Woman Returns To India After 15 Years In Germany, Says Moving Back Feels Like Reverse Cultural Shock'

A woman who recently returned to Pune after spending more than 15 years in Germany has shared how moving back to India has brought a mix of emotions and adjustments. Through a video on Instagram, she spoke about the experience of getting used to everyday life again after spending over a decade abroad, describing it as a "reverse cultural shock."

The woman, whose Instagram username is @bretzel_and_biryani, said that returning to India has made even ordinary routines feel new.

She said it had been two to three weeks since she and her family moved back to India after living in Germany for over a decade, and every day felt like relearning how life works.

She explained that they were adjusting from cold and cloudy weather to sunshine, heat and sweat, and from seeing cherry blossoms and tulips to enjoying gulmohars and bougainvilleas.

Watch Video Here:

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by From Germany to India: redesigning everyday life (@bretzel_and_biryani)

She also spoke about the shift from eating berries and apples to Indian mangoes, melons and jamuns, and from speaking German every day to now using English, Marathi and Hindi.

The woman further said they were adapting from quiet streets to busy roads filled with activity and honking, and from disciplined traffic to what she described as free-flowing traffic.

She added that the move also meant getting used to flexible "jugaad" solutions instead of highly structured systems, mornings that started later for many people, and delays of 30 to 60 minutes being treated as normal.

She also reflected on differences in lifestyle and social interactions. She said they were moving from a do-it-yourself culture to a convenience and service-driven society, from a privacy-focused culture to one where strangers casually ask personal questions, and from a reserved community to a more open and welcoming one.

She added that she had noticed more visible social hierarchies, the convenience of groceries arriving at the doorstep within minutes, and the contrast between European townscapes and Pune's skyline filled with high-rise buildings and constant growth.

Summing up her experience, she said that some things felt familiar while others felt completely new again. She added that moving back to one's own country after so many years felt like a reverse cultural shock and said they were looking forward to navigating the transition, making new lifestyle choices and rebuilding their life in Pune.

The video was accompanied by a reflective caption in which she said they were slowly and steadily figuring things out. She wrote that some days felt easy while others felt overwhelming, but each day taught them something new. She added that rebuilding life after 15 years abroad was not just about changing countries but also about reshaping routines, expectations and mindset, one adjustment, one lesson and one day at a time, as they built a life of their own in Pune.