Living abroad thousands of miles away from your friends and family can be really challenging at times. Pair this with the holiday season and you're sure to feel some level of homesickness. I'm here to let you know you're definitely not going through these emotions alone. Here are some relatable feelings I've experienced while abroad for the holidays.
1. Jealous of everyone on break
Depending on the country you're living in, your holiday might be just another normal day. While your hometown friends are reuniting over Netflix binge sessions and Chinese food, you're slaving away on papers and homework at school. I promise I'll never take another Thanksgiving break for granted ever again!
2. Endless cravings for all the foods your host country doesn't sell
Cravings hit you like a freight train. Grandma's cookies. Your cousin's famous fudge. Grandpa's stuffing. The ham. The turkey. What I'd do to be eating myself into a food coma. You might be really disappointed when you prowl the supermarket aisles for stuffing, sweet potatoes, and cornbread just to find that those items aren't sold in your host country. You'll walk home with a pizza and think, "Since when do I even like cornbread anyway?"
3. Miss being asked those repetitive, annoying questions
You all know what questions I'm talking about. The ones you're asked twelve times in the first thirty minutes of entering any family get together ever. Where's your boyfriend? When are you graduating? What do you want to do with your life? Surprisingly, you start to miss this.
4. New dislike for social media
Social media is great for keeping in touch with your friends and family while abroad.... until you've seen forty-two people's Thanksgiving plates, watched six people decorate their Christmas trees, and now your homesickness has skyrocketed. Thanks guys.
5. Reflection on how much you've grown
You start to get all emotional and realize that this is the opportunity of a lifetime. You might start to reminisce on how much you've grown as a person. You're living alone in a foreign country. And you're surviving. Go you!
6. Thankful for the new friends you have made
You become super thankful for all the friends you've made. They're right by your side to cheer you up when you feel alone. It's like you've grown a new little family and you wouldn't trade them for the world.
7. New love for your family's traditions
Above all else, you'll find a new love and appreciation for your family's traditions. Even the little things, like just spending time together around the dinner table, will have a new meaning to you. Your family is one of a kind and the memories you make during the holidays will last forever.
