How to Cope with Culture Shock and Homesickness (Without Booking a One-Way Ticket Back!)
So, you’ve landed in a new country, ready for an adventure, only to find yourself Googling, “Can you die from missing your mom’s cooking?” Welcome to the rollercoaster ride of culture shock and homesickness! Don’t worry—you’re not alone, and no, you probably won’t perish from lack of familiar food (although you might dramatically sigh about it). Let’s navigate this together with some practical tips and a bit of humor.
Stage 1: The Honeymoon Phase
At first, everything is amazing! The food is exotic, the language is charming, and even getting lost feels like part of the adventure. You’re practically the main character in your own travel documentary. Every street corner holds a new discovery, and you feel like a cultural sponge, soaking up all the excitement. You even became the main attraction of the last party with eyes and ears ready to listen to your foreign stories. But then…
Stage 2: The “Why is Everything So Difficult?” Phase
Reality hits. Suddenly, that charming language sounds more like gibberish, you miss the effortless convenience of home, and you just want to buy normal bread instead of whatever mysterious variation you accidentally picked up at the supermarket. (Why does it taste like cardboard?!)
Stage 3: The Homesickness Blues
You start reminiscing about the good old days of knowing exactly what to order at a restaurant, laughing at jokes without needing subtitles, and—most importantly—not feeling like an alien in your own skin. Homesickness sets in, and you consider the unthinkable: moving back home, tail between your legs.
But wait! Don’t pack your bags just yet. Here’s how to cope:
1. Find Familiar Comforts (Without Overdoing It)
It’s okay to indulge in familiar things—a playlist of your favorite home-country hits, a nostalgic movie, or even cooking your go-to comfort meal (assuming you can find the ingredients, of course). But balance is key!
2. Make New Routines
Building a sense of normalcy in your new environment helps a lot. Find a coffee shop you like, set a regular grocery shopping day, or join a gym or hobby group. Familiarity breeds comfort—even if that means getting excited about recognizing the bark of your neighbors’ dog on the way to the park.
3. Connect with Locals and Fellow Expats
It’s tempting to stick to people from your home country, but interacting with locals helps you integrate faster (and understand why things are the way they are). That said, fellow expats can also be lifesavers—they understand what you’re going through and won’t judge you for ranting about the baffling local bureaucracy. Once again, strike for balance if you can.
4. Learn the Language (or at Least Try)
Mispronouncing words can lead to some truly hilarious situations. Like the time I confidently asked a man in the tram to “piss” on me instead of “help” me to pick up my suitcase (fortunately he understood what I tried to mean). Nonetheless, trying goes a long way… Even if you only master basic phrases, locals will appreciate it, and you’ll feel more connected to your new home. Joining language classes might even give you extra time to chit-chat with new people who are also expats like you and have fun learning the local language at the same time—best of both worlds!
5. Give Yourself Time
Culture shock isn’t something you power through in a week—it’s a process. The things that seem frustrating now might be endearing later. (Okay, maybe not everything—some things will remain permanently bizarre, but that’s part of the charm.)
A Personal Story: The Day I Almost Gave Up
I once decided to treat myself to a delicious local pastry. I went to the bakery determined to find some chocolate anything. I looked in the counter and found a beautiful piece with a name I couldn’t pronounce. I took my first bite, confident I’d taste the familiar comfort of chocolate. Turns out, I was holding a poppy pastry—a very common Czech specialty that I had mistaken for my dear chocolate. Frustrated, I dramatically announced that I was moving back home. Later, I learned to distinguish Czech pastries with poppy from those with chocolate and even to enjoy the earthy taste of poppy in my homemade cakes.
Final Thoughts
Homesickness and culture shock are part of the journey, but they don’t last forever. One day, you’ll wake up and realize that this foreign place feels a little more like home. Until then, embrace the weirdness, laugh at the struggles, and remember—some of the best stories come from the moments that made you want to cry at the time.
And if all else fails? There’s no shame in keeping a stash of home-country snacks for emergencies. Just… maybe don’t let it replace actual meals.
Have you ever experienced culture shock? What’s the funniest or most frustrating thing that happened to you? Share your story in the comments!