March 18th, 2010 
cbrodzky Being away from home for a long period of time can be rough. Living in another country for the first time and being away from my friends and family is hard at times and only makes me realize how much I miss and love the people in my life, as well remind me to appreciate all the good fortune I have. There are periods when I feelcompletely homesick and really sad.
Here are some tips I use to help me cope that hopefully will be of use to you in your time of need:
- Staying in touch with friends. I try to talk to friends back home as often as I can, given the time difference. Everyone’s been keeping me updated on the latest gossip so I don’t feel like I’m missing too much.
- Eating foods that remind you of home. Whenever I travel to a new place, I try to eat something that I eat back home, such as pasta, mashed potatoes and chicken quesadillas.
- Trying to keep busy. Whenever I’m not at class or traveling, I find that I have a lot of time on my hands. I try to read books, stay afloat on current events back home, learn basic Spanish, and work on my rough draft for a book I want to one day have published. Having this much free time back in corporate America is a rarity!
- Maintaining positive thoughts. I keep looking back at my short time in Vietnam and I still can’t believe I’m doing something like this. I’m so proud of myself for leaving everything behind and I know that in just a couple months, I’ll be back home with tons of photos and great stories to share.
- Share your feelings with others. There are other American teachers here that have been a great support system. They have all experienced what I’m going through, such as culture shock, and have been offering ways to deal with it.
Perhaps some of these tips will help you overcome homesickness when traveling or living abroad. Can you think of any others?
