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According to My Passport, I'm Coming Home!
 
If you are a Foreign Service teen and moving back to the United States, you might feel a little overwhelmed and wonder what to expect. Whether you've lived in Bangladesh or Germany, you've experienced a completely different life compared to your American counterparts. They don't have Abercrombie & Fitch where you live, you eat dal and sauerkraut rather than KFC and Mickey D's (well OK-maybe McDonalds is everywhere)! You may not expect to experience CULTURE SHOCK moving to the United States--but it can happen!! 
So, here is a re-entry section on some of the things popular among teens at the moment-and maybe a way to be up on the latest topics of conversation.  Click here for some real teen advice from other FS Teens.
 - Anne Rasmussen, FSYF teen

Click here to take the Reentry Survey!
 

What is everyone wearing?
  -  American Eagle
  -  Abercrombie and Fitch
  -  Hollister
  -  Anthropologie
  -  Gap
  -  Aeropostale
  -  Banana Republic
  -  Urban Outfitters
What is everyone watching on TV?
You can watch these programs on the Web until you get home:
  -  Lost
  -  American Idol
  -  Gossip Girl
  -  Grey's Anatomy
  -  America's Next Top Model
  -  Desperate Housewives
  -  The Office
  -  South Park
  -  Family Guy
  -  The Hills
   

Books and articles to help adjust
  -  According to My Passport, I'm Coming Home
  -  Overseas FS Teen Letter to Friends
  -  More Letters by Overseas FS Teens
  -  Teen Prep Course
  -  Foreign Service Institute's FS Teen Page
  -  Read what military teens have to say about moving
Dude!  Where's My Car?
  -  A guide to obtaining a drivers license in the Washington DC area.
   

Latest Music Players
  -  Apple's iPod
  -  Microsoft Zune

Top-Ten Re-Entry Challenges

  1. Boredom
  2. "No one wants to hear about this"
  3. It's hard to explain
  4. Reverse homesickness
  5. Relationships have changed
  6. People see the "wrong" changes
  7. People misunderstand if I adopt elements of my host culture; they misinterpret my behavior
  8. Feelings of alienation; seeing home with critical eyes
  9. Inability to apply new knowledge and skills
  10. Fear of losing the experience, like storing it away in a souvenir box that we only occasionally look at.
 
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