Reverse Culture Shock

So, Dan and I have arrived back home, in our hometown of Kelowna.

It’s funny (not actually funny),  we were discussing with a fellow traveler only days ago, the effects of reverse culture shock.  Dan and I had mentioned that we both experience it, but I really thought this time would be different.  I mean really, we were only gone for three weeks, the Egyptian culture isn’t exactly shocking for us anymore, and one would think we should know what to expect.  Unfortunately, the only difference was the efficiency in which it hit, fast and hard.

Upon our arrival home, to our actual house, it really hit me.  As I began to unpack my things, hang them up in my closet or throw them in the laundry bin, I couldn’t ignore that empty feeling- I felt nothing.  There was no “Ahhhh“ moment, you know the one, when you lie down in your own bed, have a shower in your own shower or make a cup of coffee in your own kitchen.  Those little moments that you miss while you’re away, regardless of the fun you’re having – well, this time, I didn’t feel those small but important connections to home.  Dan and I felt it as we settled into our room in Red Deer with his Mom, or when I sat on the couch with my parents in my family’s home, but as for our home, well, it doesn’t feel like one. 

It’s interesting, when you travel your hotel or hostel room becomes a kind of safe haven, where you can turn off the challenging and exhilarating experience of daily life on the road, and just be in the comfort and normalcy of your own space.  Now, my comfort space is the opposite, and I long for the certain excitement that only travelling can bring.  So, as I get ready for another day in Kelowna, I glance at  one of my tattoos that I got a few years back, and right now it seems to have grown with me and is asking the question;  am I really close to home?

Egypt 2009 - Our first taste of overseas adventure - when everything changed...