Returning Home in Retirement: Readjusting from the Big City to Çorum

Returning home in retirement is often a dream built over many years. Data on how people returning to Çorum readjust, and the gap between hope and reality.

For someone who has worked for thirty years in Ankara, Istanbul or İzmir, the sentence "when I retire I'll go back home" is often less a plan than a consolation. During hours spent in traffic, in crowded metro carriages, on the balcony of a flat, the village house, the garden and the market back home are always in mind. Then retirement comes, the belongings are packed and the return happens. Returning home in retirement is a small but meaningful migration movement for Çorum too. According to TÜİK's (the Turkish Statistical Institute's) 2025 internal migration data, 1,161 people came to Çorum for the reason of "returning to family or home town"; only 298 left for the same reason. This is the largest category in which the province gains people through migration. In this article I focus on what the figures say, on the factors that draw people back home, and on the psychology of the readjustment that follows the return.

Returning Home in Retirement: What Do the Figures Say?

Çorum has been a province of net out-migration for many years. But within the migration picture there is a notable counter-current.

Those who return home. According to local sources reporting TÜİK's 2025 data on reasons for migration, of the 15,597 people who came to Çorum, 1,161 came for the reason of "returning to family or home town". Those who left for this reason numbered 298, a net gain of 863 people. There is no other category in Çorum's migration table with such a clear net gain.

Those who came explicitly for retirement. According to the same data, 100 people came to Çorum for "retirement" and 56 left for the same reason, a net gain of 44 people. In other words, retirement return migration exists, but migration recorded directly as "retirement" is small in scale.

The large population of people from Çorum living elsewhere. According to Çoban's (2016) study based on TÜİK data, in 2013 six in every ten people registered in Çorum lived outside the province, and this share had risen every year since 2008. According to sources reporting TÜİK data, the number of people living in Ankara whose civil registration is in Çorum was around 440,000 in 2025. This large population points to a wide group who may consider returning in future.

Retirees are an important part of the city. According to the Social Security Institution's (SGK) Statistical Yearbook 2025, 125,211 people in Çorum receive a pension or benefit from the SGK. This corresponds to about 24 per cent of the provincial population; in Turkey the share is about 20 per cent. People receiving an old-age pension in their own name make up about 17 per cent of the population in Çorum and about 14 per cent in Turkey. In 2025, 2,712 people in the province began receiving a new old-age pension.

Retirement is largely a male status. According to the same yearbook, only 13.6 per cent of those receiving an old-age pension in their own name in Çorum are women; in Turkey the figure is 22.4 per cent.

Attachment to roots. According to TÜİK data cited in a 2021 report by OKA (the Central Black Sea Development Agency), 94.4 per cent of older people living in Çorum were born in the province; it is the province with the third-highest share in Turkey.

What should you keep in mind when reading these data?

• The category "returning to family or home town" does not cover only retirees; young people who have lost their jobs and come back, or middle-aged people returning to care for ageing parents, may also fall into this group.
• Because the data on reasons for migration are not broken down by age, we cannot know for certain how many retirees return.
• "Province of civil registration" refers not to where a person was born or feels they belong, but to the province where their family registry is held. Second and third generations born and raised in another city may also appear as registered in Çorum.
• Seasonal returns, such as people who spend the summer in their home town and the winter in the big city, are not reflected in these statistics.

What Draws People Back Home?

There is usually more than one factor behind the decision to return. Looking at the data and the research literature, a few possible factors stand out.

Place attachment. In psychology, place attachment describes the emotional bond a person feels towards a particular place. This bond is fed by personal memories, family history and the social fabric of that place. For someone who spent their childhood in Çorum, home is not just a geographical location but part of their identity.

Ageing parents. Many people reaching retirement age still have parents who are alive and living alone back home. One reason for returning may be this need for care. The size of the "returning home" category in the migration data is consistent with this interpretation, but it is an inference.

The expectation of a calmer life. Faced with the traffic, crowds and cost of living of the big city, the home town may be seen as a more peaceful and more economical option. For those who own a house, a garden or a field, this expectation is even stronger.

Home-town networks and a familiar community. In the big city, the work circle breaks up with retirement. Back home there are relatives, old neighbours and childhood friends, or at least people believe there are.

Economic calculation. A pension not being enough in the big city can make returning to a place with a lower cost of living attractive. Boduroğlu, Şahin and Çiftçi's (2025) qualitative study with 25 retirees shows that an insufficient pension is an important source of stress for retirees.

The Psychology of Returning Home in Retirement: Expectation and Reality

Returning may not be as easy as imagined. This is not because the home town is a bad place; it is because both the home town and the person returning have changed over the years.

Reverse culture shock

Reverse culture shock describes the sense of alienation felt by someone who returns to their roots after living elsewhere for a long time. Where the market of their childhood once stood there are new buildings; the familiar shopkeepers have been replaced by chain stores. The person everyone used to know may now walk down the street unrecognised. The feeling "this is my home town but I feel like a stranger" can be confusing and upsetting.

The idealised home town

The home town missed from afar for years is often stored in the mind as a more beautiful place than it really is. On meeting reality, disappointment may be inevitable. Details not considered in the big city come to the fore, such as the length of the winter, the journeys needed to reach health services and the scarcity of social activities. For example, according to meteorological data cited in the Çorum Provincial Disaster Risk Reduction Plan, average daily sunshine in the provincial centre in December is only 2 hours. According to a calculation based on Ministry of Health data, the number of specialist doctors per 100,000 people in the province is also below the Turkish average.

The feeling of being "neither here nor there"

A person who was seen for years as "from Çorum" in the big city may now be perceived back home as being "from Ankara" or "from Istanbul". Being caught between two places can weaken the sense of belonging.

