For most of us, the adventure has to come to an end at some point. No matter if you’ve been away for a few weeks, or a few years, it can be quite the adjustment moving home. I’ve moved home a few times – once after being an au pair in the Czech Republic, the second time after being an au pair in Madrid and both times I felt reserve culture shock and found it hard to get reestablished in my home city. So here are some tips for moving back after living or travelling overseas.
1. Rent from the Beginning
It is such a good idea to rent when you move back home – both in terms of property and appliances. If you’re free spirited and enjoy living overseas or long term travel, chances are you might get itchy feet once you’re home. As such, I think it’s wise not to tie yourself down too much before you’re really sure that you want to be at home long term. I would suggest looking for a rental contract for 6 months, to give yourself a decent amount of time to test out being home before you commit to buying property or furniture. Rental City have a great range of products that you can rent for your home, instead of purchasing everything outright.
2. Invest in Quality
When you do get around to buying furniture, I always suggest buying the best products you can afford. Yes, it can be tempting to get cheap furniture, but I feel like couches tend to wear out so much faster if they’re a cheaper option – in the end you’ll likely end up spending more. SunPan.com have some lovely products at affordable pricing, so that can be a good place for you to start looking!
3. Don’t Forget Your Trip
There’s nothing worse than feeling like your trip or time overseas never happened. As such, I think it’s a great idea to have relics and photos from your time overseas. I try to buy one thing in every place I go, so I have something that I can take home with me and show off around my home. Getting some canvases printed with photos you took is also a wonderful way to have your time overseas on display in your home.
4. Join Some Groups
If you feel a little sad since returning home, why not join some groups with people who share your love of travel or the region you were in. If you were learning a language, why not continue that in your home town? It can be a great way to meet new people, but also helpful for keeping the language fresh in your mind. You can also look into Couchsurfing, which is hosting overseas guests in your home town. If you’re unable to host, you can still use the platform for meeting up with people and showing them around where you’re from. It can be a great way to keep that travel vibe alive without actually travelling.
Coming home can be quite an adjustment, but with these simple tips, you can make it as smooth as possible. Please let me know in the comments below if you have any suggestions for moving home after living overseas.
