Being away from home can be hard. All the new things; the food, the culture, the language can get more than a little intimidating. Even though the throbbing ache in your heart of missing home might never completely go away, if you keep these few things in mind then it will become easier for you to live in this completely unfamiliar place.
There is truly no place like home but doing a few of these things might make you miss home a little less.
What is Homesickness?
Homesickness is when you acutely miss your home. It is a kind of frightening, numbing feeling that usually comes along with the change of a familiar environment. One might experience it when going out of time to visit a relative, moving away to study or leaving the country for work. Homesickness is something everybody is bound to experience when away from home. If you are a Pakistani away from home, with a home shaped hole in your heart, then we have some tips for you to help you cope with the need for familiarity!
Try to find Friends from home!
One of the best ways to get that sense of familiarity that you miss is by finding people who share a similar background. You out of your house or workplace look for places where you might find your countrymen. Usually, there is always one hub for people of a country, and wherever you may be living you are bound to run into some Pakistanis.
Find similar places
Again, look for familiarity. You have to go out of your way to find places that remind you of the home; one of the easiest ways to do this is by finding Pakistani restaurants. There is always at least one Pakistani restrain in any of the larger cities abroad. Find it and go regularly to have a taste of home and to soak in the smell of all the familiar spices and herbs.
Make new memories and pictures
If you are in a new country don’t waste the opportunity; go out and explore, meet new people and make new memories. The best part of going to a completely unfamiliar country is that you get to experience a culture that is unlike yours. Make memories and make pictures; share these with your loved ones back home. Involve them in your new world that way you’ll never feel as if your way from your family.
Try to think of why you left in the first place
If things ever get especially hard that try to remember the reason, you left home. Was it to pursue a good education? Then work twice as hard. Was it to send money back home? Then do not worry; websites like RIA make international transactions super easy so you can easily send money to Pakistan. Or was it simply to experience a new culture and world? If it is so, then there is no point in moping around; go out and take the world by storm and make your loved ones proud.
Remember the people back home!
In your hardest times, remember the people at home that make your life better. Think about them; and know in your heart that they always want you to be happy. If the aching gets too strong then remember that their faces are just a Skype call away.
Being away from home can be hard. You might miss your mother’s smile or the smell of a freshly made naan, but if you keep in mind a few simple things then your heart will ache less and who knows maybe you’ll find a new home in a foreign country.
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