This study identified ways that experiences living abroad affected Americans' communicative behavior upon repatriation. Participants were seven adult re-entrants who had lived abroad for at least 1 year and had recently returned to the United States. Five were English teachers, and three had worked in other areas of social service and development. Six were European Americans, and one was Arab American. Language proficiency ranged from being fluent in two or three language varieties and conversant in others, to being minimally functional in the host country's language but only truly comfortable in standard American English. Data from ethnographic interviews provided information on three common areas in which communicative behaviors and perceptions learned abroad continued to manifest themselves after re-entry: linguistic/paralinguistic lingerings (uttering a phrase in the host country's language without realizing it); expectations for interaction: interactional lingerings (common recognitions regarding changes in interpersonal behavior that appeared connected to issues of physical and social distance); and perceptive lingerings (feeling overwhelmed back home in certain environments). The paper provides examples of these areas, noting reasons for their occurrence (emotional state, level of acculturation achieved abroad, appreciation for the host country and culture, and sequencing of experiences). (SM)