Coming Home After Life Abroad: Repatriation Insights

Living abroad as an expat brings with it a host of opportunities, adventures, and challenges. But what happens when the journey abroad ends and it’s time to return home? For many expats, repatriation—the act of returning to one’s home country after living abroad—can be as emotionally complex as the initial move overseas.

On Rooted and Routed Podcast, I’ve had the privilege of hearing deeply personal stories from expats who have lived all over the world, and one topic that comes up again and again is repatriation—the often-overlooked challenge of returning home after years abroad.

The Changed Perspective

In the episode with Kim Provo, a Belgian expat, she touched on something that really struck me: “I have changed a lot. I have seen things that make you think again. You change.” And it’s true—living in a different country inevitably shifts your worldview. You experience the glamour and excitement of a new place, but you also see things that challenge you, reshaping your understanding of what’s truly important.

• When Kim goes back to Belgium, she notices just how much she’s grown. She talked about how, on one hand, you live this exciting expat life full of new adventures, but on the other hand, you can’t unsee the harder, less beautiful parts of life that you’ve encountered along the way. And I couldn’t agree more. This is something I’ve heard time and time again—expats often return home changed, with a perspective that doesn’t always fit neatly back into the life they once knew.

• For Kim and her family, adventure is part of their identity. As she told me, their family motto is “adventure is such a wonderful thing,” which explains why they’ve chosen the expat life. Unlike the many families back in Belgium who live comfortable, routine lives, Kim’s family thrives on excitement and exploration. That’s why they chose the expat life. So, going back home is not yet in the cards for them, especially when they’ve made the happy choice to move to their new location—Thailand.

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• It was a choice that took into consideration the sentiments of everyone in their family, including her three children. When we think of repatriation, we don’t often think of the children, but with my next guest—kids, their home country, and repatriation were at the heart of the conversation.

Repatriation Through the Eyes of Children

In Episode 7, Part 2 of Rooted and Routed with Luc Mignon, he brought up how repatriation impacts kids. It’s easy to assume that children will adapt just like their parents, but as Luc shared with me, it’s not always that simple. His children were born in the U.S. and now live in India, and he’s already anticipating the difficulties they might face if they make the decision to move back to France.

• As adults, Luc suggests that it’s probably easier to adjust back because you’ve already had a lived experience in your home country. But for kids who’ve only known life as expats, home is a concept that might not feel as comforting or familiar.

• He says, “Because this expat life is so easy, compared to a normal life we would have back in France. A lot of things back home, my kids, haven’t faced themselves. Especially living in India, the level of service is so high—you have a maid, a cook. They come back from school, the house is clean; ready. So, I’m not sure my kids are the most resilient people yet. That’s why we have to work on it and make them aware.”

• This is a sentiment, I imagine, that a lot of expat parents wrestle with—how do you ensure your children are prepared and as Luc says, “protected” from the harsh life back home when the lifestyle they’ve grown accustomed to abroad is so different? It’s a delicate balance of providing for them while also helping them develop the skills and resilience they’ll need to thrive wherever they go.

Navigating the Emotional Terrain

For adults and kids alike, the emotional side of repatriation can’t be overlooked. It’s one thing to pack up your life and return to your home country, but it’s another thing entirely to feel like you belong there again. I’ve heard from so many guests on Rooted and Routed Podcast who say that going back home can feel like being a foreigner in your own country. You’ve changed so much, and while your home country has changed too, it might not be in ways that align with the person you’ve become.

You might long for the familiar grocery stores and traditions of home, but at the same time, you’ve got a taste for the exciting, tumultuous, and expansive expat experience. It’s a tricky process—reintegrating into a place that used to be familiar but now feels different.

Coming Full Circle

Repatriation is a journey just as significant as the move abroad itself. It comes with its own set of emotional and practical challenges. Whether it’s preparing your children for a new way of life or coming to terms with how much you’ve changed, returning home is far more than just moving back. It’s about finding a way to blend the person you’ve become with the place you used to call home.

For many of us, the expat experience is transformative, but repatriation is the next chapter in that story. It’s not just about where you’ve been—it’s about where you’re going and how you’ll continue to grow when you get there.

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