Culture shock

It’s been almost two months since I left Italy and Campi Flegrei, and during this time I have not been active on this blog. Some might think it is because the purpose of the blog was to document my stay down there, and therefore lost its purpose as soon as I left. But the truth is that I didn’t feel like writing.

I think one of the reasons is, that it was difficult for me to be back in Denmark. At the end of my stay, I was very happy to be going home. I was homesick. I missed my friends, my family, my boyfriend, my life and my old routines. So I did not expect to come back and feel like everything had changed… I had a new culture-shock.

I was expecting to fall right back into my old life, just as it was before. But the truth was that not only had things changed at home, but I had changed as well. I never truly realized how much it can change you to go away to live in another country (shout-out to my international friends in Denmark who are s brave to decide to go away to a different country for several years, or maybe for the rest of their lives). I wanted everything to be the same. But it wasn’t. My sister, who also spend some time abroad during her studies, described the feeling very well: It feels like time has been standing still at home, but it hasn’t.

So it took me some time to get settled again in Denmark. 4 weeks actually. During these weeks I was besides myself most of the time. A bit depressed actually and had a constant feeling of restlessness combined with not wanting to do anything or see anyone.

Luckily, this feeling has passed and I am getting back on track. I am now working on my bachelor project, which will revolve around destination-development in Campi Flegrei.

I have several things I want to write about on the blog, and now that I am “back” I will start doing just this. So I hope I still have some readers out there, even though I have been silent.

Now my voice is back.