Returning home from exchange can be a jarring experience. Suddenly, you’re no longer gallivanting abroad – you’re back to being just another uni student in their hometown.

The excitement and adventure of living abroad can make your hometown seem boring and mundane, and really accentuate any post-exchange depression you may fall into. But it doesn’t have to! Because under all that comparison lies a pretty good place to call home. Here are some ways you can rediscover the magic of your hometown, and fall in love all over again.

Appreciate The Old

Sure, returning home can mean a return to monotony and routine, but that doesn’t have to be a bad thing. Take a moment to enjoy the familiarity of your drive to the nearest shopping centre, or ordering the usual from Maccas. You’ll find there’s a certain charm to things that stay the same no matter how you may change.

After the barrage of new experiences that comes with exchange, a little routine and regularity can do a world of good, and remind you of the things that made you love home in the first place. Call me Dorothy, but there really is no place like home.

Another great way of remembering the charm of home is reuniting with friends. After a year of experiencing all the squad’s birthdays through snapchat, returning home into the arms of dearly missed friends can cure just about anything.

Bring In The New

While there’s an appeal to returning to the creature comforts of home, too much familiarity can remind you that you’re no longer living that exciting, worldly life you lived while on exchange. That’s where the new comes in. Counteract your disdain for your hometown by turning over a new leaf wherever you can. Basically, keep the excitement alive. 

Returning to your hometown after exchange can make you forget that like your exchange city, your hometown is also a city waiting to be explored. Pump some excitement into home by treating it like any new city you’d be keen to soak up. Keep an eye out for new restaurants, bars, or upcoming events to create new, exciting experiences in your hometown, and maintain the novelty of trying new things.

If you’re really determined to not revert to your old life, tiny but significant changes to said life can do wonders. Try redecorating your room or study space, or finally go blonde. Keep things fresh.

Surround Yourself With Cool People

A law of the world is that it’s usually the people, rather than the place that makes things exciting. In that vein, a surefire way to make your hometown more exciting and loveable is by surrounding yourself by exciting and loveable people. Push yourself out of your usual circles and find people who can put novelty into going out to your usual spots. Remember that there are mostly likely people around

Getting re-acquainted with your hometown after exchange is all about remembering what you loved about it, and finding new things to love about it. Striking that balance can be tricky, but it can be done. Sure, exchange was one hell of an adventure, but that doesn’t mean home has to be the buzzkill.