16 Years Away... What Coming Home Really Feels Like

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16 years is a long time to be away from home.

Long enough for you to have five nieces.
Long enough for suburbs to transform into cities.
Long enough to wonder if Sydney would still feel like home.

After building a life in Canada - career, networks, routines- I made the call: time to return to Sydney earlier this year.

The reverse culture shock hit hard:

• Coffee tastes better here (flat whites everywhere now, goodbye double doubles)

• Property prices… let’s not go there

• Old friends had moved on

• Family dynamics had shifted while I was 15,000 km away

Finding work? Its own adventure.

“So you’ve been in Canada…” (translation: will you stick around?)
“Your experience is impressive but…” (translation: it’s not local)
“We’re looking for someone who understands the Australian market” (translation: you’ve been gone too long)rength.

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But here’s what they didn’t see:

→ 16 years of global perspective
→ Fresh eyes on old problems
→ Networks spanning two continents
→ Resilience from starting over - four times

Looking for more insights?

Here are a few newsletters I read and recommend:

Resettling isn’t just about a house or a job.

It’s about rebuilding your identity in a place that’s both familiar and foreign.

Some days, I’m the Aussie who lived overseas.
Other days, the Canadian import.
Most days, I still forget which side of the road to drive on.

The truth?

Coming home after 16 years isn’t really coming home.
It’s creating a new home in an old place.
And that’s exactly where the magic happens.

To everyone navigating their own return journey - whether it’s 2 years or 20 -- you’re not starting over.

You’re starting with everything you’ve learned along the way.

Reflection for the Week

Take a few minutes this week to reflect on your own journey of returning, adapting, or starting over:

Which part of returning home: old friendships, family dynamics, or professional expectations, challenged you the most?
What did you learn from it?

How has being “away” shaped the perspective or skills you bring to your life today?
What strengths have you gained that others might not see?

What assumptions about “home” do you need to let go of?
How can you create a life that fits who you are now, not who you used to be?

In what ways can you use the resilience built from starting over to navigate your next chapter?
What’s one small step you can take this week?

Hit reply or DM me on LinkedIn - I read them all.

Curious about coaching or leadership development support?

Here’s how we can partner when the time’s right. 

Catch you in the next issue.

With appreciation,
Chris