We are here, too - on mental health abroad - S2E8: Visitors: balancing home ties and new connections

S2E8: Visitors: balancing home ties and new connections

09/27/23 • 20 min

We are here, too - on mental health abroad

Ever find yourself longing for the comfort of familiar faces while stationed in a new country? Have you ever realized that the people in your host country now know more about your current life than those back home? Join me as I share my personal experiences of living abroad, discussing the nuanced dynamics of maintaining ties with home while fostering new relationships abroad.
Balancing the expectations of visitors from home and honoring your own routines abroad can be a thorny issue. How do you help them understand the novelty of your life abroad might have worn off for you? How do you cope with major milestones celebrated away from home, with the emotional support coming from afar? We'll explore these intriguing contrasts, with a special focus on the mental health and emotional aspects of life abroad.
I hope you enjoy this episode!

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We are here, too is a podcast about mental health and life abroad, hosted by Francesca Lo Verso, an Italian counsellor living in Scotland.
We are here, too exists thanks to the support of friends, family and those of you whose testimony of life abroad inspired me. Thank you!
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Previous Episode

S2E7: Seven signs you are experiencing reverse culture shock

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Going on holidays to your home country or returning home after living abroad can feel like stepping into a parallel universe. As your host, Francesca, I reveal how I navigated my own journey through this disorienting maze in an episode dedicated to the fascinating subject of reverse culture shock. With the backdrop of an Italian native living in Scotland, I take you through my personal experiences of readjusting to life in a familiar place that somehow feels unfamiliar. Together, we'll explore the emotional turbulence, social challenges, and cultural puzzles that come with this complex experience.
But rest assured, there's light at the end of this maze, and I share actionable tips on how to work through reverse culture shock in the least traumatic way possible. No, it's not about racing through, but rather taking it slow, and integrating habits and customs from your host culture into your newfound reality. We'll delve into how to manage the struggles and conundrums of reverse culture shock, underscoring the importance of understanding that each individual's experience and circumstances are unique. Have you lived abroad and now find yourself back home, feeling like a stranger? This episode is your guide to making the transition as smooth as possible.

Next Episode

S2E9: After the holidays

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Let me take you on a journey, a journey that many of us have experienced, but few have recounted - the emotional rollercoaster of going back home to our host country after the holidays. The thrill of the unfamiliar, the pang of homesickness, and the inevitable culture shock - they're all part and parcel of living abroad. We're going to dig deep into these feelings, giving voice to what many of us have felt but struggled to express.
But living abroad isn't just about the places we visit or the exotic foods we taste - it's about the relationships we forge. Connections that can provide comfort in difficult times, relationships that help us grow in ways we couldn't have imagined. We're diving into this facet too, discussing the power of relationships in making or breaking our experience.
I am ending the season with a tantalising glimpse of what's to come - Spoiler Alert, it's going to be all about relationships.

We are here, too - on mental health abroad - S2E8: Visitors: balancing home ties and new connections

Transcript

Speaker 100:00:07.288

Back in 2010 , a friend of mine came to visit me while I was living in Cyprus .

Speaker 100:00:13.279

Everything went well , we enjoyed our time together . We went visiting places from north to south of the island , we swam , we enjoyed time outside with my friends the friends that I met there and then , on the day of departure , there you are , the volc