Earlier this year, I decided to move back to the US after four years of living in the UK, where I spent most of my life.
I grew up in and around London but lived in Boston for four years during college before moving back home to kick-start my career. For a long time, moving back to the US was a thought that very rarely crossed my mind, for several reasons. In truth, I've always felt more at home with British customs and I loved living close to my family members, who are mostly based there.
That said, I was ready for a change of pace this year. So on October 17, I brought three suitcases to London's Heathrow Airport and boarded a flight destined for JFK in New York.
It's been less than a month, but I can already say this transition has been way more of an adjustment than I'd anticipated. From my experience, culture shock, even if you have lived in a country before, is a real thing. Picking up my life in the UK to start over in the US has come with challenges and many surprises.