For the last few weeks I have REALLY been missing Scotland. I think of it every day and when I see pictures I sigh. I was wondering if it was the weather. It has been a very dreek winter, just like Scotland, only MUCH colder. Last week we had a thick haar, only not haar because it didn't roll in off the sea. :)
Last week I was thinking about 'the six-month slump' that most expats get. When relocating to another country, as stressful as it is, it is still very exciting. A new place, a new culture, new food, new styles, new accent (or language). Everything is new and for a while it is fun. But I think they say that at about six months it is not as much fun anymore and expats start to miss home, or just something FAMILIAR.
I hit it really hard at about 4 months, naturally because that was Christmas. I was just tired of constantly having to learn new, basic things, like 'can I get tinned pumpkin anywhere in this country!?' Work was overworking me, we didn't have many friends and the friends we did have were away for the holidays, family was far away, our Christmas decorations were sparse, the sun (when it decided to show it's face) was only up for about 5 hours a day (and it still sat very low in the south). It was a depressing time.
So when I was thinking of all this last week, it hit me that we have now been back in the States for six months. I wondered if many repats felt this. Of course I missed Scotland when we first moved over (even before we moved!) and our situation was a tough one, but I began to realise that we were back here permanently. I didn't think of Scotland daily.
Now I have to remind myself of the things I didn't like while we were there: the taxes, high cost of living, my work, dreek winters (hmmm), our small fridge and miniature kitchen ;).
Of course there are good things about being back here. I don't want it to sound like I am unhappy. This is all just part of the experience.
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4 comments:
I think that's exactly right---reverse culture shock is just as real, and maybe even more difficult, than culture shock. I don't know if that's exactly what you've got, but certainly, sounds like you're missing Scotland! I think I'm kind of atypical because whenever I make a transition, I pretty much fall apart right away, and by 6 months, I'm getting my footing. But if you think about it, when the last stage of your life was in Edinburgh, Scotland, it's hard for anything to compare! :)
The word is "dreich" not "dreek".Only a non-Scots speaker would spell it with a K!!!!
Iain, thank you for stopping by my blog and for posting such a kind comment to someone who loves, celebrates, and really misses the beauty of the country you have been blessed with. I guess you found me out: I'm not a Scots speaker! ;)
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