You’ve lived in Cambodia or elsewhere abroad for several years and for whatever reason have returned ‘home’. How was that transition and how is it now?

Fine, although you need to come back with news acquired skills, hopefully in a sustainable business.
I worked in furniture making factories in asia, and while covid this sector boomed, interior, garden, decoration, plumbing, etc etc, and is still booming now, everybody is busy with full orders for the next 6 months, it's packed.
But i'm a working guy.

For someone who's been wandering around in a semi-comatose holiday / pension / break, and is coming back with a need to produce money, well, there will be a necessary remotivation period of time, to find something.
There is work, but also a higher level of selection of candidates in general, because no company want to surf the wave of business with a bad bet.

Also if you come back from, say, China, Japan, Korea, it's easier to look sharper, and when coming from Thailand, Cambodia, Philipina, it's easier to be looked down, although still with some envious eyes from time to time.
Crisis times, recrutors and people in general are a bit more envious, upset, budgeted, and won't waste an opportunity to make you feel out of the loop if above 40, and have other choices for recruitment.

Other than that....more digitalizing administration and silly walks, there's a bit of homework to reconnect with the way things are done in the bureaucracy world.
Prices...went up. If buying something in asia could sometime give the feeling to be fucked with a genuine smile, prices in here (France, i'm a froggy frog) gives you the taste to be rammed constantly in the ass without the smile, but at least the stitches will be refunded by our social security, if that can make you feel better...

Also, coming back with a loved one and kid looks waaaay better and consistent, than being a 50 year something with a red face (booze), cargo pants, no wedding ring, and a Angkor Beer wifebeater while sandaling your way to the state aid scheme, but that's a bit obvious, although some people still do some obviously silly things without caring, just browse the forum to see what i mean.

The youth looks more apt to make quick connections between things, but less capable of focusing as long as older generations, and they dress like shit (i don't wear tuxedos, but i look presentable at least), and seem more superficial, not only the youth though, it's a general thing.
It's boring, but still moving a bit. It's also a relief somewhere in my mind to be able to actually count on a system that is unperfect, but working, especially regarding healthcare.

You have to come back with something valuable in hands to jump in, bring your difference while syncing. The mental acceptation process of it (& readaptation to all of it) can last years, as it does for me. I'm arrived, but somehow i don't have all my suitcases with me, so to say. I'm different, and it takes time to surrounding people to take notice, accept it too, and see the benefit of it for me, for them.

Coming back broke and less than once was, must be a tough one indeed.

There's a funny thing too, average people seem less prone to do stuff themselves, they sub-contract it often to a professional, and pay the cost for the simplest things. As a result the average knowledge that some had before, has diminished. I can see from my professional sector that things to buy are more standardized, people pay stupid prices for banal stuff shat by giant factories, all very organized, previsible, boring.
Antiques & old valuable markets have been replaced with flea markets, and now garage sales (we call them "vide-grenier" -> emptying the attic), i mean the quality of second hand stuff available on city markets here and there has falled down, it shows more people get poorer and don't waste the opportunity to resell their cheap shit to others, compared to just giving it before. Inflation, crisis, whatever. More riches, more poverty too, or at least tight end the month (the most difficult being the 20 last days of it, as the joke goes).
More acting agencies, more middlemen, more immigration to do the shit locals don't want to do anymore.

So when you're able to deal with all the random shit one can get on his path in southeast asia, it is a bit tough to fold back into the western rat race because different context, but the stamina accumulated by experience in asia is a real game changer to make one's path clear from present danger, and to deal much more easily with the expected random stuff that western life can throw at you. Shortcuts all the way, pragmatism is one of the assets i brought back, and i find people too soft on many things, because they're confused between various thinking reflexes, like their "what to do" radar is scrambled.

