8 Ways to Connect with Home When Living Abroad

One of the downsides of living abroad is that you can live very far away from some of the people you love. As fantastic as technology and social media are at helping us to keep in touch with family and friends around the world, there are certain times when speaking to them through a screen just doesn’t cut it.

Whether you think of home as where you grew up, where your loved ones are, or just wherever you happen to be at the moment, there are times when the feeling of ‘home’ pulls us in; during our highs, our lows, or our favourite times of the year. Homesickness can refer to your physical family home and the community you grew up around, but it can also represent feeling homesick for people and the familiarity and routine of your most comfortable space, wherever that may be.

In my experience, the place where I grew up doesn’t necessarily feel like home anymore so for me, connecting with wherever my favourite people is the same as connecting with home.

Read through to the last suggestion, where I recommend bringing back the age-old joys of being a penpal. It may help you better engage with a special person in your life without all the tech.

Especially with the way the world has been these past couple of years, even the most seasoned travellers feel the need to feel connected to home from time to time - no matter where you are in the world. Below is a compilation of a few things that I’ve done, and do, to stay and feel connected with home living abroad, both in my time as a solo traveller and while travelling as a couple.

Wherever you are in the world, hopefully some or all of these tips will help you make the most of your experience on the road by staying connected with the best of home!

1. Connect With Other Travellers

One of the amazing things about the travel community is the immediate feeling of camaraderie no matter where you are in the world.

If you’re feeling low, engage with people who are sharing accomodation, who work with you, who are hosting you in an energy exchange, chat up a few like-minded individuals within your community, and in turn, supporting other travellers as they navigate their homesickness. If you can connect with someone who calls the same area of the world home, even better.

Social media can also be a fantastic way to connect with others who are living in the same region or area as you. When I first moved to Scotland, I was connected with a group of Canadian women living here. The organiser has been in touch multiple times letting me know of get-togethers, and has been an invaluable help when I was looking for Canadian-specific advice about living in the UK.

2. Replicate Traditions

My family has always gone big for Christmas, so recreating our traditions around the holiday season, including my mom’s classic gingerbread recipe, always helps me feel connected to them around that time of year.

Try replicating the traditions your family or friends have in the best way you can. Whether it be a holiday tradition, an experience you share every year, a weekly ritual, or exchanging gifts, this can look like a lot of different things.

For me, my (Canadian) family has always had very elaborate Christmas celebrations, and so a lot of connecting with my family around the holiday season is recreating how we did Christmas growing up. It includes the sights, sounds and atmosphere of a weekend putting up Christmas decorations, the films we watch, and I’ll usually try and do it on the same weekend as them.

If you’re looking for something more frequent, consider creating a new tradition with someone you miss. It can be as simple as watching the same show every week and chat about it or sending a care package every other month. Any way you choose, you’ll find routine is a powerful way to combat homesickness.

3. Cook your favourite meals

Whether it’s making your family’s age-old recipe that’s been passed down from generation to generation or re-creating your favourite elements of your country’s cuisine, taste can be a powerful reminder of home. Seek out local international food shops within your area or message your mom for that one recipe and get cooking!

If you’re not a huge fan of cooking, (or worry that you’ll ruin any dish you try to make), fear not. One of the benefits of the world being so accessible is that we have the opportunity to experience other cultures within the places we call home, which can include (depending on where you live) being able to try incredibly diverse and authentic cuisines. Take a trip to your nearest city, and seek out a venue that caters most to your home cuisines.

Have a loved one who’s travelling that you want to connect to? Try bringing wherever they are to you…

4. Activate your senses

Much like our taste, activating our other senses can be a great way to connect with our feeling of home or the people in it. Sights, smells, sounds, and touch all have the power to unlock the feeling of being with someone you miss or be in your childhood home.

Put on some music that reminds you of your favourite moments or people, fill your home base with the same scents of home, recreate a spot within your base that mirrors one from your parent’s place, and/or surround yourself with photos or other memorabilia that will help put a smile on your face. For me, my mom always used to simmer a blend of spices over the stovetop, so her whole place smelled like cinnamon and clove. Whenever I feel like I want to connect with the feeling of being at her place, it only takes a few simmering cinnamon sticks. Similarly, around the holidays, I’ll always put on my dad’s favourite James Taylor Christmas CD.

5. Tap into films and books

Films and books can be a great mood regulator, whether you re-watch favourite series that you used to watch with you family or friends, or head to the cinema where you can step into another world. I always found cinemas to be especially good at beating homesickness as you could really be anywhere in the world.

If these aren’t quite enough for you, try watching the same movie with a loved one from home, and either have them on speaker as you’re watching, or use Teleparty or Disney Group Watch. Similarly, consider starting a wee book club if you’re more into reading, and read the same books as your loved one - it’s a great way to feel connected to them on the everyday.

Consider creating a home base abroad. When I was a young solo traveller, being an au pair helped so much with the transition as my Australian family not only gave me that base, but they became like family. Read more about au pairing here…

6. Support your Friends from Home in Unique Ways

Sending a small care package that shows a bit of thought went in can go a long way, especially if you’d normally support them in a similar way at home.

Other than the holidays, the times when I’ve felt the most homesick over my time living abroad is when my loved ones are going through the highs and lows of life. Whether it’s a sibling passing a major milestone or a grieving friend, it can be incredibly challenging to feel like you’re there for them from the other side of the world. Although social media has made it incredibly easy to stay connected, during these moments, you just want to physically be there for them.

This is why supporting friends in more unique ways can be helpful. Maybe it’s sending them dinner from a local restaurant on you, putting together a care package, or writing them a letter or postcard. Maybe it’s sending them a gift on their birthday, supporting their new venture or business or planning trips away together. Think outside of the box and try the option that would make your person feel the most supported - it can bring you closer together through the experience.

7. Turn Your Clocks or Your Weather to Home-Time

If you have a smartphone, add your hometown or place where your loved ones live to the weather and clock app. It’s actually very comforting to see what kind of day they may be having weather-wise, or check-in to what time of day they’re at. The normality of talking about work and the weather definitely brings a sense of comfort if you’re needing/ wanting it.

The other option, if you have a base, would be to purchase actual clocks and set them up in your house. My mom does this at her place in Ontario, and has clocks designated for each of us that live in a different time zone up on her wall. It’s not only a sweet aesthetic, but is also is comforting to glance at it and know if your loved one is asleep, working, or may be available for a quick call.

8. Go back to Snail Mail

My family, my mom and sister in particular, love receiving postcards so I’ve tried to make it a habit to send them a quick hi, thinking of you from wherever I may be.

Consider going back to snail mail and writing with a family member or friend, whether it’s exchanging postcards from your various travels or channeling the 80s and becoming full-on pen pals.

You can also consider swapping things like books and writing your thoughts or comments in the margins. It can help you feel like you’re having a conversation with your loved one through the text as you’re reading.

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Travel can be a labour of love in many ways, and one of the true downsides can be wanting to share the experiences with your favourite people! Remind yourself that everyone experiences some version of this from time and time and that it’s completely normal to feel a bit low when you’re missing home, even if you’re in a gorgeous place.

Happy Travels,
Sam

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