Almost everyone living far away from their friends and family experiences homesickness at some point. Even the most adventuresome traveler occasionally longs for the familiarity of home. If you find yourself missing the familiar, you are not alone. It is perfectly normal to miss the sights and sounds of the “other world” you have temporarily left behind.
Here are a few suggestions for curing the occasional bout of homesickness:
1. Call a friend or family member from back home - while this may make you feel better, beware that hearing familiar voices might also make matters worse. If hearing news from home makes you happy as heck that you aren’t there, this will work for you. If the sound of your mother’s (or best friend’s, or sister’s, etc,.) makes you weep, then try something else.
2. Talk to other foreign friends - chances are, friends who are also new to the area have experienced homesickness too. This is especially true for those who have been there for some time. They’ll be able to tell you how they dealt with missing home. Of course, simply talking it over with them might also be enough to make you feel better.
3. Go where others of your nationality are - this has always worked for me. No matter how much I missed home, a few minutes of being around other Americans always made me remember why I left the States. Nothing wrong with my fellow citizens, but I didn’t go to Germany to hang out with Americans - especially not the loud, touristy sort.
4. Eat/drink/watch something from home - If you’re American, then you will have no problem finding familiar items - from Coca Cola to Sex and the City dubbed in a foreign language - virtually wherever you are. In today’s “global village,” it’s likely you’ll even be able to find your favorite candy bar. Familiar things like these work wonders, and may have you cured quickly.
5. Take a break - stress frequently triggers homesickness. When things get tough and you get tired, life back at home may seem awfully appealing. Take some time off for yourself to relax and rejuvenate. Spend a weekend away, if you can. If not, take a day trip somewhere interesting. Getting away by yourself may banish the blues and keep you from missing home so strongly.
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