Returning defeated to something old and familiar

Question

What is a good English expression for returning defeated to something old and familiar after trying a new and challenging thing?

For example: After you spend a year in New York City, you will come back _________ to the good old Midwest.

Answer 1

You'll come crawling back:

come/go crawling to: to go to (someone) for help or approval in a way that shows one is weak or sorry for what one has done
_{Merriam-Webster}

Here's an example that's very close to yours:

The old men sipping coffee at the local diner like to say, “You’ll come crawling back home soon enough.”
_{I Left My Small Town And Never Came Back}

Answer 2

"with your tail between your legs"

Collins Dictionary says:

If you say that you have your tail between your legs, you are emphasizing that you feel defeated and ashamed.