I moved back to India after 5 years in the US. I was startled and disoriented by reverse culture shock — here's how I moved forward.

Gauba had to leave the US after 5 years because she couldn't get an H-1B visa.

Courtesy of Vaishali Gauba

• Vaishali Gauba returned to India after five years in the US because she didn't get a visa.
• Differences between life in the US and India made her feel what's known as reverse culture shock.
• Gauba learned to stop blaming herself for not getting a visa and to value the positives of her home country.

I sat on the terrace of my Washington Heights apartment building...