help you with innovative resources and training that will make it easier to provide meaningful support for your returnees.