Staying Connected with Family & Culture while living abroad 

Moving abroad as an international student or a global professional is exciting. However, you may experience homesickness from loved ones, especially when you first move. Maintaining strong ties with your home country, friends and family can alleviate these feelings and ease the relocation transition.

Here are some tips for maintaining communication and celebrating important moments while overseas, enriching your international adventure.

Use of Technology solutions

• Technology has made communicating long distance more convenient. Use these methods to update loved ones on life abroad.

Staying in Touch via Video Calls

• Video calls present a great opportunity to see your loved one’s faces while catching up on what’s new. You can make video calls through communication platforms, such as WhatsApp, Zoom, and Google meet and FaceTime etc.
• Navigating time differences is one of the biggest dilemmas of keeping in touch while living abroad. Consider each person’s time zone when scheduling calls, ensuring you aren’t calling too late or disrupting their routine. Use video calls for activities you can’t do via text or phone call, such as giving virtual tours of your living space or planning long-distance game nights.

Sharing Your Life through Social Media

• Posting on social media can help update friends and family on your adventures and activities abroad. Instagram is ideal for sharing photos and reels, while Facebook is useful for posting statuses about recent accomplishments or links to your travel blog.
• Most social media platforms also offer direct messaging, enabling loved ones who don’t have your number or a phone plan that allows international communication to contact you. If you want to limit who can see your posts, consider making your profile private or creating a members-only Facebook group.

Keep Personal Touch

• Nothing beats the personal touch traditional mail offers. Here are some tips.

Sending Handwritten Notes and Postcards

• Send your loved ones handwritten letters documenting your experiences or postcards of interesting places you’ve visited. You can also mail friends or family souvenirs with heartfelt messages explaining how those particular items made you think of them.Physical letters and gifts carry sentimental value that digital communication can’t quite match. They show a higher level of commitment to staying connected with life back home.

Exchanging Care Packages

If you’re deciding how to keep in touch with family and friends, consider exchanging care packages. This enables your loved ones to send meaningful items from home and allows you to share cultural artifacts from your new country.

However, some countries restrict mailing certain items, such as perishable foods, alcoholic beverages and plants. Check international mail regulations for your resident country and your loved one’s country before creating your care package. Safe items to consider include:

• Books
• Nonperishable snacks sealed, labeled and stored in original packaging
• Clothing
• Artwork
• Souvenirs

Bridging the Cultural Divide

• Moving to a different country involves learning about a new culture with customs and traditions you and your loved ones may be unfamiliar with. Embrace new and old traditions to bridge the cultural divide.

Introducing Your Host Country

• Introduce your family to local cuisine, traditions and activities you’ve enjoyed in your host country. Send pictures or website links via text or social media to supply more information. You can also create and share virtual tours of significant places or videos of you participating in cultural events.
• If possible, invite your family and friends to visit your host country. An in-person visit can help them experience your new life firsthand, creating fond memories you can cherish.

Celebrating Milestones and Holidays

• When holidays or special occasions roll around, your homesickness may escalate. But living abroad doesn’t mean you can’t partake in festivities back home. You can mail cards or gifts and schedule a video call with your loved ones on special days to celebrate virtually.
• Decorating your living space or preparing your favorite holiday recipes can help you stay connected with certain family traditions. You could also send pictures or videos of what you make to show relatives you’re thinking of them during this special time.

Scheduling In-Person Reunions

• While technology and mail help you stay connected with loved ones, they can’t replace in-person visits. Explore tips on planning reunions.

Planning Visits Back Home

If you’re worried about keeping your friends when you move away, make an effort to organize trips back home. Consider these tips when making international travel plans:

• Coordinate travel dates according to your loved ones’ schedules.
• Book flights and any necessary accommodations early.
• Budget for meals, activities, transportation and gifts or souvenirs.
• Gather relevant travel documents, such as a valid passport, a visa or health-related forms.
• Create a detailed itinerary of friends and family to visit and activities or events to attend.
• Find out any family events or functions planned and try to match your travel dates so that you can enjoy the event with your loved one.

Hosting Loved Ones in Your New Home

• You can also host your loved ones for a family reunion or a fun international vacation. If you have space to accommodate visitors, prepare your guest room or convert your living room into a sleeping area. Consider creating a welcome package with cozy items or snacks your guests might enjoy.
• Once your family arrives, give them a tour of your home and neighborhood. If it’s your loved ones’ first time visiting that country, they may not know about certain cultural norms, etiquette and activities. Offer resources or give advice on how to navigate these elements to instill a sense of belonging and familiarity.This can make the trip more fun, stress-free and comfortable for everyone.
• You can refer our Family visiting UK page in Visa & Immigration section, for more details.