Moving Back Home: Seven Things to Consider

Moving back home after living abroad can bring to the surface a variety of emotions. There is the excitement of being back with family and friends and the relief of getting back to home comforts. But there can also be a sense of deflation as you leave behind your adventure abroad, or a feeling of loneliness as you realise all the things you have missed out on at home. Just as the decision to go abroad is a big one to make, so too is deciding to move back home. To help you make an informed decision, Send My Bag has put together the seven things you should consider before moving back home.

1. Home Will be a Different Place

The home you left when moving abroad will not be the same one you return to. The people you left behind will have moved on with their lives – created new groups of friends, developed new interests, or moved away to another town or country. This means you shouldn’t except to be able to pick up where you left off as soon as you move back home. You may struggle to rekindle friendships, as you haven’t shared experiences for the last few years, or however long you have been away. But, you were able to strike up new friendships when abroad so you should be able to do the same once you are back home.

2. You’ll Return Home a Different Person

It is not only home that will have changed while you were away; you will have changed too. Living in another culture will have taught you the value of alternative lifestyles, given you the chance to develop new interests, and will have altered your perspective and opinion on various issues. As a result, your old way of life may no longer suit you. This doesn’t mean you can’t be happy back home, however. You just need to carve a new life for yourself based on the person you are now.

3. The Grass isn’t Always Greener

You may be moving back home because you are growing tired of your life abroad. The familiarity of home may seem like a more comfortable alternative. You should make sure, however, that you remember why you left home in the first place and consider whether home really is the solution. Think about whether you might miss being abroad once you move home.

If moving home is the only option for you, you can fend off the boredom that might follow by treating home as a new destination for you to discover. You can make the effort to get out and explore the new businesses that have popped up in your absence or to revisit the places you used to love.

4. The Travel Bug Will Never Leave You

As someone who is used to the thrill of travel and of discovering new places, being back home may quickly lose its appeal and you will start to get itchy feet once again. You might find that you are planning your next move abroad within a year of moving home and that you might not really feel settled anywhere again!

5. Your Belongings Need to Move Home, Too

Making a life abroad means accumulating a lot of stuff abroad. The problem is how to get everything back home with you. Taking it all with you on the plane would be impossible and very expensive. Luckily there is a very handy alternative – just send everything home with Send My Bag. Pack up your belongings in suitcases or boxes, have them picked up from your home abroad and delivered to your parents’ house, or wherever you are going to be staying when you first move home. Find out how cost effective it is to send your luggage by getting a free quote here. As a bonus, you get to enjoy your journey home without any of the hassle of dragging luggage behind you or waiting around for it at luggage carousels.

6. Home May be Abroad for Your Partner and Kids 

If you have met a partner abroad and had children together, moving back to your home will be a very different experience for them. For your partner and kids, this will be a case of moving abroad to a place they have never lived before. Thus, while you may be excited about re-experiencing the places of your youth, your family may be feeling somewhat apprehensive. You can make thing less scary for kids by retaining routines similar to those they followed at home. You can also get them excited about their new home by helping them research the area and reminding them about any fun visits they have had to your home town in the past.

7. Others May be Jealous of You

If you move home to friends and family who have not been as adventurous in life as you have, you might encounter some jealousy. Friends might develop an inferiority complex about their own lives and be jealous of someone who was able to leave their home town and do something different. This is not something you should feel bad about, however. You should embrace the experiences you have had and the fact that they have made you a more interesting person. Don’t avoid talking about your experiences abroad just to make other people feel better, but actively nourish that part of your life. On moving back home you should try to maintain ties with friends you made abroad and keep observing customs you picked up while living there.