I have been living in Seoul for over 2 years now. I often get asked if I miss home in the USA. And the answer is of course I do. I think everyone gets a little homesick once in a while. So I decided to dedicate this post to expats who are living abroad and to people who are looking to live abroad somewhere for an extended period of time. In Korea, it seems like many people pull midnight runs. Admittedly, some days it is tough to work in this culture, and I am sure many people are homesick. Anyway, without further ado, here are my four tips to avoiding a large bout of homesickness when you are away from home, in no particular order.

1. Make New Friends and Connections, Join Clubs, Do Interesting Things

This tip is common sense. If you are living in a foreign country and do not develop a strong social network, you will have a rough road ahead. So get out there and meet people—locals and expats alike. If you are travelling alone (and don’t have a set residence), book hostels so you can meet other travelers. Join couchsurfing (something I need to become more active in), or find local meetups in topics you are interested in, wherever you may be. Hell, you could even just go to a bar and try to meet people there. Whatever you do, try to make friends, push your comfort zone, do activities and try to view the new culture with an open mind. There’s a difference between being alone and being lonely, but if you just keep to yourself and get bored, lonely thoughts will probably start to creep into your head. So get out and just do something–anything to keep your thoughts away from being homesick.

Luckily, when I first arrived in Korea I had a 10 day orientation with hundreds of other teachers where I could easily meet people and make good friendships. Furthermore, I met my girlfriend here, joined jiu jitsu, and am looking to join Toastmasters here. I am always looking to meet other bloggers or entrepreneurs in Korea (and everywhere!), through venues like Business Network Korea, a good place to meet expat and Korean entrepreneurs or business people.  Some of my friends in Korea even playfully call me the “Festival King” because I always want to travel around Korea going to different festivals. Also two other things that you should do in a new culture are to try the local food and if you can, try to learn the language. For the most part, I love Korean food but admittedly I should put more effort into learning Korean .

Me at the Damyang Bamboo Fesitval

2. Don’t Forget to Skype your Friends and Family Back Home

Obviously you should try to keep in touch with your friends and family back home. This isn’t an issue anymore like it used to be 10 of 15 years ago. Today, your friends are an instant message, email, Skype call, or Facebook message away. Also, you when moving abroad, you may encounter some resistance from friends or family. But don’t take it personal. They just care about you and will miss you.

3. Focus on the Positive Things About the New Culture You are in

Some people are very ethnocentric. Don’t be that way. Try to view the new culture you’re in with an open mind. With that said, Korea has some cultural problems, but then again, so does America and every other culture, for that matter. In Korea I don’t have to worry about someone stealing my stuff, walking alone late at night, or getting shot at a movie theater.  Crime is pretty much nonexistent, which is especially enjoyable for me, as my hometown is  just outside of Philadelphia. So try to focus on the good things when you are living abroad: Maybe the lifestyle is good, maybe the people are friendly, maybe the food is good, maybe there’s no crime, maybe people take siestas and enjoy life. Every culture has good and bad components. Take the good with you.

I want to add that if you lived abroad (or are currently living abroad) and have had a bad experience, at least you can say that you got to experience another culture, which is more than most Americans can say. And if you really hate  the country you lived in, at least you will never waste your time and money coming back!

4. Keep Learning, Focus on Your Personal Development

I see some foreigners in Korea who have no ambitions. They just spin their wheels, teaching and collecting their paycheck, but not moving forward with anything tangible in life. Actually, I was talking with a Canadian teacher/entrepreneur here in Korea last week, and he brought up how easy it is for English teachers to stay here in Korea for several years, passing the time “teaching” (which consists of them showing the kids movies, or making the kids do reading or writing activities while they just sit there, supervising them), and after school watching TV, drinking, and not really improving themselves one bit. I could not agree more with what he said, as it is pretty easy to get away with being a bad (i.e. irresponsible) English teacher here in Korea. These types of teachers never leave their comfort zone and don’t try anything new. Next thing they know, they have no opportunities in their home country because they’ve just been passing the time in Korea, not really developing any skills that they can bring to the table later in life in other situations. Of course, not every foreigner here in Korea is like this, but there are definitely some who have nothing else going for themselves. Sad but true.

I suggest trying new experiences constantly to keep your sense of adventure and interest piqued, which  keeps you focused on the growth mindset. Learn the language. Try new foods. Travel to new places. Join clubs. Write a blog. Leave your comfort zone. Constantly challenge yourself. Do something constructive in your free time other than sitting in your hagwon or school passing time during the day, playing angry birds and drinking soju during the night. Especially as an English Teacher in Korea, there is a lot of time after school to do things that will develop your real world skills.

Going scuba diving in the Philippines opened me up to a new experience. Exciting new experiences can keep you from being homesick.

Conclusion

There are a myriad of ways to stave off homesickness while living abroad. Besides the tips above, some people like to go to church or pray or meditate or write in a journal. Did I miss anything? What do you guys do to stave of homesickness when you are away from home for a long time?