In the summer of 2005 the family and I returned to Canada to begin a new chapter in our lives. The sun had inevitably set on a life of globe hopping that saw our family relocate on average every two years. Fifteen years of adventure, rich friendships, incredible learning experiences and a sense of being a global citizen came to an abrupt halt. The gilded cage vanished, as did the money, honey!

Ironically, a Canadian would never expect to experience culture shock in their homeland but after fifteen years abroad you wish for some of the things you left behind. The truth is: our children were not truly Canadian. Our daughter was born in Lund, Sweden and our son was less than two years old when we set out on our odyssey. As a result, the incidents of culture shock, as we learned, were not to be identical for each family member.

Regardless of the reasons for repatriation, emotions typically run high. Prior to returning, many last minute thoughts go racing through your mind. Must-see destinations, bureaucratic administrative details, whom to spend that remaining time with and of course, tax-free shopping! Stepping back to a land and culture that originally motivated one to venture out of one’s comfort zone can be perceived as regressing. The alarm bells should be going off by now.

Statistically, 80% of employees that are repatriated leave their employer within the first 12 months. They simply have outgrown the company and colleagues. In our case the decision was taken to create a secure base for the family from the outset. It became evident that it was time to search for new challenges and sidestep the pitfalls of returning to the pond. Bearing this in mind, I did not seek to renew my employment but rather launched my own consulting practice.

Now be careful for what you wish for, as both of our teenagers can attest. Their wishes were coming true. There are many clichés out there about the grass being greener on the other side. I had gone through a similar experience at 17, leaving Germany to return to Canada when my father’s military tour of duty ended. I couldn’t wait to enter the Canadian Shangri-La. Once the culture shock eventually wore off it took me twenty-one years to return to Europe and pick up where I had left off.

Without a doubt, an extended absence from your home country can have a dramatic effect on your children. As teenagers they can develop a stronger affinity for the country they are residing in than their own. Consequently as young adults many will return to pursue their careers and lives where the memories are fondest. Case in point: while vacationing in Umbria our waiter one evening seated us with a lively group of tourists. It turned out that one woman had a career with IBM. “I’ve been moved” was the way she expressed it. Our conversation drifted to the topic of where to retire and what to expect from your children. As a long-term expatriate she had been moved countless times. Consequently, all four of her children today live in four different countries. I’ll let you draw your own conclusions as to whether you accommodate your children when retiring or not!

Upon returning, reflecting on what made each and every relocation a rich experience was then applied to selecting our next neighborhood. A sense of the unknown, culture, history, opportunity, proximity to water and a few additional attributes such as a university and a reputable hospital clinched the argument for Kingston, Ontario.

The cell phone however, was the exception. Days after arriving in Canada it was time to purchase mobile phones. Our references stemmed from Sony Ericsson and Nokia. Both are stylish and coupled with economical European usage plans which irresistibly place a cell phone in just about everyone’s hand. Even in Shanghai China it’s the norm to walk and talk for hours. Our reaction to the non-competitive plans was that without a business to pick up the bill it was economic ruin to even think about providing the children with phones. The nightmare we experienced was to receive a call from Europe on your cell phone; you pay as well. A cell phone for this family is proof of an exploited technology that lags behind the industry service level.

We came to realize that environmental issues are taken more seriously in Europe. Households equally champion the initiatives lobbied by the various green organizations. The recycling programs are intentionally kept simple thus eliminating obstacles to participate. For instance, in Sweden every large grocery store has a number of designated recycling containers strategically placed in their parking lots to facilitate the return of glass, tin, paper, cardboard, batteries and plastic. When the consumer goes shopping they deposit their recycling material as part of the shopping process. No extra household pick up required, better utilization of fossil fuels and the sorting game becomes a non-issue. Our shock was in the fact that Canada appears not to be as progressive in this area.

As parents we assumed that our Canadian-bearing passport children would adapt rather quickly but this was not the case. Our daughter was lost with the Canadian currency and the numerous nicknames for the coinage, nickel, dime, quarter, looney and toonie. Dress codes were scaled down from what they were accustomed to and some fads just seemed out of place, for instance, pyjamas in class!

The calendar was for our son the first sign that customs were different in North America. Commencing the week on Sunday rather than on Monday was a source of confusion for him for some time. The orientation of the date still stops us in our tracks when completing forms. But perhaps the most amusing observation was when our son asked us: what were the tall grey wooden buildngs in the fields? “You mean the barns?” we responded in disbelief.

Language as we know can be a barrier. In this case I’m referring to mumbling teenagers! Who would have guessed that our teenage son would experience difficulty in understanding his peers? It took a hearing test to convince him that he was not going deaf, but rather his friends were not enunciating clearly enough. Our daughter was at a loss as to why the school French curriculum lagged behind that in Sweden when at least officially Canada is a bilingual (French and English) country. We explained that an appreciation for languages comes with exposure and a desire to assimilate.

So what are our children wishing for today? You guessed it, greener pastures by way of Europe to complete their studies. For ourselves: it’s winter without snow!

Dean Bellefleur is a leading international expert in consumer packaging design. He is the founder of the Kingston, Ontario-based firm, D-idea. He consults and lectures widely to corporations and universities on packaging design, idea management, project management, as well as harnessing the latent creativity in organizations. Phone 613-384-2521 Email dean@d-idea.com Web www.d-idea.com