I want to go home! Tips to help you not feeling homesick

For many people, travelling causes panic and a feeling of being homesick. They don't feel ready to travel and think they won't be able to cope with missing their family and friends. Other people, however, feel ready to start a new adventure, but sometimes they are surprised by feeling homesick during their stay abroad.

Anyone can feel homesick, no matter how much time they spend away from home. It's natural to miss your family, your home and your friends, but it's important to remember that a new adventure always brings new positive surprises. This feeling of nostalgia tends to appear especially during the first few weeks we go to another country, as we face many changes and may feel overwhelmed by all the differences. You may even think that your stay is not what you thought and you may even consider returning to your country and putting an end to your adventure.

From Au Pair Conecta we propose that instead of packing your bags to return home, you face this homesick feeling. We assure you that after the shock of the first few weeks in which you may feel sad, you will feel much better. You'll get to know people and get to know the area you live in and all it has to offer. Still, we would like to give you some ideas to lose the homesickness:

• Explore the new environment where you live, get lost in the surroundings and discover the place! Don't postpone the activities you'd like to do and find out where to sign up as soon as possible for a language school, volunteering activities, a gym or sports activities, etc. Stay busy and active.

• Go out and do something you like even if the weather is not good! Nostalgia likes to visit you when you're doing nothing and have plenty of time to think. Look for distractions.

• Write down a list of all the things you would like to do during your stay abroad and start putting it into practice as soon as possible.

• Avoid talking so much with your loved ones. We know you need it, but this will make your nostalgia appear and not help you improve the language you want to learn. Yours should encourage and motivate you in your new adventure.

• Meet people, talk to them, make a mistake with the language... don' worry about it! Trust yourself. In time you will see that some of these people will become your experience partners and friends forever. Apart from meeting other Au Pairs, you can search for a Facebook group in your area, search for hits, check applications like Couchsurfing, etc. It is important that you meet native people who, apart from helping you to improve your language, will be able to teach you more about your city.

• Whenever you can afford it, travel, find companions to explore new places.

• Make your host country your second home. Become a host for the people who come to visit you in your new home and surprise them with everything you already know about that country.

• Above all, give yourself time! Be patient with yourself, as it always takes time to adjust to something new.

When it's time to go home again, you'll realise that the time has passed so quickly at the end of the day, and when you pack your luggage, there's something that takes up much more than the rest: all the wonderful moments you've had.

So make the most of your stay abroad!