Homesickness is something most people can’t avoid while being an AuPair. Even I thought I would never miss my home country until the moment I did. And it’s normal. It happens to the majority of us. How can you not get homesick for a place that is the most known to you? A place where you have worked to build a home. The place that knows your name. The place where you naturally fit in, where is a special place saved for you, want it or not. Moving abroad can be very challenging so here are some things that can help you manage the homesickness:

Spend time with the host family

During your AuPair stay it’s very important to build a strong bond with the family. Spend the first weekends together. Spend as much time as you can to get to know each other and to build this family atmosphere and connection. The importance is the trust the parents have for you. You are all ready to go once you pass through the parents’ judgement. You’re in when the trust is there and the parents know that no matter what they can rely on you. Only then can you start thinking of how to spend your free time away from family, and how you can fulfill yourself. Being connected to the family will also help you feel less lonely because you’ll have a safety net and people to go to. The family will invite you to more activities with them if they really like you and accept you as a family member.

Spend some time exploring the surroundings

Go to the city centre or further away from it. Absorb the environment. Walk around, don’t be scared to spend time alone. Soak in everything you can. Be in the moment, notice the little things around you. Hear the waves in the ocean, the colour of the water in the river, the height of the mountains, the colour of the buildings, and the different types of trees. As little kids, we spent so much time outside growing closer to nature. Hugging trees, eating sand, and playing with rocks… Building the connection. Now it’s your time as an Adult to do the same. Please don’t eat sand, but maybe go hug a tree. Be closer to nature and the nature will be closer to you.

Search for friends

One of the most important thing is to find people to hang out with to not feel alone. What worked for me to find friends was the AuPair Instagram, my local dance club and the language school. If you don’t have any hobbies or hobbies that you like aren’t available in your host country, find something new, try something new, and explore yourself. Maybe the thing that you would have never imagined liking will become the thing that you’ll like the most. So, don’t sit at home – go out and move your body. Friendships are the easiest to form through similar interests. And building friendships in your host country will help you a lot with overcoming homesickness and will also help with literally anything.

Explore the culture

Be an active participant in local activities. Go to as many events as you can. Even when you don’t think you’re in the mood for it. Just go, go, go. It’ll help you feel more included in the community and there’s a chance that you can find new people there. Search on Google what events are happening that month and even if it doesn’t sound appealing it’s worth a shot. It’s better than laying in bed scrolling on TikTok. And in the end, if you didn’t like the event, you did something new and gained some new experience.

Listen to songs in your language

What shocked me the most was how listening to songs in my language helped me handle homesickness. Something about hearing the language, understanding the lyrics and being able to sing along really made me feel closer to home. I never listened to songs in my language while I was living in my home country, but while living abroad it changed.

Once you’ve settled in and adjusted to the new environment, homesickness will go away. You can get through it. And remember it’s okay to miss your home country and it’s also okay not to miss your home country. Wherever you are, you’re on the right path.