- Home
- One-Child Policy Introduction
- Debate #1: Sustainability and Resource Availability
- Debate #2: Policy's Impact
- Looking Forward
Re-Entry Story
After returning from China, I faced many challenges and had a
difficult time re-adapting to the realities of the United States. While I faced
serious issues upon my immediate return, such as sleep problems, fatigue, and other temporary complications, I also experienced long-lasting changes, as I re-examined my priorities and values, and what I thought of myself and surrounding home. I know it’s cliché to say that you came back a “different person” but after much reflection, I believe that this statement is completely accurate as I have formed different perspectives about many areas of my life.
difficult time re-adapting to the realities of the United States. While I faced
serious issues upon my immediate return, such as sleep problems, fatigue, and other temporary complications, I also experienced long-lasting changes, as I re-examined my priorities and values, and what I thought of myself and surrounding home. I know it’s cliché to say that you came back a “different person” but after much reflection, I believe that this statement is completely accurate as I have formed different perspectives about many areas of my life.
After a long 48-hour trip back to New Jersey, my mother was waiting for me in the baggage claim. That was the beginning of my emotional rollercoaster. I immediately started crying in her arms and couldn’t hold myself up. Looking back, I’m not exactly sure why this reunion was so emotional for me. This was the first time I was ever separated from my mother for a long period of time without easy access to communication. Because of my strong attachment to her, I think all of my homesickness emotions finally let loose in her arms and for the first time in six weeks, I felt secure and protected.
The first five days of returning, I had an extremely hard time sleeping throughout the night. Experience jetlag going TO China was an extremely different feeling than returning home. Different than my arrival to China, I
returned to New Jersey in the early morning and through much struggle, I succeeded in staying awake all day. However, I had repeatedly unsuccessful attempts when nighttime rolled around when it was time (in the U.S.) to sleep. My body and mind were both wide awake which can be attributable to the twelve hour time difference and the fact that I would’ve been in the most active part of my day, roaming around China
soil. Because this routine continued for a few days, I obviously got overtired, very emotional, and had a resulting unstable feeling throughout my initial return. Other feelings that I remember overwhelming me were helplessness, frustration, and disorientation. Because of my severe anxiety feelings, especially occurring throughout the night when I could not sleep despite my excessive fatigue, the doctor had to prescribe me a small dose of Xanax. This anxiety also rooted from the anticipation of the beginning of my first summer internship at a large corporation in New York City, less than a week after my return to the United States. What would happen if I couldn’t adjust to the time change before I started making my first impressions in the real working community? What if I still couldn’t get sleep and function normally for my first day? Questions like these haunted me 24/7 until I finally started working.
Also, in this initial phase of my return, I felt both lonely and irritable. As the Storti article mentioned, I felt a lack of validation. My parents and close friends were unable to relate to my experience in China and
understand what I endured for the six weeks. This made the transition even harder as I felt like I had no one to talk who truly understood. The other article “Coming Home Crazy” by Bill Holm states it perfectly: “it is too big, too old, too complicated, too unlike anything in our half-world made by Plato, St. Paul, and the British Navy (Holm, 1990). You can read and study as much as you want yet it still won’t provide you with the proper and complete knowledge of China. This made discussing my trip to friends and family at home even more difficult and consequently frustrating when no one could understand.
The first five days of returning, I had an extremely hard time sleeping throughout the night. Experience jetlag going TO China was an extremely different feeling than returning home. Different than my arrival to China, I
returned to New Jersey in the early morning and through much struggle, I succeeded in staying awake all day. However, I had repeatedly unsuccessful attempts when nighttime rolled around when it was time (in the U.S.) to sleep. My body and mind were both wide awake which can be attributable to the twelve hour time difference and the fact that I would’ve been in the most active part of my day, roaming around China
soil. Because this routine continued for a few days, I obviously got overtired, very emotional, and had a resulting unstable feeling throughout my initial return. Other feelings that I remember overwhelming me were helplessness, frustration, and disorientation. Because of my severe anxiety feelings, especially occurring throughout the night when I could not sleep despite my excessive fatigue, the doctor had to prescribe me a small dose of Xanax. This anxiety also rooted from the anticipation of the beginning of my first summer internship at a large corporation in New York City, less than a week after my return to the United States. What would happen if I couldn’t adjust to the time change before I started making my first impressions in the real working community? What if I still couldn’t get sleep and function normally for my first day? Questions like these haunted me 24/7 until I finally started working.
