Reverse Culture Shock: Dealing With It Without Spreading It

You’ve just returned from a life-changing adventure around the world, where every day brought you something new and exciting to experience. You can’t believe how much you’ve accomplished in such a short period of time, yet the second you walk through the door to your home, it feels like you never left, as everything looks the same.

And that feeling is only enhanced when you meet up with family and friends, as it may seem as if nothing has really changed with them either. But you have changed, and you’re not sure what to make of the roller coaster of emotions you’re feeling. You, my friend, are experiencing reverse culture shock.

You’ll be happy to know that you’re not alone. Just about every traveler experiences it in some variation (including our very own Sherry Ott). And although it’s not contagious, you can spread it to non-travelers. Here are some tips on how to deal with Reverse Culture Shock without spreading your anxiety, and even depression, to those around you.

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Colombia Overview

Colombia is not usually the top travel destination for Americans. But after living in Colombia for six months, David Lee shows us why it should be.

Colombia is not the first, second, nor even the third destination most travelers have in mind when planning a trip to South America, which is exactly why it can be so rewarding to visit. While the rest of the world remains scared away by outdated stereotypes and Hollywood movies, curious travelers can explore a variety of dynamic cities, traditional pueblo towns, and undeveloped tropical beaches.

Safety is the primary concern on everyone’s mind when considering Colombia as a tourist destination. President Uribe, currently in his second term, is widely credited with marginalizing the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC) and opening up the country’s main roads for safe travel. While visitors should continue to guard against robbery and theft, the likelihood of being kidnapped around any of the main tourist destinations is minimal. Drug and gang-related violence tends to be targeted, thus you are unlikely to be affected unless you are purposefully hanging out with the wrong crowd. Feeling better?

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Culture Shock: Language Barriers

Many people seem hesitant about traveling to foreign countries because of language barriers, but those same barriers can actually enhance the experience. August Flanagan offers some tips on how you can still experience a culture when you don’t speak the language.

A couple of years ago I wandered into the bus station in Vientián, Laos, and promptly hopped on the wrong bus. I eventually got to where I was going after 26 long, uncomfortable hours. For those 26 hours I was alone on a bus where not a single person spoke a word of English.

When I look back on the experience what I remember most is not the 26 hour journey, or the fact that I was completely lost and had no way to communicate with anyone. Instead, I remember how much I bonded with the people around me during that ride.

At one stop I worked up quite a sweat helping the bus driver unload several tons of tile, stowed in the underbelly of the bus (for my effort I was rewarded with a hearty pat on the back, some words of thanks, and a big bottle of ice cold water).

At four a.m. when I awoke to find the bus stopped on the side of the road, the driver asleep in his seat, I climbed off the bus and stood huddled with the only three other men who were on the bus at this hour. While they smoked cigarettes and told jokes I found myself laughing at words I did not understand, and genuinely enjoying myself.

Over the years of traveling I’ve had a lot of similar experiences – ones that have taught me that there are a lot of ways to communicate and share with others. Speaking a language is just one of these ways. Here are a few of my recommendations on how to travel, experience a culture, and bond with others, without ever speaking their language.

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Itinerary Tips from The Blonde Wanderer

Even though Bill & Cindy Peterson have a great deal of combined travel experience, the idea of taking a year off from their careers still terrified them. Like most Americans, the difficult thing for them to get over was the “work hard, save for retirement” mentality.

Still they knew that if they didn’t take this opportunity now to travel the world, they would regret it down the road. And they found their corporate experience to be very beneficial in planning a year of backpacking the globe.

“We used our previous travel experience and our Corporate America budgeting and Excel skills to plan an overall budget. Our budget was broken down into maintenance costs (storage, cell phones, etc.); time for ‘re-entry’ (into the work world), and actual travel money. Our travel money allowance allowed us to establish a monthly travel budget and pick destinations and activities that we could afford.”

