Tips for Dealing with Homesickness
Traveling has always been a dream of mine, but I’ve only had a few opportunities to do so. This dialogue to Iceland is the longest I’ve been away from home since starting at Northeastern last fall and the farthest I’ve been from home period. Homesickness hit me pretty hard at the start of this trip and bouts of it come up every once in awhile. It’s pretty natural to feel overwhelmed when visiting a new country, and I’ve put together some tips I used to help me get over it.
1. Talk to people at home
A big part of homesickness is due to missing the people I’ve left behind. Thanks to technology and an international plan however, I can text and call whenever I have wifi. At the beginning of the trip, I called my parents every day. Now I check in every few days to update them on the latest Icelandic adventure. It was comforting to know I wasn’t isolated in another country and that I had their support even if they weren’t here in person. It’s also fun to catch up with friends because they will most likely tell you how jealous they are that you’re in Iceland, and that always helps a little.
2. Talk to others on the trip
The great thing about studying abroad is that there’s a whole class of people who are going through the exact same thing I am. Some people had little trouble adjusting, but there were others on the trip that were feeling the same way I was. It’s nice to confide in someone that you’re not having a perfect experience so far. Heck yeah, I cried the first night. I thought about buying a plane ticket back to America multiple times. Knowing that I wasn’t alone in how I was feeling made it easier to stick it out as I got more comfortable being abroad.
3. Journal
Journaling is one of my top go to methods whenever I’m feeling sad or overwhelmed. It’s a great place to vent in private and take the negative thoughts out of my head and put them onto paper. Another perk of journaling is that I can document what I’ve loved about the tip so far so when homesickness does come around, I can read some positive memories and remember why I signed up for this trip in the first place.
4. Focus on what you’re doing, not what you’re missing
One of the worst things I do when I feel homesick is fixate on what my friends back at home are doing without me. With social media, everyone looks like they’re having a great time and there’s a huge fear of missing out. I had to remind myself to stay present in the moment. Sure, I may have missed out on my friend’s weekend at the beach, but I just rode an Icelandic horse through a valley and hiked over a lava flow. I realized that home will be waiting for me when I get back, but the experiences I’m having in Iceland are once in a lifetime.
5. If all else fails, listen to Phil Collins
There’s just something so charming about “On My Way” that makes everything seem like a carefree adventure.
Homesickness is just a part of traveling, but it can put a damper on what’s supposed to be an awesome trip. I definitely battled with it in the start of the trip, but the longer I’m here the more at home I feel with the people around me and confident in myself that I can have a good time. I know when this trip is over I’m going to miss Iceland and my tent because they’ve both become a home away from home.
