{"id":24949,"date":"2021-06-07T07:00:47","date_gmt":"2021-06-07T07:00:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/transfergo.wpengine.com\/migrant-experience-missing-home\/"},"modified":"2024-10-29T20:46:03","modified_gmt":"2024-10-29T20:46:03","slug":"migrant-experience-missing-home","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/migrant-experience-missing-home","title":{"rendered":"The Migrant Experience: Missing home"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Everybody who\u2019s moved abroad knows that, though there are perks, it can be incredibly challenging. Whether it\u2019s the struggle of not knowing anybody or the financial pressures of the move, there are many difficulties to navigate with such a big lifestyle change. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

But the biggest (and perhaps most expected) one is missing home. How do you cope with living far from your family? How do you handle not having old friends close by? And as for home comforts like favourite foods and weekend routines\u2014what do you do when they\u2019re no longer in reach?<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

As part of our Migrant Experience blog series, we spoke to Transfernauts to find the best advice for missing home. Here’s a selection of our favourite tips and tricks.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Embrace your new surroundings<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

One of the best words of wisdom we can share is to throw yourself into your new life abroad. After all, if you\u2019re busy tasting local food, throwing yourself into work or getting to know your new neighbourhood, you\u2019ll have less time to sit about and miss home.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Marketing Manager, Iurii, is Ukrainian but now lives in Warsaw, Poland. He says, \u201cI miss home. And some things I miss can\u2019t be replaced\u2014like my Mom\u2019s borshch or Ukrainian dumplings, for example. But I have one superpower\u2014I can quickly adapt to new conditions, new countries and new people. When you move abroad, you have to be open-minded and embrace meeting new people and attending different events. This will give you the feeling that you\u2019re closer to the local culture.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

So, try the local foods you\u2019ve not yet tasted. Attend the latest free exhibition at the art gallery a couple of blocks away. Visit that cafe at the end of your street. Say yes to everything (well, within reason). And \u2018Start as a tourist, then be an expat\u2019, as they say.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keep in touch<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

If you\u2019re missing home, it\u2019s worth reminding yourself that family and friends are just a phone call away. And if time and finances allow, you can plan a trip back home in the future.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Our Growth Manager for Russia, Svetlana moved from Russia to Germany for her studies. Six years later, she still lives in Berlin and plans to stay indefinitely. But naturally, Svetlana still misses home: \u201cI do miss my family. They\u2019re my main energy resource and I\u2019m very attached to them. I try to visit them several times a year and they come to Germany too. Sometimes, we meet in another country altogether.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unfortunately, the Covid-19 pandemic means visits aren\u2019t always as easy as they used to be. Iurii says, \u201cI do miss my friends. Because of Covid, they can\u2019t come to Poland to visit me and that\u2019s the biggest problem. I miss their birthdays and parties. We have video calls every week but still… it\u2019s not the same.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

A little hope and optimism tell us that with a bit of luck, things will soon improve. With vaccines rolling out quickly around certain parts of the world, fingers crossed our freedoms to visit family and friends will soon improve. Until then, video calls it is.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Create a routine<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Once you\u2019ve moved abroad, it\u2019s important to establish a daily and weekly routine as quickly as possible. By doing so, you\u2019ll add more structure to your day and feel like you\u2019re more in control. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Naturally, it\u2019s important to be flexible with your plans\u2014you wouldn\u2019t want your solo cereal date on your balcony blocking a potential coffee with new friends, for example\u2014but a little structure can make a difference. In fact, research shows that it significantly reduces the risk of homesickness.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And remember, routines don\u2019t just have to revolve around work, exercise and essential errands. Factor in some time to have fun. And more importantly, allow yourself some space in the day for doing absolutely nothing. You have just moved abroad, after all.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Schedule some \u2018me\u2019 time<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

On that note, spending time alone can be a huge saviour when you\u2019re missing home. We know this sounds counterproductive, but hear us out. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Spending time by yourself and reflecting on your feelings can be immensely calming. Consider keeping a journal and recording the experiences of your move abroad. If something\u2019s upsetting or stressing you out, write it down. Not only is it incredibly therapeutic, but it\u2019ll also help you understand your feelings and ultimately, encourage you to be kinder to yourself. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

The importance of making friends abroad and establishing a network is a given. But don\u2019t underestimate the value of learning to enjoy your own company, too.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Consider the option that it might not be that bad<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Not yet moved abroad? If you\u2019ve yet to make the big leap, don\u2019t assume that missing home will be tough. In fact, you might be surprised that the experience is easier than you think.<\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Thanks to things like video calls, we\u2019re more in touch than ever. And with the likes of specialised restaurants and niche food supermarkets available in cities and large towns, it\u2019s becoming easier to access favourite foods and home comforts. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

In the space of 1 year, 5 months, our Principal Product Designer, Vinod has moved from Dubai to India to Germany to Lithuania. Now based in Vilnius, Vinod plans to stay put for the time being to be close to his fianc\u00e9 but is aware that situations are temporary and can change. <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He says, \u201cI do miss home in certain ways, but I\u2019m also glad I left. Home is here and now for me.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n\n\n\n

And hopefully, it will be for you, too.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Another great way to connect with home is by sending money to support family. Sign up now for easy online money transfers with TransferGo.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Everybody who\u2019s moved abroad knows that, though there are perks, it can be incredibly challenging. Whether it\u2019s the struggle of not knowing anybody or the financial pressures of the move, there are many difficulties to navigate with such a big lifestyle change.  But the biggest (and perhaps most expected) one is missing home. How do […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7,"featured_media":24950,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1502,1507],"tags":[],"business_case_studies_tags":[],"class_list":["post-24949","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-living-abroad","category-stories"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/11\/210513_Blog_Migrant-Experience_How-to-cope-when-missing-home.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24949","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/7"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=24949"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/24949\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/24950"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=24949"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=24949"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=24949"},{"taxonomy":"business_case_studies_tags","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wpvip.tgalpha.com\/gb\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/business_case_studies_tags?post=24949"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}