The moments for reflecting on how you have grown and changed as the result of living overseas are usually few and far between. Yet the changes that have taken place in your daily living patterns and academic relationships, the foods you've grown accustom to eating, the games you've played, the clothes you've worn, the language you've spoken, and the people you've spent time with have probably had an effect on your global perspective. Although you may not have noticed it, the odds are that you have changed and that your perception of things to come will be heightened because you have had the opportunity to live in another culture. The process of reentry to the United States can be easy or difficult and is usually related to how well an individual has integrated into his or her overseas environment. Frequently, the better adjusted you are to an overseas lifestyle, the more difficult the readjustment to life back home.
Expectations also play an important part in the adjustment process.
Feelings of Transition Transitions in life are often associated with loss of friends and family and changes in your status or environment. Feelings of transition are often present when you move overseas and when you return home. For a moment, think back to the weeks before your move overseas. Most likely, you acknowledged that a major transition was imminent. Moving away from the United States, you probably expected to undergo a period of adjustment to a different environment and culture.