I moved to work in Japan for 9 years and now I’ve come back to Australia a few months ago.

While I am an Australian by current nationality, I have felt lonely since returning as I struggle to keep pace with the ongoing changes in society. I feel that I am a stranger living back in my own country, even though I still remember the culture by knowledge. I felt not only lonely but also helpless when all my good friends from before have moved on with their lives and were unable to help when I most needed, to adjust to life back in Australia.

However, there was a glimmer of hope to find my voice back and contribute back to the academic environment when I recently went back to university for my Masters. There was a group assignment activity where I was assigned to other people I don’t know well, but when they gave positive feedback to my ideas, I felt that I contributed well to completing the assignment.