Regret moving back to Bhubaneswar from UAE at 28.
I moved back to Bhubaneswar from the UAE thinking I was making the “right” decision. I had a stable job there, decent lifestyle, peace of mind, and honestly life felt sorted to some extent. But I wanted to be closer to my parents and thought working near home would make life more meaningful.
Now, after coming back, I genuinely feel like I took 10 steps backwards.
Every small thing here feels exhausting. Want LPG? Stand in a huge line. Petrol pump? Crowded beyond belief. Traffic, chaos, people arguing over the smallest things. There’s this constant friction in day-to-day life that slowly drains you mentally. I don’t know if I became too used to the convenience and systems abroad, but adjusting back has been much harder than I expected.
What hits harder is the feeling of limited opportunities and access. In UAE, even though it wasn’t “home,” life felt smoother and more predictable. Here, I constantly feel like I’m struggling just to maintain basic peace of mind while still paying ridiculous taxes and getting very little in return.
And socially… man, the dating scene has been depressing. I’m not even expecting some movie-like romance, but it feels impossible to meet people who genuinely want something serious. Half the conversations go nowhere, people disappear randomly, and everyone seems emotionally unavailable or just playing games.
I’m turning 29 next year and for the first time in my life, I’m genuinely scared that I may have made some irreversible bad decisions for myself. I thought coming back closer to family would heal something in me, but instead I feel more anxious, isolated, and uncertain about my future.
Has anyone else here returned from abroad and struggled badly with reverse culture shock/regret? Did things eventually get better, or did you move out again?
I just needed to vent.