{"id":253,"date":"2015-10-04T17:23:49","date_gmt":"2015-10-04T17:23:49","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.aupairinamerica.com\/phd\/?p=253"},"modified":"2015-10-04T17:23:49","modified_gmt":"2015-10-04T17:23:49","slug":"hints-to-overcome-homesickness","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.aupairinamerica.com\/phd\/2015\/10\/04\/hints-to-overcome-homesickness\/","title":{"rendered":"HINTS TO OVERCOME HOMESICKNESS"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Wrtten by an au pair Annika<\/p>\n

Almost everyone experiences culture shock when they come to a completely new environment. Everything is different: the language, the food, and the people.<\/p>\n

Here are my Top 5 Tips for Dealing with Homesickness<\/p>\n

1. Make Friends \u2013 Don\u2019t wait for other au pairs to reach out to you, reach out to them. There are other lots of new au pairs who are feeling the same way you are right now. Set a goal to reach out to a few of them each day. Some will respond and some will not. Don\u2019t let that discourage you. No one will ever be mad at you for sending them a message to say hello or ask if they want to do something together. Make friends from various countries and you will also get a chance to practice your English skills together. Look at the cluster map and see who lives near you.<\/p>\n

2. Stay in touch with your home country, but not too much. Skyping or talking on the phone every day with your family and\/or friends back home normally makes homesickness worse. Try emailing instead and reduce the Skype and phone calls to once a week, until you feel stronger. It\u2019s much harder seeing the faces and hearing the voices of those you miss.<\/p>\n

3. Get out of the house (or your room specifically) \u2013 Go to cluster meetings, have coffee or movies with other au pairs, join a gym, go to the library, go for a walk, visit the mall, get a manicure, visit a museum. If someone invites you out, say \u201cyes.\u201d Also, don\u2019t be afraid to do the inviting. If your host family invites you to do things with them, say \u201cyes.\u201d This will help you get to know each other and contribute to your overall happiness.<\/p>\n

4. Realize that it definitely gets better \u2013 All au pairs experience homesickness and nearly all of them stay and have a successful year (some stay for two years.) So, it must get better, right? Once you get past the initial homesickness, most au pairs report how quickly the year goes by.<\/p>\n

5. Make Plans \u2013 Create your own Au Pair Bucket List (places you want to go, new foods to try, new things to experience during your year in the U.S.) and start doing them now. Post on our cluster Facebook group to find others who may want to join you on your adventures. Try volunteering, there are so many opportunities in the area.<\/p>\n

6. Tell your Host Family- they want to know how you are doing, and it helps to let them know.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n


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