Returning to Washington

D.C. Metropolitan Area Information

Returning to the U.S. with a Pet

When Washington Is Your Next "Foreign" Destination...

You have adjusted to life in countries around the world and pride yourself on your adaptation skills. Now you face a Washington, DC assignment. Many people neglect to prepare for this stage of cross-cultural living. You have changed, perhaps in ways you don't even realize. Meanwhile, "home" has changed as well.

Research shows that re-entry culture shock is often worse than what you experienced when moving overseas. Prepare, just as you did for your previous transitions. Allow time to say goodbye to your overseas life, and recognize that you may go through the equivalent of a grieving process. Acknowledge that you may hold misconceptions, such as the following:

• Things work better back home
• Services are more efficient
• Everything will be clean
• Nothing has really changed
• Personal relationships can be resumed easily
• I can cope in my own culture without a problem

Make it a priority to ask about and re-learn U.S. culture. What is new and "hot"? What has changed?

Examine your personal culture, now probably a mixture from different places. What habits and attitudes have you picked up? How are you different than when you left the U.S.?

Pull out all of your stress management, coping, and cultural learning strategies. Expect ups and downs, even once you first think you have adjusted, remembering that the "re-entry" process can take a year or more.

--  D.C. Metropolitan Area Information