400 Meter Hurdles and Re-Entry

Re-entry is the process of transition for those who have been living outside their passport country and are now repatriating back into their passport country and culture. There are many reasons why cross-cultural workers re-enter their passport countries. One reason could be that the decision was out of their control, and they were forced to leave such as not getting a VISA approved. Another reason comes from a request from others, such as working back in the home office. Some reasons are initiated by the cross-cultural worker themselves like completing their time commitment and not ‘re-enlisting.’

Imagine re-entry like running the 400-meter hurdles in a track meet. Historically, the 400-meter hurdles have been the most demanding track and field event since the 1900 Olympics. Picture the lane is filled with ten 36in or 30in hurdles spaced evenly within 400 meters which is one lap around the track. The majority of hurdles are placed on the straight aways and a couple are placed where the track curves. The hurdler starts on a starting block and must be cautious not to be disqualified from a false start. Once the hurdler has jumped the last hurdle, they still have 35 meters to run to cross the finish line.

Hurdlers are athletes who have trained both physically and mentally for the race because the atmosphere on race day can be intense. The demand of power, speed, agility, precision, and flexibility from start to finish are the small details that make each hurdler unique. And integrating a mindset of an “I can do…” helps the hurdler to have the confidence needed to jump each hurdle in front of them and cross the finish line.

There are many hurdles in the re-entry process that are both expected and unexpected and will need to be jumped over or overcome in the cross-cultural worker’s re-entry journey. Remember, just as each hurdler is unique so is each cross-cultural worker’s re-entry journey unique.

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