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We’ve all been there. You’ve just arrived at your abroad abode, and suddenly it strikes. That familiar feeling of melancholy that comes with being far away from the comfort of your own home. Pair that feeling with culture shock, and you’ve created the perfect recipe for a case of full blown homesickness.
Missing home is nothing to be ashamed of. It’s only natural to feel an affinity for the places you’ve left behind. Still, there are many ways that you can make your new digs feel like your home away from home. Here are a couple tips and tricks to combat the melancholy of homesickness.
Keep It Cozy
A great way to make your new place feel familiar is to make it your own! The best way is to customize the space with your own personal touch. You can do this by purchasing accent pieces, such as throw pillows, blankets, and decorative vases. You’ll be surprised at how one simple item can make a room feel homier. Keep in mind that location matters when it comes to decorating. The tips for decorating your winter lodge will differ greatly from tips for decorating your beach condo. As such, you want to add a personal touch while making your home design mesh with your new location.
Fill Your Digs with Some Familiar Faces
If you don’t have the budget — or the luggage space — for throw pillows, then you can always bring smaller items from your house. Pack some fun photos from home that you can decorate with. This will let you look at familiar faces for when you’re feeling the blues. You can even add character to your new fridge with quirky magnets. All you need are small touches to remind yourself that this is your temporary home away from home.
Keep in Touch, But Not Too in Touch
As humans, we rely on personal contact. Being in touch with your loved ones can fuel you, but too much can actually drain you as well. If you find yourself spending more time talking on the phone than exploring your new habitat, then you’re not fully experiencing the present. Scale back on your phone time by scheduling a weekly Skype call with your loved ones. This will add to the routine of your day, and it will combat the possibility of excessive talk time.
Another great way to keep your loved ones informed is a travel blog. Many wanderers say that a blog is helpful for communication on a much larger scale. They also find the act of writing to be therapeutic in its reflection. If you’re already journaling, why not take the extra step and make a blog?
Find a New Routine
In order to make your new living arrangement feel like home, you can establish a new routine within your environment. When you’re in a new place, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed by the unfamiliarity of the location. Language barriers, unfamiliar terrain, and culture shock can all lead to a familiar sensation of dread. Yet, as in all things, the best way to beat this is with baby steps.
The first step of finding normality is to establish a routine within this new location. This can be as simple as drinking coffee in the morning on your trellis. You can also schedule a daily walk through a local garden. As humans, we rely on patterns to establish normality. With an established schedule, you can find uniformity within unfamiliarity.
Thrust Yourself into the Unknown
Sometimes the best way to beat homesickness is to embrace the unfamiliar. Nothing can get you out of a funk like the thrill of going on an adventure! Instead of spending time moping in your home, you could be outside, experiencing the city. Your brain’s synapses will begin firing as it navigates through new territory. Even if you don’t discover something incredible, you’ll have distracted your brain from its general malaise of homesickness. In order to stop missing what you’ve left behind, you need to experience where you are now!
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