She Strengthens

The Hidden Costs of Coming Home

When I stepped off the plane in Washington, D.C. after six months of traveling through Europe and living in Spain, I was exhausted, hungover, and feeling utterly disheveled. My reluctance to leave Spain had led me to linger too long on my last morning, resulting in a frantic dash to the airport and a costly mistake – handing over a small fortune for a sad vegetable sandwich on the flight.

As I settled back into life in the States, I began to realize that my reverse culture shock was taking a toll on my wallet. Many of us are familiar with the concept of culture shock, but its lesser-known counterpart – reverse culture shock – can be just as challenging. The State Department advises that re-entry into one’s home country can create similar stressors to moving abroad, and I was about to learn this lesson the hard way.

Wishful Thinking

Within 24 hours of returning to the U.S., I found myself daydreaming about leaving again. I spent hours researching digital nomadism and teaching abroad, trying to find a way to move back to Spain before grad school. Although my reasons for moving back to the States were clear and well-considered, I wasted money on application fees for various programs, indulging in fantasies of picking up and leaving again. This impulsive spending was a hard lesson to learn.

Unhealthy Habits

Living abroad, I’d picked up some unhealthy habits, including smoking. Despite my best intentions, I continued to smoke after returning to the States, using it as a coping mechanism for the stress and emotional turmoil of readjusting to life back home. Looking back, I cringe at the money I wasted on cigarettes.

Reconnecting

The United States has a strong restaurant culture, and Washington, D.C. is no exception. When I returned home, I threw caution to the wind, saying yes to every social invitation and blowing my budget on eating and drinking out. I was afraid that my time abroad had weakened my relationships, so I overcompensated by spending lavishly. The result was a staggering $1,000 spent on dining out in just two months.

Nesting

After living out of a backpack for six months, I reveled in settling back into my cozy room in D.C. I repainted my walls, bought a new bookshelf, and even got a houseplant. While these small comforts helped ease my reverse culture shock, I soon found myself burning through my “home” budget, justifying purchases as a way to cope with the emotional valleys I experienced during this time.

Lifestyle Inflation

When I returned to the States, I went from living frugally in Spain to having a steady income again. I allowed myself to indulge in luxuries I’d denied myself while traveling, but these treats came at a much higher price tag in D.C. than they had in Córdoba. I caved to emotional spending, trying to distract myself from the sadness and isolation I felt after returning home.

Lessons Learned

In the end, my reverse culture shock spending was a hard lesson to learn, but it taught me the importance of recognizing emotional spending and adjusting my budget accordingly. If you’re coming home soon, perhaps use my experiences as a template to plan your financial landing. Remember, emotional spending happens to even the most money-savvy among us, but it’s how we respond that matters.