Bill & Cindy are now more than half way through their trip, and even managed to extend it from 12 to 14 months by stretching their travel budget even further. They took time off from the road to share with us their favorite tips on creating an itinerary that works best for you.

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Brian Peters: Transitioning from Briefcase to Backpack

How does one go from working a white collar 9-to-5 job to traveling around the world, sleeping in hostels from Thailand to South Africa? Brian Peters from No Debt World Travel shares how he did it.

I worked for years in corporate America in Information Technology, moving up the ladder, changing jobs, taking severance packages and being a good soldier in the corporate wars. Professionally I was accomplished and liked my work but felt something was missing.

I’m not sure where the idea came from, but I thought about traveling to see all the places I’ve always seen on TV. In 2006 I woke up one morning and decided to sell my house. I did not know where I was going to go with that, but I felt that I didn’t want the house to weigh me down if I wanted to make a move. Selling it gave me options.

Thankfully the house easily sold before the real estate market meltdown. A year went by and the thoughts about travel stayed with me. Then in February 2008, the job told me I was being laid off. Most people would react with disappointment or even anger. I was quietly excited. Before this I didn’t know how I was going to leave my job. This was my opportunity.

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Favorite Books: Escape 101 Review

There are millions of people, things, media, and social factors telling you that taking a career break is crazy.

• Why would you ever leave a perfectly good job or paycheck to travel for an extended period of time?
• Taking a break would be detrimental to your career; you may never to find another job again!

The mind is a powerful thing – especially when it comes to taking career breaks. But isn’t it funny how our mind can take a positive thing and twist it into a terrible outcome? And with naysayers questioning your intentions at every turn, you’ll need all the help you can get to actually make your career break dream a reality.

Escape 101: Sabbaticals Made Simple by Dan Clements and Tara Gignac, ND is a powerful weapon that can help you to get on the road to your career break. I recently listened to Dan’s book on my iPod and was enthralled form the moment it began. It was in complete alignment with my view on sabbaticals and career breaks. In fact, while listening, I felt as if I was reliving my career break decisions and struggles from four years ago. There are so many things that make you feel like your crazy if you take a career break, but Escape 101 makes you feel that you’re crazy if you DON’T take one; finally someone is on your side! (ahem – Briefcase to Backpack is on your side too!)

In addition, Clements has taken many career breaks himself. He has even planned career breaks with his whole family, including young kids. He obviously has lived through many of the topics he covers in the book, so it brings some great credibility to his advice.

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Circumstances: Negotiating a Sabbatical

If you are in a position where you like your job and the company that you work for, but feeling burnt out, a sabbatical may be for you!

We recently profiled a couple, Ben & Alonna, who started on their year of travel in August of 2009. Both worked for HP and while Ben decided to leave his job, Alonna was able to negotiate a year leave of absence.

If you are thinking this may be the way for you, follow some of Alonna’s tips on how she successfully negotiate for the time off.

Before approaching my employer about the break, I spent a lot of time researching, getting advice, and preparing a proposal.
My research included online searches for other people doing similar things, and looking up the policies at my company for unpaid leaves. Finding the policy at my company was straight-forward; they allow up to a one-year unpaid leave for personal reasons to be approved by management and HR.

Searching online turned up a few good articles and websites, but I think Briefcase to Backpack is a great addition and fills in a lot of gaps. Just hearing about people in similar situations helps a lot when you’re starting out.

Next I sought advice from multiple people in my company who I trusted. I asked what they thought of the idea and how I should present it. They had great advice and gave me confidence in my plans.

Finally, I prepared a proposal document which described:

• What I want (1-year unpaid leave of absence)
• Why I deserve it (included a list of accomplishments at the company thus far)
• What I would gain (new skills, renewed motivation, personal growth)
• How my work would be covered (a list of items and people who could help out)

When I presented this to my manager he was supportive right away and worked with me to get it officially approved. I think the fact that I was a high-performer and presented a well thought-out plan helped a lot.

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