ABSTRACT
Through some biographical vignettes, the chapter explores how return is represented and concretely achieved. It argues that returning home does not mean living only in one place: paradoxically, mobility is reinforced with return. Through the analysis of their consumption habits, the chapter also explores the ways returning qurbajoog are shaping the formation of a national culture and a national identity. By intervening in the cultural field, they establish themselves as agents of political change and progress. The trajectories of my interlocutors show that going back to Somaliland does not equate with the nostalgic quest for a lost place of origin. Returnees are inventing new practices, acting as social, economic and political entrepreneurs who use different resources to pursue their goals.
