5 Tips For Fighting Homesickness During Long-Term Travel
Whether you choose to live abroad for a period of time or travel long-term, it can be easy to experience homesickness while you’re away. A lack of consistency in your schedule and surroundings can be exciting but can also cause you to miss home after an extended period of time. To fight homesickness and enjoy your travels, there are a few effective ways of living in the moment instead of wanting to cut the trip short.
1. CREATE A ROUTINE
Creating a routine each day with your schedule can provide you with a bit of normalcy that allows you to become more familiar with your surroundings. Join a local dance class or attend a book club to stay busy and know what to expect each week with your commitments. Make a habit of cooking dinner each night and going out on the weekends. Creating a routine will allow you to establish a new life as you travel and will make it easier to settle in without missing the routine you once had back home.
You can also maintain the same habits that you had at home by finding a favorite restaurant that you can frequent or by joining an athletic team in the local area. You can look forward to spending time in places that offer something different than your hometown.
2. SCHEDULE SKYPE SESSIONS
You can feel closer to the ones you love back home by scheduling frequent Skype sessions over the Internet to ensure that you can talk face-to-face with your family members and friends. Scheduling a time to talk each week will allow you to feel connected to home and will give you something to look forward to as you travel.
3. PACK ITEMS FROM HOME
Although it may be difficult to live out of a suitcase or have a lack of consistency with the food that you eat, you can still feel close to home by bringing along a few of your favorite items. Pack a photo that you keep on your nightstand or a candle that smells like the inside of your house. You can even bring your favorite blanket to feel cozy and comfortable as you spend time in hostels and hotel rooms.
4. STAY ACTIVE
Sitting on social media and looking at photos of your home can make it easy to long for being back in your old surroundings. Avoid torturing yourself with activities that make you miss home by distracting yourself with activities. Plan events throughout the week to stay busy, which can include attending a concert, exploring a museum or reading a book in a park. This will allow you to avoid thinking more about being back home and will allow you to appreciate your current travels and the adventures that arise.
You also want to increase your physical activities to boost your mood during the day and reduce the risk of becoming depressed. Your body will begin to release endorphins to prevent stress and allow you to feel happier. Try to go for daily runs, commute to class by bike, or swim in the ocean for a great way of staying physically fit and increasing your overall well-being.
5. FIND A COMMUNITY OF FRIENDS
Many people become homesick due to a lack of community while traveling long-term. Find friends that you can connect with to ensure that you avoid feeling lonely and isolated in a new destination. You can find friends by joining local clubs, couch surfing, or by looking for other locals or travelers in the same city on social media.
Jessica Kane is a professional blogger who writes for Documents International LLC, a leading apostille service for individuals and businesses.