You come back older anyway, and more youth is pushing it's way, so, one way or another, there is pressure vs wisdom.
Also, the vast majority doesn't give a shit about your adventures while here, so, no need to start a long monologue about it. They don't want to hear too long about how you had a great / interesting / formative / whatever time while here, because it's too late for them to do the same, and they don't want regrets about it. That makes it awkward because if they're not curious about close / related / knowned ones in such an environment, then who will ? And what is then interesting to them ? Soccer ? TikTok ? Electric cars ? Fuck me dead...Some conversations i heard...i forgot how numbed are our societies sometimes...

You'll come back with loads of stories to tell, but not much people will ask to hear them. It's somehow understandable and a bit sad. They will tell you about their stories though, and often it will sound boring, and will remind you about why you left in the first place, but somehow never quite landed back.
That will be the time to do NOT look blasé, and make best of this to restart a phase of mutual curiosity and interest, but let's be honest, most of questions asked will be superficial, and people will be fine with superficial answers.
If failing at that, then chances are to be passively outcasted a.k.a let's make new friends with a different mindset / interest / goal. The thing is, people pretend to be interested into more stuff, but curiosity is down, that's the result of bringing in one click too much random short informations about litterally ANYTHING to people via the smartphones, i guess ? I'm amazed of the constant flux of useless news that pops up on our devices, although i never asked for it.

So, when i say "fine", it is, but it goes with a shitload of variations on all parameters, you're back ok but the trip continues...


"Experience in asia is a real game changer to make one's path clear from present danger" wow, now i'm rapping freestyle without even knowing it, maybe i should copyright this shit and make a TikTok short before Snoop snatches it ^^



Also, although things are a bit messy in asia, you can get shit done very quickly. It's not the case in my area now (which always was a tad bureaucratic, sure), now things are planned, and a planned average thing is getting more interest than a sudden better one.
In consequence, this magical feeling of "whatever can happen in a second" which i am fine with, is fading away, unless you cultivate it with local alternatives and moves.
This feeling of "everyday is an adventure" is dying in the west, apart from my idea of the USA, which would be "the land where anything can happen", but let's face it, the motherload of it stretches from India to Japan. Anyway, in Europe, too numbed.

I have noticed this also - the lack of interest and intrigue. Here we are with literal life changing experiences and relationships and no one seems to give a fuck and never asks me about it. What makes me particularly bitter is how they seem to have rejected my relationship I have here and never ever speak of her. I try now not to speak about Cambodia at all and it’s the hardest damn thing to do, and I find myself falling into it again and again and then there is no follow up from them and more than always it just pissess me off that my loved ones seem not to even care. Great post ^^ thanks for sharing.

And one has to readapt to hear and understand whatever is audible around, that's often a drag (advertisements, radio, small talks, the whole pie). At least when in foreign i had my automatic "i don't understand it bla bla bla" filter, filtering out anything not directed to me, which led me to be more focused on things. Here now, audio distractions all the time. And the expected feedback you have to give in.
I'm relearning all the jingles i tried so hard to forget...

You spoke a lot of truth there, Ghostwriter, the last detail being the filter! One misses so many of the small threads that make up the cultural net while abroad.

And nobody cares, nobody understands, yes. How could they?

I'm hoping I never have to find out.

So far I am impressed by the weather. It's been 4 months almost now since I've returned to Colorado and l haven't accomplished much.
It's been a beautiful summer, it's always beautiful in summer here. Problem is that the fall is even better weather and then winter here is a cultivated taste.
So, I'm thinking that Utah or at least the Western slope of Colorado is imminent for me to do a complete reset and step into a more conventionally productive gear. Boulder is just too easy, too gorgeous, too free for the taking.
I swear I have found and lost or gave away 10 high quality bicycles in the last 90 days. They are just around and there is a
non profit for bikes too. The police take and donate a lot of them and they've often been thru a few hands but they cost real money at one time. People will leave a bike unlocked and unregistered for days because they got a flat. Then the bikes get parted out by street people.
Nobody usually cares about Cambodia, even educated people, so I seldom explain my experiences there. I don't allow foolish or insensitive comments however but nobody I give a shit about usually talks much crap and basically everyone limits their traveling to one month tops so who cares.