Also, in this initial phase of my return, I felt both lonely and irritable. As the Storti article mentioned, I felt a lack of validation. My parents and close friends were unable to relate to my experience in China and
understand what I endured for the six weeks. This made the transition even harder as I felt like I had no one to talk who truly understood. The other article “Coming Home Crazy” by Bill Holm states it perfectly: “it is too big, too old, too complicated, too unlike anything in our half-world made by Plato, St. Paul, and the British Navy (Holm, 1990). You can read and study as much as you want yet it still won’t provide you with the proper and complete knowledge of China. This made discussing my trip to friends and family at home even more difficult and consequently frustrating when no one could understand.
After first starting work, I became so exhausted and busy that I was finally able to adjust back into a normal sleeping pattern which relieved my feelings of emotional instability. I started falling back into old routines. Unlike many people returning from abroad and experiencing reverse cultural shock, my re-acclimation only lasted for about a week or so until I started getting back into my normal routines.
However, with returning to my old life-style and reverting back to my old habits, I recognized that I developed new attitudes, beliefs, and perspectives. I feel that this experience has accelerated my maturity and self-confidence levels. I have learned to appreciate the little things in life. For example, before going to China, I didn’t understand how lucky we are to live in a democratic state. This trip has made me more interested in our government affairs and what is going on in other parts of the world. China’s leaders restrict vital information to their citizens and providing them solely with news that portrays their country in a positive light. Even accessing the internet in the United States is a marvelous thing and I am still, months later, grateful and amazed at how easy it is to access any information that we are looking for. Many websites and searches are blocked in China depending if forbidden topics are mentioned within them. Because I was over there on June 4, the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square incident, we couldn’t even access the internet because of the amount of interference from the government. I have learned to appreciate the feeling of safety and not having to walk around fully alert everywhere that I go.
Coming from someone who has been a homebody all of her life and would constantly miss home every time after leaving, I am most surprised at my recent transition back to school. While I miss my parents, I no longer have that homesick feeling that previously took over whenever I’d leave for Notre Dame after any academic breaks. In this way, it is also clear that I am better prepared to adapt to change and just roll with the punches. As we visited different parts of China within a short time frame, we had many disruptions
throughout our travel. Many of these disruptions and issues were out of our control which for once in my life, taught me to relax and accept things as they are. This is a valuable life lesson that I hope to retain and use in all future endeavors.
While my initial re-entry and challenges were minimal and lasted for a short period of time, it is clear that I have matured in a way that will forever change my view on life. I am enormously appreciative of what I have, in particular the resources, friends and family, health, and living conditions. For example, Hurricane Irene recently hit my hometown causing my family to lose power for one week and severe monetary damage to our house and property. At the time, this might seem like horrible luck and misfortune, yet I can’t help but to
think about the horrible living conditions abroad and how many people in our world live in poverty without enough resources to even survive. This trip has made me appreciative of what I have, even when times are rough and seemingly unbearable. This is what I believe is the most important part of my re-entry story.
However, with returning to my old life-style and reverting back to my old habits, I recognized that I developed new attitudes, beliefs, and perspectives. I feel that this experience has accelerated my maturity and self-confidence levels. I have learned to appreciate the little things in life. For example, before going to China, I didn’t understand how lucky we are to live in a democratic state. This trip has made me more interested in our government affairs and what is going on in other parts of the world. China’s leaders restrict vital information to their citizens and providing them solely with news that portrays their country in a positive light. Even accessing the internet in the United States is a marvelous thing and I am still, months later, grateful and amazed at how easy it is to access any information that we are looking for. Many websites and searches are blocked in China depending if forbidden topics are mentioned within them. Because I was over there on June 4, the anniversary of the Tiananmen Square incident, we couldn’t even access the internet because of the amount of interference from the government. I have learned to appreciate the feeling of safety and not having to walk around fully alert everywhere that I go.
Coming from someone who has been a homebody all of her life and would constantly miss home every time after leaving, I am most surprised at my recent transition back to school. While I miss my parents, I no longer have that homesick feeling that previously took over whenever I’d leave for Notre Dame after any academic breaks. In this way, it is also clear that I am better prepared to adapt to change and just roll with the punches. As we visited different parts of China within a short time frame, we had many disruptions
throughout our travel. Many of these disruptions and issues were out of our control which for once in my life, taught me to relax and accept things as they are. This is a valuable life lesson that I hope to retain and use in all future endeavors.
While my initial re-entry and challenges were minimal and lasted for a short period of time, it is clear that I have matured in a way that will forever change my view on life. I am enormously appreciative of what I have, in particular the resources, friends and family, health, and living conditions. For example, Hurricane Irene recently hit my hometown causing my family to lose power for one week and severe monetary damage to our house and property. At the time, this might seem like horrible luck and misfortune, yet I can’t help but to
think about the horrible living conditions abroad and how many people in our world live in poverty without enough resources to even survive. This trip has made me appreciative of what I have, even when times are rough and seemingly unbearable. This is what I believe is the most important part of my re-entry story.