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.