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"The problem is this word home. It suggests a place and a life all set up and waiting for us; all we have to do is "move-in." But home isn't a place we merely inhabit; it's a lifestyle we construct (wherever we go), a pattern of routines, habits and behaviors associated with certain people, places and objects-all confined to a limited area or neighborhood. We can certainly construct a home back in our own culture-just as we did abroad-but there won't be one waiting for us when we arrive…In other words, no one goes home; rather we return to our native country and in due course we create a home."

At the foundation of this transition is the task of determining what to do with the changes that have occurred while you were away and the changes that have taken place within you as a result of your time on study abroad. Life for your family, friends and teachers probably will not be the same as when you departed, but you were not there to gradually adjust to those changes with them. And they have not been able to get used to the things that are different about you.

Hardly anyone avoids the discomfort of this period of growth, but the good news is you will eventually find a way to include your new ideas, skills and outlook in your life back in the U.S. Here are a few questions to consider before your return. Your answers may help you recognize the changes that have occurred during your sojourn.

· What have I learned about my host culture that I did not know previously? In what ways has this changed my view of my host country?
· By being abroad and able to compare my culture with a different culture, what have I learned about the history, values and traditions that make up my home culture?
· While I was away, what significant events have occurred in my country, my family, in my hometown, among my friends and on campus?
· How have my personal values changed because of my study abroad experience?
· In what ways have my stereotypes or biases changed?
· What new skills have I developed (e.g. adaptation skills, second language proficiency, sensitivity, etc) and how might I maintain them?
· How can I express these changes to my friends, family and teachers?
· What might I do to continue to deepen my understanding of host country?