In recent times, conversations around reverse migration and the emotional challenges of returning home after living abroad have been gaining traction on social media. Adding to the discussion, a post by an Indian woman has struck a chord with many users who related to the sense of displacement she described after moving back to India from London.
Taking to X, Janhavi Jain spoke about the “very specific kind of identity crisis” that comes with returning home after building an independent life overseas. “Moving back to India after living abroad is a very specific kind of identity crisis nobody prepares you for,” she wrote.
Reflecting on her time in London, Jain said everything about her life there “made sense”. “The independence, the career, the routine, the version of myself I’d built over years,” she said. However, returning home created a stark contrast.
“Then you come home and your room is exactly how you left it. Your mom still knocks before entering (sometimes). The neighbourhood aunty still asks ‘shaadi kab hai.’ And you’re sitting in the same chair where you studied for boards at 17 except now you’re on a call with a supplier in Korea about formulation stability in humid conditions,” Jain wrote, calling the contrast “so absurd”.
How did social media react?
Her post quickly resonated with many who had undergone similar transitions. Several users agreed that the initial months after returning can be particularly challenging.
“Yes its a kind of a identity crisis and your mind will do multiple iterations of your decision , But the first few months will be difficult takes a lot of adaptations , you just need to weigh the benefits and make your decision based on your age,family etc,” one user wrote.
“It’s like living two versions of your life at once you’ve outgrown the old space, but it hasn’t caught up with who you’ve become,” commented another.
“Can’t agree more, still struggling to make myself at home, after returning back from Sydney after 6 years. Life is a book and when one chapter closes another begins,” said a third user.
“It’s a perpetual identity crisis and not many can understand unless you have lived it. It made me really question the idea of, ‘What truly is home?’” wrote one user.
At the same time, a few users offered a contrasting perspective, arguing that life abroad is often glamorised. “Well, everybody’s got their preferences. But, in all honesty people back at home should stop glamorizing abroad and immigrants living there just to make folks realize how non-existential their life is in the foreign land,” one user said.
