Going to another country is an engaging, exciting, and bit frightening experience. Everything is novel at first—the train system! The breakfasts! Waiting in line at the grocery store!—and the differences are why you went abroad in the first place. However, there comes a time, when in your new country, that you start to long for the familiar comforts of home.
You expect to miss your family and friends, but there are other things you suddenly find yourself missing that perhaps you didn’t anticipate. Below are what I didn’t expect to miss while living in Italy.
Living abroad is a fantastic experience. You have the opportunity to become fully immersed in a host culture, seeing and doing things that you never could back home. As long as you keep in mind that eventually you will start to miss the little conveniences of home, you’ll be just fine.
And what to do when that homesickness strikes?
Well, perhaps you can use up a little bit of that international data plan to call a friend, or jam out to some Selena Gomez, or find the only restaurant in town that serves passable burgers and fries.
Appreciate the differences and live in the moment. Because soon you’ll be home and find yourself missing those confusing, hard-to-lock doors, and people you can communicate with through only a simple smile.
Happy Travels!
Very insightful article. I enjoyed reading it. I’ll be traveling to Italy next year for the first time and will benefit from your observations.
Happy travels,
Shawn
Your tips are very helpful, thoughtful and are presented with a bit of humor! I plan to travel to Europe next year and will probably laugh when I recognize missing those same comforts you listed. Thanks, Kayla, for another great post!