Ways To Combat Homesickness on a Gap Year
A conservation gap year is the adventure of a lifetime. With all the new experiences, the incredible sights and sounds and the friends you’ll make, you may think that there is no way you are ever going to feel homesick. But homesickness can affect even those who don’t think it can happen to them, and when it strikes it’s not pleasant. So how do you prevent homesickness from spoiling your gap year and forcing you to return before you’re ready?
Stay in Touch
It’s easier to stay in touch with people back home than it has ever been before. Even if you are staying somewhere very remote on your gap year, you will probably be able to find internet access and a phone somewhere to update your Facebook account or send a few emails. Although you are going away to be on your own and have your own experience, never underestimate the importance of staying in touch with friends and family back home. If you are feeling homesick then it’s a good idea to speak to someone back home so that they can reassure you and help you to get it all out of your system.
Take Some Photos
Whether you take an iPod or some simple photos, having a few snaps of your friends and family back home will really help you when you are feeling homesick. Stick them up on your wall, keep them in your journal to look at whenever you want, and they will always make you feel better.
Photos are also important because you can show them to new people who you meet, including the friends you make on your placement and local people in your host country.
Remind Yourself how Lucky You Are
If you do start feeling down during your gap year, try to remind yourself that this is a once-in-a-lifetime experience that you are incredibly lucky to be able to enjoy. Although it doesn’t always make you feel better instantly, it helps to give you some perspective so you can get the most out of the experience rather than thinking about home all the time.
Look After Yourself
Mild homesickness can be intensified if you end up getting ill or having an accident on your gap year. These are the times that you can find yourself missing home comforts most of all, so the best way to prevent this from happening is to try and stay as safe and healthy as possible. That means taking all the precautions such as using mosquito nets and repellents, checking that food is safe before eating and staying safe in the sun. With a few simple precautions you can really help to improve your odds of avoiding serious homesickness.
Keep Smiling
There’s a chance that you will feel at least a bit homesick at some point on your conservation gap year. However, there’s no reason to let it get the better of you. With the above advice, you should be able to minimise its impact and enjoy your gap year adventure even more.
Mark Bottell is the General Manager for Worldwide Experience, an online tour operator offering extended breaks on gap year and other wildlife conservation holidays for adults.
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