How to Feel Less Homesick

By Karina Atanasova

“You will never be completely at home again, because part of your heart will be elsewhere. That is the price you pay for the richness of loving and knowing people in more than one place“ (Miriam Adeney).

Homesickness. Have you ever experienced that feeling? It is one of the most significant challenges that people abroad face when they move to study, teach or just travel for an extended period of time. Of course it is difficult to adjust to a new environment, to understand a new culture or language, but if you constantly call your family or friends it is not going to help you enjoy your new life. It will take work and effort to get through that feeling and can seems impossible sometimes, but it is not. You should know that it won’t go away overnight. It is important also not to let the homesickness prevent you from enjoying life, so here are a few tips on how to deal with it.

One good idea can be sending little gifts back home. Consider giving gifts from your new place and sending them to family and friends if you want to show them that you still love them the same. While you are looking for gifts, you will spend time outside and you will probably find new places that you like or new stores around you. At the same time the thoughts of missing home will be replaced with the fun of buying lovely things for the ones you love.

Another good idea is to research interesting places around you. You can try to find someone from your country and ask them to come with you or just to help you, so you will still feel connected to your home. Discovering is always fun: a new coffee shop, museums, the closest library, favorite store or any other place. Try going to and visiting more and more places. That way you’ll learn more about the culture of your new city, you will learn the language and you could start to like living there, who knows? If you are at school or college, there are a variety of activities, sports and clubs which will help you find new friends. And making new friends is one of the most important things you can do to fight homesickness.

Share. Tell other people about yourself and what you like to do. Share your food at school or at work, organize a little party where you’ll teach people how to cook some of your traditional food. Share your favorite music or funny stories about being at home. Try teaching people a few words in your native language. That will be fun and educational. Just being around people may help you feel less alone.

Everyone is different and has to find his or her own way to be less homesick. Probably there are tons of other suggestions about what you can do, but the most important thing to do is to think positive, focus on your goals and not forget that “life is short” so “never regret anything that you made you smile”.