Even if you’re an experienced traveler, there are going to be moments where home really does feel a million miles away. We all feel it occasionally, whether that be down to missing a family occasion, or generally having spent a large period away.
If you’re traveling long term or you’ve moved to another country, then you’re going to be homesick for sure. It can be really disruptive to your traveling and can play a downer on almost everything you do while away from home even if you’re only on holiday. Yup, it is the downside to long term travel.
There are many ways in which you can combat that awful feeling though, and with a little help having you enjoy your time away to the maximum.
Find A Home Comfort
Home comforts are always helpful in such scenarios as they are a little slice of your home life. What people find comforting can vary. It could be a cuddle toy, your mom’s freshly made cookies or it could be your favorite TV show.
You can learn to cook food from your mom (or dad). In the case of your favorite TV show, finding your show can be easier said than done. Geoblocking can prevent you from watching certain channels abroad, although there are ways around this.
VPNs are great tools that allow you to change your IP address so it’s as if you’re browsing from a different location. For those originally from the UK, that’s particularly useful as BBC iPlayer, Channel 4 and ITV can’t be viewed abroad.To pick up a Channel 4 live stream outside of the UK, and watch your favourite shows, a VPN downloaded to your device is just the ticket.
Find Food from Your Country
Home comforts may also lie in food and there’s more opportunity than ever before to pick up your favourite items and snacks in other countries. Learning to cook food from your parents or grandparents isn’t something that everyone can do. If cooking is not really your thing, then you can try to find decent options around you. Restaurants can get expensive but your favorite dish from home is maybe waiting for you at the supermarket.
World food aisles in supermarkets are ideal for finding such things.They won’t come cheap, but if you’re really feeling down then it’s certainly worth treating yourself.
Take A Break From Social Media
One of the major contributors to becoming homesick is spending too much time on social media.It causes a real fear of missing out, as you’ll likely see your friends hanging out together, images of family birthdays and many other occasions.
Taking a break from social media or keeping your usage down will help combat this and certainly help quell that desire to be back home and involved in such events.
Don’t Lose Your Hobbies
People often move to a new country in order to start a new life. But that doesn’t mean completely starting from scratch.
Many of us completely leave our hobbies within our old lives, but there really is no need. For example, if you’re a keen runner, there are running clubs available to join worldwide. Parkrun puts on events globally, so there are plenty of opportunities to be part of a club, and that applies no matter what your interest.
Make Friends
That will inevitably lead to making friends too. Joining a club is ideal to build new friendships and is certainly a great way to settle into your new home much more comfortably.
As well as this, get to know your local neighbors, new colleagues, or even just visit the local pub or bar and get to know the regulars. Pushing yourself into new communities is a great way to avoid loneliness, which will inevitably result in you longing for home.
Create A New Routine
Feeling a little lost isn’t uncommon when away from home. It’s often what leads us to wanting to hop on the next flight back. Creating a new routine straight away will keep you busy and not only that will give you a clear idea of when certain things will happen.
A good way on feeling closer to home is be scheduling in Skype calls with friends and family a few times a week to catch up and keep you in the loop.
Knowing when you’re next going to speak and see the faces of loved ones will make the time away from home more bearable when you’re feeling far away, as there are days, hours or minutes in which you can count down to.
Elsewhere, as part of routines you can add in time to take part in hobbies, go to classes or just get out and explore, keeping yourself active and engaged with your new world.
Go Explore
The best way to make you feel closer to home though is by embracing your new home, whether that be temporary or permanent.
Making yourself familiar with your surroundings, enjoying what your local area has to offer, and engaging with the local people will quickly make you feel part of a community and ultimately give you the same satisfaction as you would in your hometown.Participate in local festivals, attend musical concerts, join the international community, spend time in the library, or join a gym.
How do you make yourself feel at home away from home when you’re traveling long term? Let us know in the comments.
Namaste, Guten Tag!
I'm Sonal from India, living in Germany and exploring Europe. I've been writing about my travels since 2015. I often travel alone (and sometimes with family of 3).
I love European city breaks, nature, adventure, hiking to viewpoints, Yoga, and road trips. I have a think for creating the most amazing travel itineraries and in-depth destination guides which will help you make the most of your trip.
