Returning Home - how to reconnect

[imperfect_cupcake]

Heyas I'm returning to Canada (Vancouver) after living in england for the last 9 years. I never had enough money to visit home so it's going to be a really big shock.

there are a few things I'm really nervous about. One is the level of consumerism and advertising. One of the things I was most releived about coming to england was the relative lack of products rammed in my face all the time. The christmas was actually more relaxed and pleasant and didn't start in October. That everything closed on christmas.

and I hated christmas at home and was pretty anti-christmas. but in the UK... it was actually nice.

the other is butch-femme stuff. It's different over here with most of the butches I know... gender isn't shoved into friendships - people aren't my butch friends or my femme friends or my lesbian friends or my.... they just are my mates. they know who/what they are and there isn't any need to qualify it all the time.

I know vancouver is pretty mellow in this way so not really an issue but I know a good proportion of the types I go for here don't have the same language or the same qualifying that seems to go on a lot on line in north america and I'm very nervous that after adjusting and finding - actually, I really like this laid back and relatively accepting approach in the UK.

I'm also pretty visible as a lesbian here. If I say I am one, I am one. If I flirt with a dyke, I am one. Or close enough! they really don't care if I'm highly feminine and they don't really care if my date is "masculine"... so I'm nervous that local community just won't fit with the my changed way of thinking - or I won't fit, really.

I'm also nervous about hearing a completely different set of accents again and I'll find it quite jarring.

I'm nervous because my sense of humour has changed quite a bit and I LOVE really taking the piss and the same done to me. I love sarcasm, irony, dark humour, cutting humour and crossing the line in taboo ways like the show "nighty night" did (a female serial killer with a welsh "gimp" side kick that made me piss myself laughing on a regular basis) and I know how offensive that will seem to some people who don't really get that taking the living piss out of someone means that you actually really like them a lot and thus feel comfortable enough to insult them quite a bit.

one of my exes who is one of my closest friends rips the piss out of me on a daily basis. I know she does this because she really is very fond of me. It makes me laugh.
her: "I'm going to miss you. Simple as."
me: "I know. I'm going to miss you very much "
her: "but I'll get over. Like really it quickly. You won't though! Hahahahahahahaha!"
me: "I won't miss you with the biggest piece of my luggage, Richard" (she made me promise to stop calling her a dick so now I call her Richard instead...)

and when she does something that makes me tut she mocks my accent and mimics me in : "*huff*(mocking my accent) oh TONI. Don't be naughty."(grinning)
*shooting her a look*
"don't you look at me like that Miss Babs. oooooooooooooooooo.... you slap me while I have this tattoo gun in my hand and I'll draw a cock on your back." *revs gun*

there are people I'm going to miss after 9 years.

My question is for those who have been overseas or living in another country for a while and moved home: I know I'm going to go through reverse culture shock till I figure out how to reconnect myself with home. I know I'm going to be different, see things differently, and that my friends back home will have changed. I know if I can't readjust, I can leave again (and probably go to Melbourne this time). But I'm home for 3 years to do my schooling at least. If it goes well, I'll stay.

I'll also be blogging all of the things I will be experiencing in this regard so I'll have an outlet for it. heh. Sort of like a dyke bill bryson...

so those who have lived in another country and come back: how did you cope for through re-entry depression? did you go through it? what helped?