Instead of searching for a single place to call home, consider this: What if belonging isn’t about where you are, but about who you are becoming?

By looking at repatriation and the expat experience through the lens of the hero's journey, we can see them for what they really are: not mere logistic transitions, but an opportunity for—and even an invitation to—profound personal transformation.

Resilience is born from facing that toll, owning it, and finding a way to carry it forward without letting it weigh us down. That’s the work of being an expat, of coming home, and of living authentically through all the changes life throws at us.

What if your experience abroad wasn’t just for you? What if every lesson, every struggle, every breakthrough was preparing you for a bigger role?

Expats who repatriate successfully usually share a few key traits that help them handle the transition back home smoothly.

After returning from living four years abroad—not just once, but twice—I realized how important debriefing those experiences were. There are probably dozens of ways debriefing benefited me, but here are three: