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Culture Shock: The Return Ticket
The adventure of living in another country is often portrayed as a quest for the unknown—blending into new cultures, discovering fresh routines, sometimes feeling uprooted. Yet rarely do we discuss just how strange and difficult it can be to return home after years in a society whose mindset is drastically different from your own. Daily life in parts of Asia—say, China, South Korea, or Japan—is structured around strong collective discipline, a genuine commitment to service, and lightning-fast responsiveness. These traits become habits, etched into your expectations.
The Frustration of Returning: When Time Stands Still
However, upon returning to Europe, many expats are taken aback by what feels like an endless wait. The bureaucracy seems sluggish, customer service less attentive, and professional life, well, just a little lethargic.
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- Administrative processes drag on.
- Service in restaurants or at the bank feels slow compared to Asia’s digital efficiency.
- Transport, banking, and even healthcare look surprisingly “behind” next to Asia’s high-paced, tech-forward systems.
Adrián Díaz, a Spanish entrepreneur and seasoned expat, knows this feeling all too well. Now in his early fifties, Díaz left Spain in search of new opportunities and built a life as an entrepreneur in China. He tells his story in an episode of the podcast ConPdePodcast, as reported by the Spanish outlet La Vanguardia.
Disillusionment Over Coffee and Old Conversations
On returning to Spain, Díaz experiences what he calls a major letdown:
“I stay for 15 days, and I can’t wait to leave again,” he explains. “I go to a café with my friends, and it’s the same conversations we were having 20 years ago.”
One recurring topic is especially frustrating: the real estate bubble that makes finding housing so difficult, particularly for younger people. But, Díaz observes, things could not be more different in China.
China: Growth and Grey Areas
“I don’t know if the real estate crisis will explode tomorrow in China,”
Díaz concedes,
“What I do know is that the Chinese economy keeps growing at 4% (5% in 2024).”
That’s a clear contrast with Spain, where growth reached 3.2% last year. Díaz is quick to point out that China is far from perfect. Economic regulations are often flawed and not always enforced.
“Over there, everyone pays under the table. The Chinese government knows this perfectly well, but lets it happen because cracking down would ruin whole sectors,”
he says, underlining his impression that Europe is stuck in a bubble, fixated on rules and missing the spark of economic dynamism it once had.
Europe, it seems, has become rooted in its own standards—while other parts of the world, for better or for worse, are racing ahead, warts and all. Returning expats are left with the uncomfortable feeling that while they’ve changed, “home” has barely moved at all. The contrasts run deeper than just cultural quirks; they touch the very heart of what it means to progress, adapt, and look to the future.
