Dear Editor, I have just returned home after studying for a year in Germany. But it seems that my parents don't understand me now. They expect me to be the same person I was before I went abroad, but I'm not! Why can't they let me be myself? Jimmy Hi, Jimmy, As far as I know, people who have lived abroad often find that the adjustment   to returning home is more difficult than their adjustment to living in a foreign culture. Why? We expect to have some problems when we go to a new place, speak a different language and learn the rules of a different culture ... But home? ... we know that place! Your parents expect that the same person who boarded the airplane one year ago will be returning. Especially if they have never been abroad themselves, your parents probably won't understand the changes that living abroad can cause in a person. On the other hand, you may have maintained   an ideal mental image of your loved ones while abroad, an image that is broken into pieces when you return. Remember you have been living a different lifestyle in your host country, and you have probably become very independent while staying there alone. Now that you're home, you will be expected to conform   again to the lifestyle of your family. As a result, you may be upset about your parents' involvement in your life. Communication is the key to overcoming this problem. Tell your parents how you are feeling. Share with them information about cultural re-entry , and ask them to be patient. This does not mean that you have to forget your experience and give up everything you've learned! Learn to find a balance between the old and new, just as you did when first adjusting to your host country's culture. The editor thinks that both Jimmy and his parents   _  .
have changed in the past year have unrealistic expectations of each other need to behave like they did before need to find a balance between the good and bad