Homesickness when traveling abroad

Editorial note: Leann Weber is a UND student studying abroad this fall at the University of Stirling, Scotland. Look for her bi-weekly columns on the trials of studying abroad in the Dakota Student on Fridays.

Homesickness is an interesting factor when one studies abroad. It affects everyone in a very different way. For some, it hardly hits. For others, it hits hard. It can rear right away as soon as a person steps off the plane, or it can take weeks to develop.

I am lucky. Homesickness is really mild for me. I like to claim my prior trips abroad and my independence are the reasons I am not missing home. But I will be truthful. Those factors may have helped, but I must give credit to technology for reducing homesickness. E-mail and my U.K. mobile phone make it easy to keep in contact with my friends and family in the States. I usually call home once a week after 8 p.m. which is cheaper in the U.K. because it isn't peak time for calls. The six hour time difference makes it possible to achieve this because when I call after 8 p.m., it is late in the afternoon in North Dakota.

The fact that I can get in touch with my family anytime makes it easier not to miss them as much. Another factor that must be consider is that my sister, Lynn, my brother, Lyle, and fellow co-worker and friend, Alyssa, are flying over to see me in late October. The fact that I am seeing them halfway through my semester in Scotland keeps homesickness at bay. Plus, I am frequently in contact with them trying to figure out travel plans.

But no matter how positive of an attitude one keeps while studying abroad, little things still get to a person. Late one night, I was walking across campus, and I spotted the Big Dipper. Stupid how such a minor thing made me miss home. Another day, I was instantly reminded how much I missed my horses when I noticed some grazing in a nearby field. One can always talk to their friends and family, but pets are easy to miss. One cannot talk to them over the phone or e-mail them. And of course, there was the death of a friend's father that made me wish I could have been home to make his funeral. But a sympathy card postmarked Stirling, Scotland, was the best I could manage. Though, in all of these instances, it was only a fleeting moment of missing home. It went away as quickly as it had come.

Curious on how others were experiencing homesickness, I talked to my fellow American study abroad students. They agree that it is the little things that get to them, though the homesickness lasted longer.

For Erin, it hit as soon as she landed in Scotland. It was when she stepped off the plane that she started crying. It took her about a week to get over the first wave of homesickness. Little things still trigger it. One day, the internet went down in her building when she was trying to talk to friends back home. She had a momentary breakdown for not being able to get online. What seemed like a minor thing became a major issue for Erin.

Katie's homesickness comes at night. She doesn't have internet in her room or a mobile phone, so she is cut off from all types of communication at her dorm. It is when she is alone in her room that her mind starts wandering and she really misses home. For the first two weeks, homesickness would hit so severely some nights that she would cry herself to sleep. Of course, having heard this, I was concerned and started asking some questions about her prior travel experiences. Katie has never traveled abroad before and only has traveled in the U.S. with her family. After finding this out, it was completely understandable that she would be missing home. I have seen first-time travelers get really homesick on 10 day trips, and Katie is to be in Scotland for four months. Her homesickness has gone away now that a month has gone by, but small things still trigger it.

Both Katie and Erin admitted that within their first week in the U.K., they had moments when they seriously considered calling it quits and flying back home. It is normal to have doubts. One just has to get through it. Both agree that staying active and traveling definitely helps suppress homesickness. While traveling, one finds it hard to think about home when there are so many new sights to see.

So, how should one try to prevent homesickness while studying abroad? Here are some helpful tips:

1. Find people to hang out with at the new university. It may sound hard to some people, but groups and clubs make it easy.

2. Travel. Whether it is with a new friend or with a travel group. A person studies abroad to see the sights, so do it. Take advantage of the opportunity.

3. Get a calling card, pay-as-you-go mobile phone, or use Skype to call home with. It is always great to hear familiar voices. Plus if friends/parents call the mobile phone, it's free. Incoming calls do not get charged on the mobile phone. At least that is my plan I have in the U.K. I would suggest asking the company first before purchasing a phone.

4. Give Grandmas international stamps and tell her to write. She'll be thrilled, as mine was, and it is always nice to get mail from home.

5. Bring pictures of friends/family with. It doesn't make one miss home more, it provides comfort.

6. E-mail and Facebook is great for staying in touch.

7. If one is bringing their laptop abroad, consider taking a few comfort movies with. Condense them in a CD case to save room in the bag. May not need them, but sometimes it is nice to watch familiar movies, sitcoms, etc.

8. Talk to someone. Whether it's with friends, family, school councilors, make sure to speak up if homesickness is severe. It is normal to feel homesick, but it is hard for some people to get past it without talking to someone.