Moving Abroad: Top 5 Ways to Battle Homesickness
The hardest part of moving away is the homesickness that inevitably follows. You may not feel it right away, but it catches up with you, no matter what. Homesickness can be mild (just missing familiar faces or things) or very painful (a total sense of loss that can lead to depression), but there are ways to battle it and keep it under control. Instead of sitting at home and regretting your decision to move abroad, plan that trip to Paris or head out to that bar around the corner and get to know new people.
Curb those feelings of homesickness and get more out of your life abroad!
Keep in touch. The only tried and true way to keep you from feeling homesick is to keep in touch with your family and friends back home. There are a million ways nowadays to stay in touch -Skype, Facebook, blogging, Twitter, etc. Doing so helps you remember that you still have those people who care about you back home and that they haven’t forgotten about you.
Get to know your city. The minute you get settled, start exploring your new neighborhood. Not only will this take your mind off missing your old life, but it will help you settle in and get comfortable. Take a walk and find places you like to frequent, like a place to grab a beer, a park, the grocery store or the pharmacy. Getting to know your city will give you a sense of accomplishment.
Travel–a lot. A little “Wanderlust” is an amazing cure for homesickness. Getting out and seeing the world is a great way to remind you why you moved abroad in the first place. Once you’ve seen the Pyramids of Egypt or walked through the Colosseum in Rome, you may be surprised to see you no longer have any interest in moving back home at all. And don’t let the fear of traveling alone deter you, either. As long as you do a little planning, traveling alone can be just as fun and life changing as traveling with a friend.
Make new friends. One of the most difficult parts of moving away is leaving your old friends behind and finding new ones. So, don’t waste any time. Especially in Europe, an effective way to meet new people is to invite yourself to sit down at their table at either a bar or restaurant and start up a conversation. In the U.S., this practice may seem odd, but in Europe, it happens more often than you’d think. Also, if traveling alone, stay at hostels instead of hotels. Hostels are usually frequented by the younger crowd and staying in a dorm room with multiple people forces you to interact and mingle with others.
Get a job. You don’t have to get a full time position at a major company, but getting a job is a good way to help drive away the homesickness. Even just a small, part-time job at a restaurant or bar will help you make some extra cash, introduce you to new people, and help you keep your mind off other things–like how you miss your dog back home.
Read Part 1 and 2 of Nicole’s “Moving Abroad” Series.
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Photo Credit: jig o’dance via Flickr
