Traveling is a wonderful experience for many people. Exploring new places and seeing how the world lives is an edifying experience. There is quite nothing like it. Oscar Wilde once famously quipped that people only have two regrets on their deathbeds: that they didn’t love more, and that they didn’t travel more. But what happens if you’re the sort of person who gets really homesick on these long adventures? How should you approach that?
Well, it turns out that there are numerous strategies seasoned veterans have developed over the years. These tend to be extremely powerful if you implement them early enough and do not let the homesickness feeling to take over your mind.
Accept It
Start by accepting the fact that you are homesick. It doesn’t matter what the reason is immediately, as long as you are able to have a conversation with yourself about what’s going on. Accepting it is often the first step in helping yourself calm down. If you try to bottle everything up, you’re liable to make things worse later on. Note that accepting homesickness doesn’t mean you have to do anything about it immediately. You can wait a few hours before making any calls or looking for help.
Connect With Home
Next, you’ll want to find some way to connect with home. Obviously, you don’t want to abandon everything and leave (unless you have the means to do so). Therefore, finding some common ground between where you are now and back home is often essential.
For example, you could try to watch Game of Thrones online if that’s something you do with your friends and family. Connecting to Netflix or another streaming service through a VPN can make this process easier. You can also do things like call home or arrange a video chat. These can change how you feel and be big mood boosters if you speak to the right person. Of course, you’ll want to be careful. Sometimes connecting with home can make you feel even more homesick if you’re in a challenging situation. Therefore, sometimes you might want to grit your teeth and push through if you’re going through a hard time abroad.
Create A Comfortable Area For Yourself
Another strategy many people like is to create a comfortable area for themselves. This usually involves collecting various items that remind you of home and putting them somewhere you spend a lot of time, like your hotel room or vacation rental. Of course, you’ll need to remember to bring these with you before you travel for this idea to be of any use. Otherwise, you’ll have to go out and buy stuff, and it might not have the same effect. Once you create an area with your favorite snacks, keepsakes, and mementos, bask in it for a while and see if it makes you feel any differently. You should notice a wave of comfort coming over you as your unconscious begins to process the idea that you might be at a new home. While it’s not the real thing, it’s pretty close.
Go And Explore
Ironically, you can sometimes make yourself feel less homesick by getting out of your chair and going for a walk in the local area. Building familiarity is an excellent way to get used to something and take your mind off your family and house. If you have positive experiences during your exploration, you can sometimes create new associations with your surroundings. These breed familiarity which, in turn, can create a sense of safety.
This approach isn’t perfect, but it can work in some locations. For example, if you’re staying in Geneva, you can safely walk out of the house, find somewhere to eat, and go to the park. These locations bring a sense of order and familiarity, allowing you to enjoy the scenes and be yourself.
Take Care Of Yourself
You might be feeling homesick just because you feel so run down and ill from all the take-out food and long flights. Therefore, improving your lifestyle could be the answer. If possible, start eating better. Look for establishments that offer salads or whip something up in the kitchen if you’re renting a property. It can also help if you take a blender with you. While it might take up valuable space in your suitcase, it’s an excellent tool for preparing nutritious smoothies that will keep you going on long trips.
So, there you have it: some advice on what to do if you feel homesick while abroad.