How to stop feeling homesick

Journal Entry # 4

I have been in London for what has rapidly approached two weeks. It may sound silly to say, but even in this short spate of time I have had pangs of feeling homesick. Here are my thoughts on how to stop feeling homesick.

  1. Stop fighting the lack of space. The bathrooms and kitchens here are so tiny compared to what we have in South Africa. London summers have the most amazing lengthy evenings of sunshine but no one has very much outdoor space on their property. Apartments generally don’t have balconies, so get outdoors like the rest of them! Hire a bike, walk the streets or simply sit on a patch of grass outside.
  2. Cross the road when the robots are red, in no time you will be hooted at, potentially side swiped by a big red bus and flashbacks of Johannesburg traffic during load shedding come flooding back.
  3. Try something new. In my case it has to be every possible flavour of Ben and Jerry’s Ice cream! The grocery stores have so many different varieties it can be a very useful distraction.
  4. Appreciate the efficiency. Over here they dig up a road and create a side walk specifically for pedestrians, they even put up a sign to apologise for any inconvenience caused.
  5. You don’t feel the need to run home. I walked home last night, a short distance around 10pm, I didn’t feel panicked or the need to scrunch my handbag to my shoulder. I did anyway, of course. The streets here are a buzz with people milling around, walking home, some stumbling from the pub!
  6. Play familiar tunes. This has to be my favourite. I put my headphones in, which automatically makes you look like a local! Turn on the playlist my husband made for me and for all I know, I could be right back home with him.
  7. Don’t look at the exchange rate. By avoiding this simple google topic you no longer lust for a cappuccino that costs you R 20 instead of R 40!
  8. Get a travel app, in my case City Mapper. The less overwhelmed you feel about how to get where you are going, the more self assured you become.
  9. Know that all the comforts of home, especially the important people in your life you are missing are all there waiting upon your return.

Time passes by so quickly, take a deep breath, stay brave and savour each moment of learning.