It can be difficult living in a foreign country with no one you know. Traveling and living abroad takes flexibility and an open mind. It forces you out of your comfort zone – especially when it comes to meeting new people and making friends, forcing you to be sociable. While I met lots of amazing new people and loved my host family, there were still times I felt homesick and there was always the feeling of What did I miss?. While it is important not to live your time abroad wishing you were home all the time, it is normal to reach out to your home base. Thanks to technology, you can stay connected while abroad. Don’t be afraid to call or Skype with family, friends, therapists, or whoever is part of your support system. I did this to keep myself grounded and to cope with being away and living in a foreign country. I also kept a journal to reflect and record everything, and a calendar where I would write down what I did that day. This helped me to look at the big picture and feel accomplished, especially if I did a lot that week or month. 

Missing home? Don’t be afraid to indulge in comforts from home while abroad. For me, this was food. Sometimes I had Starbucks, ramen, and peanut butter. On both trips, I brought a few food items from home that I would sometimes snack on. In both places, I ate ramen and at the time, I wasn’t sure why since ramen isn’t that good, but looking back I think for me it was a remnant of home. The same was for peanut butter – the minute I saw it in Barrio Chino, I quickly grabbed it (Peanut butter is not common in Chile or Argentina; in Argentina dulce de leche rules and in Chile, manejar, both of which I love!). While most people tell you to immerse yourself in the culture (which I totally agree with), it is okay to indulge in comforts from home if that’s what helps when you’re feeling homesick. I remember buying Starbucks coffee one day before class and feeling guilty if people would judge me about not “immersing myself in the culture”. I realize now that I shouldn’t have felt that way and realize it’s okay to run back to comfort every now and then as long as it is not all your lifestyle abroad. It’s also fun to compare menus and the taste of the food with restaurants that are abroad and also in the United States! Food is an easy item to carry in your suitcase – both from the United States and from the countries you visit!

 *Watch for each countries’ rules regarding bringing in certain foods