Nostalgia isn’t just for college students.
In fact, nostalgia is a perfectly normal feeling. Lack of family, friends, pets, food, and even your pillow is a very common experience for travelers of all ages.
While the feeling of homesickness can sometimes stem from culture shock (another perfectly normal reaction to being away from home), homesickness is just as likely to occur in your own country as it is in a foreign destination. Lost family, family routines, friends, and pets are normal feelings.
Homesickness can make you sad, tired, and isolated. It’s hard to look forward to a travel day when you miss your loved ones. However, over time, homesickness usually goes away, especially if you travel to a place that is very different from your home.
Here are some ways to put nostalgia aside so you can enjoy the rest of your trip.
Accept your emotions
Nostalgia is normal. You are not a bad traveler if you miss being home. Instead of berating yourself for ruining your own travel experience, look at the situation objectively. You’re away from home, you miss being home, and that’s okay. It’s also okay if your homesickness lingers for a few days or you feel like crying. These emotions are also normal.
Home phone
ET had the right idea. Find a WiFi hotspot and use a smartphone or Skype app to talk to your family. Yes, you will feel sad when you hear their voices, but you will also feel confident that they are happy and healthy. They will help you if you explain the ups and downs of your trip, and this support will help you control your feelings of nostalgia.
Talk to people
Particularly if you are outgoing, part of your homesickness may be due to your need to interact with other people. Take a class, take a short guided tour, stay at a youth hostel, or find another way to talk to people and recharge your emotional batteries. If you are comfortable bringing up your nostalgia, you may be surprised to find that other travelers understand how you feel. They too have been homesick.
Find the relative in an unfamiliar place
Sometimes we get nostalgic for something, anything, familiar, like a newspaper in our own language, a movie we can understand, or a soda with ice. Find a fast food restaurant, newsstand, foreign language movie theater, or some other place where you can do something like you would at home. Enjoying familiar foods and activities will remind you that travel is temporary and that your home will be there when you return.
Allow
Treat yourself to something you enjoy. Take a warm bath, buy a chocolate bar, read a book, or head to the most beautiful park in town and go for a walk.
Muévanse
Exercise can clear your mind and motivate you to continue your journey. If your hotel or cruise ship has a gym or pool, consider adding a light workout to your daily routine. Walking and biking are also great low-impact ways to get some exercise.
Create a routine
Some travelers miss the structure of their regular lives when they travel. They feel a bit out of control when they are away from normal routines. Take charge of your personal routine by doing some of the things you would do at home, like exercising or reading, at the same time every day.
Look for humor
Rediscover the habit of smiling by finding something fun to listen to, watch, or read. Comics, books, YouTube videos, humor websites, and TV and radio shows can make you smile. Coping with homesickness becomes easier when you realize that you haven’t lost the ability to smile.
Change your plans
If your homesickness becomes really debilitating, consider shortening your trip and going home or to a place where you have close family or friends. There is no reason why you should go through an emotionally crippling travel experience. While this solution might not work if you are on a cruise or guided tour, it might help if you are on a long, independent vacation.
