Feeling like a foreigner in my own country is a strange, surreal experience — and that’s exactly where I find myself going home after 10 years abroad in Barcelona, Spain. Heading back to Los Angeles to visit family and going home after 10 years abroad, I realized I’m genuinely anxious about returning to a place that should feel like home. America feels different in ways I never anticipated. In this video, I break down 5 real culture shocks I’m bracing for before I even land.
Feeling Like a Foreigner in My Own Country
I was born and raised in Los Angeles, but after 10 years in Barcelona I’ve adapted to a completely different way of life. The public transport is reliable, the police leave you alone, and nobody blinks at tattoos. Now I’m headed back to Cali to visit a family member battling cancer — and I can’t shake the feeling that I’ll be a foreigner in my own country the moment I step off the plane.
This isn’t just nostalgia. It’s a real expat returning home culture shock — going home after 10 years abroad means the place you left keeps changing, you keep changing, and eventually the gap becomes undeniable. That’s the experience I’m documenting here — and I’ll also be doing product reviews while I’m in the States, so the cannabis content is coming.
5 Expat Returning Home Culture Shock Moments You Need to Know
These are the 5 expat returning home culture shock realities I’m most prepared for as a foreigner in my own country when I hit L.A.
1. Barcelona vs Los Angeles Lifestyle: Transportation Culture Shock
The Barcelona vs Los Angeles lifestyle gap is obvious from day one — in Barcelona I can get anywhere in 30 minutes by Metro, bus, city bike, or on foot. In L.A., everything requires a car, and nothing is close. Getting a coffee from my parents’ house? A 10-minute drive minimum. That shift in daily mobility is going to hit hard.
2. Tipping Culture
In Spain, tipping is optional and no one guilts you for skipping it — employees are paid a living wage by their employer. Back in the States, even takeout orders now come with a tip prompt on the tablet. The cultural expectation is completely different, and after a decade away it genuinely feels like a foreign system to me now.
3. Personal Space
When I first moved to Barcelona, the lack of personal space was jarring — people stand close, they touch you in conversation, they crowd at the checkout line. After 10 years I’ve completely adapted. Going back to American personal-space norms is going to be an adjustment in the opposite direction.
4. Tattoo Acceptance
In Barcelona, tattoos are completely normalized. In L.A., while more accepted than smaller American cities, I still get more stares than I do in Spain. I love tattoos and I’m covered in them — not because I’m a criminal, just because I love art. I’m already mentally prepared for a different vibe in public spaces.
5. Cannabis Expat California: The Legal Dispensary Experience
Here’s the one I’m actually excited about. I haven’t been back to the States since recreational cannabis became legal in California. The last time I was there, I had a medical card (my toe hurt, apparently). I’m finally living the cannabis expat California dream — walking into a dispensary like a normal human without a medical card. The difference between cannabis culture in Spain and fully legal California is going to be fascinating.
What I’m Doing While I’m in LA
Besides soaking in the culture shock of being a foreigner in my own country and living the cannabis expat California lifestyle, I’ll be filming content with my GoPro and phone (left the big Black Magic rig at home), doing product reviews including the DynaVap HyperDyn, and hopefully collaborating with anyone in the L.A. cannabis space. If you own a dispensary, magazine, or cannabis brand in the LA area — hit me up in the comments.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes someone feel like a foreigner in my own country when returning home?
It means returning to your home country after years abroad and experiencing culture shock in reverse. The customs, attitudes, and daily rhythms that once felt normal now feel unfamiliar — because you’ve adapted to a different way of life. This is sometimes called “reverse culture shock” and it’s extremely common among long-term expats.
What is the hardest part of going home after 10 years abroad?
Going home after 10 years abroad means readjustment timelines vary widely. Some people feel at home within weeks; others take months or never fully re-adapt if they’ve built a life elsewhere. The key factors are how deeply you integrated into your adopted country’s culture and how much your home country changed in your absence.
What is the cannabis expat California dispensary scene like?
Yes — recreational cannabis has been legal in California since 2016 (Prop 64). Adults 21+ can purchase from licensed dispensaries without a medical card. California now has one of the most developed legal cannabis markets in the world.
References
- Reverse Culture Shock — Wikipedia
- What Is Culture Shock? — Healthline
- Cannabis in California — Wikipedia
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