Separating from children and grandchildren

One of the paradoxes of retirement is this: while returning home, the person now leaves their own children and grandchildren behind in the big city. So someone who once left their parents now experiences the sadness of being separated from their children.

Partners wanting different things

The dream of returning is often stronger for one of the partners. The other may not want to leave their friends, children or habits in the big city. Decisions made without talking about this difference can turn into silent resentment after the return.

A different side of returning for women

The low share of women retiring in their own name in Çorum suggests that the decision to return is often shaped by the husband's retirement. For women without a pension of their own, there is no turning point called "retirement"; housework and caring responsibilities continue even if they change location. Moreover, living closer to in-laws or relatives back home may mean, for some women, a new caring burden and closer social scrutiny. That is why, when returning is discussed, it is important to consider separately what the woman will gain and lose in the process.

Loss of role and unstructured time

Retirement is a transition in itself. The research literature counts retirement and role changes among the risk factors for loneliness in old age (Akbaş, Taşdemir Yiğitoğlu and Çunkuş, 2020). The study by Boduroğlu and colleagues (2025) also reports that hopelessness, loneliness and loss of identity lead to social isolation, while social support is protective. When this transition is combined with a change of place, the burden of adjustment increases. I discussed the psychological effects of retirement in detail in my article on retirement syndrome.

Practical Suggestions for Readjusting

Let's say a couple who retire after thirty-two years of working in Istanbul settle into the family house in Mecitözü. One partner is very happy in the first months; the other misses the grandchildren and complains that the days feel empty. In such a situation, the following steps can make adjustment easier:

• Make the decision together. Partners talking openly before returning about their expectations, worries and what they cannot give up prevents resentment later. I discussed the different dimensions of the decision to return in my article on the decision to return home.
• Allow a trial period. If possible, staying on a trial basis for a season or a year gives you a realistic picture before making a final decision.
• Structure your day. A morning walk, gardening, a trip to the market, reading time or a volunteer activity turn the free time of retirement into a meaningful routine.
• Build new ties. Alongside reviving old friendships, retirees' associations, adult education courses, the mosque congregation or neighbourhood gatherings can open the door to new relationships.
• Do not cut your ties with the big city. Regular video calls with grandchildren, visits at set intervals and the children coming to the home town in the summer holidays lighten the burden of separation.
• Plan your health care. Getting to know your family doctor and planning your regular check-ups and any necessary specialist follow-up in advance reduces health anxiety.
• Prepare for winter. Plan indoor activities and social gatherings so that you do not shut yourself away at home during the short, cold winter days.
• Get to know your home town again. Rediscovering your home town in its changed form, as if you were a newcomer, can balance the feeling of loss with curiosity.

When Should You Seek Professional Support?

It is normal to feel disappointment, longing and indecision in the first months after returning. However, in the following situations support from a mental health professional may be helpful:

• If unhappiness and lack of motivation have lasted for months and are getting heavier
• If you do not want to leave the house and avoid social contact
• If your sleep and appetite have changed noticeably
• If you are constantly arguing with your partner about the decision to return
• If thoughts such as "I made the wrong decision, now it's too late for everything" occupy your mind
• If feelings of worthlessness and thoughts that life is meaningless have appeared

If you are having thoughts of harming yourself, this is an emergency; call 112 (emergency services) without delay or go to the nearest emergency department.

How Are Retirement and the Return Addressed in Therapy?

Retirement and returning home mean going through two major life transitions at the same time. Therapy helps make sense of these transitions and build a new pattern of life.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) focuses on evaluating together the realism of thoughts such as "I'm no use any more", "nobody here understands me" or "coming back was a mistake", and on developing more balanced perspectives. Through behavioural activation, activities that bring meaning and enjoyment to the day are planned step by step.

The schema therapy perspective can help us understand why some people experience change as much more unsettling. For someone who has largely defined their identity through their work or lived by unrelenting standards, retirement and returning home can deeply shake their sense of worth.

Where partners have different feelings about returning, couples therapy can help find a shared way forward in which both voices are heard. I work in Çorum with face-to-face and online sessions; online sessions can also be an option for those still living in the big city who are at the planning stage of their return.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many people come to Çorum to return to their home town?

According to TÜİK's 2025 data on reasons for migration, 1,161 people came to Çorum for the reason of "returning to family or home town" and 298 left for this reason. Those who came directly for "retirement" numbered 100. These categories do not cover only retirees.

Why might I feel unhappy after returning home?

Both your home town and you have changed over the years. The gap between the place you idealised in your mind and today's reality can create a sense of alienation known as reverse culture shock. This feeling usually eases as new ties and a new routine are built.

My partner wants to return home and I don't. What should we do?

It is important that both of you talk openly about your expectations, worries and what you cannot give up. Intermediate solutions such as a trial period, seasonal living or a plan for regular visits to children and grandchildren can be considered. If arguments have become chronic, couples sessions can help.

Is it possible to make new friends in retirement?

Yes. Retirees' associations, adult education courses, volunteering, regular walking groups and neighbourhood gatherings are suitable settings for building new relationships. Taking the first step may feel hard, but regular participation turns into strong bonds over time.

• #retirement
• #returning home
• #readjustment
• #belonging

Yazar

Eda Erkan Alapala

Klinik Psikolog. İstanbul Kent Üniversitesi Klinik Psikoloji Tezli Yüksek Lisans mezunu; bilişsel davranışçı terapi, çocuk merkezli oyun terapisi ve çocuk-ergen psikoterapisi alanlarında eğitimlerini tamamlamıştır.

Eğitimler