As soon as I knew I was going to study abroad, I was filled with excitement and focused solely on the trip itself. For months, I prepared by buying new clothes and making sure I had all the necessities. However, I never considered how it would feel to be back home or how challenging readjustment might be.
While being abroad, there are so many new experiences, but also so many things that you miss from home. For me, iced water was a big one. It was possible to get ice water in Itlay, but not without receiving some interesting looks. I also found myself craving certain foods after spending a month abroad. Moreover, I missed my family and friends, even though I stayed in touch while I was away. The first thing I did after my parents picked me up from the airport was to sit down and have Mexican food. However, I had not planned far after that.
Once I finally got home, I was greeted by the mess I left behind when I packed. Adjusting back to my home time zone, which was seven hours behind, was very difficult. I did not expect to experience severe jet lag on the way back because I adjusted so well to the time change at the beginning of my trip. Everyone told me I would wake up around three am and not be able to go back to sleep, sure enough, they were right. It took me two to three days to adjust back to a normal sleeping schedule. Then, for four days straight I woke up at 5:57 am, which was a little annoying but did allow me time to have a productive day.
I would advise anyone going abroad to have a plan for when they return. This was one part of my trip that I overlooked, and I wish I had been more prepared for the readjustment process.
