Re-Entry: My Best Advice for Returning Home

Coming home after your semester abroad can be complicated. A new place can become your new normal, and it is hard to move back. It is expected to feel a bunch of different emotions all at once. You can be excited to go home and see family and friends while feeling nostalgic and sad for what you are leaving behind. However, the re-entry phase can be special in its own way—if you give yourself the space to navigate it.

Here’s my best advice for returning home, based on what has been helping me during my own transition back:

1. Take A Buffer Trip, If You Can

Before jumping right back into your old routines, create a little breathing room. A short trip can help you decompress and reflect before traveling back home. If you have a little bit left in your study abroad funds by the end of your semester, I suggest taking a small, affordable solo trip for a few days. I traveled for a long weekend to a charming city: Santiago de Compostela, in Galicia, Spain. It was the perfect in-between. I took quiet walks through historic streets and lush green parks, enjoyed great food at local restaurants, met new friends, and the slower pace helped me begin to unpack my thoughts before I headed home.

P.S. If you happen to travel to Santiago, I recommend visiting a few amazing places: Parque da Alameda, Praza da Inmaculada, Monasterio de San Martín Pinario, Facultade de Xeografía e Historia, Facultade de Medicina, Laberintos de Belvís, Mercado La Galiciana, and Paseo do Río Sarela. 

2. Journal A Little—Even If It’s Just Bullet Points

For me, journaling is one of the best ways to get my thoughts out. And there is a lot to write about: fond memories, changed perspectives, amazing people you have met along the way, cultural comparisons, and a lot of gratitude. Journaling always helps me make sense of it all. The best part about journaling is that it does not have to be pretty or perfect – journaling just allows you to get all of your feelings out, without an audience or any expectations. Even quick bullet points can anchor you and help you track your mental and emotional progress over time.

3. Read Good Books To Clear Your Head

Re-entry comes with a lot of internal noise. This is a good time to read some lighthearted books and give yourself a nice mental break. Reading—especially fiction or entertaining nonfiction—can give your mind a healthy escape and reframe your thoughts. The right book at the right moment can be as grounding as talking to a friend. One of my best pieces of advice is to find a park and sit in the grass, and read for a little while. I know it has helped me. 

4. Take Some Time to Walk And Reflect

It doesn’t have to be a long or profound walk, but I think it is really important to set aside 10-15 minutes a day to move around and check in with your thoughts. Walking has a way of helping me sort things out. Some of my clearest reflections about my past semester have come from strolling through my neighborhood or going on a run without headphones. 

5. Reconnect With What Makes Home Feel Like Home

It is really easy to have only positive thoughts about studying abroad, but sometimes, in romanticizing the abroad experience, we do not give enough attention to all the good things we are returning to and what we love about where we are now. I think that when you get home, it is important to reconnect with family, laugh with friends, jump back into your favorite sports, clubs, or community organizations. Dive into the things that make you feel rooted in your life at home. You can both enjoy being back while a part of you also misses being away. 

6. Check In With The People Who Helped Shape The Journey

If you had a roommate or host family during your time away, it is important to keep those connections. Whether it is sending each other Instagram reels, audio messages, or weekly FaceTime calls, I think it is important to show people how much you care about them. Tell them the updates in your life, or just send a quick message to say you are thinking of them. Just like you, they too are adjusting to a new normal in their own way.

Overall, coming home is not always easy, but I think we learn a lot about ourselves from this part of the journey as well. Give yourself time to land, slowly reintegrate, and grow. You are not the same person you were when you left for study abroad, and changes, even subtle ones, are a special thing. Embrace this next phase. 

Thank you for following along with me throughout my semester, and welcome back!