Away from Home and lonely

Ways to Cope if you are feeling friendless while abroad

© Lynette S.K. Webster

Living overseas is not like a holiday; for most it can be a trying and difficult time. These tips can make a difference.

Living abroad can be daunting, especially when you are unfamiliar with the language. Happy are you as a tourist on holiday. You can be carefree - your stay is short, you have friends or family with you, and there is no need to handle the drudgery of day-to-day life or the challenge of assimilating into a new culture. And if the weather is not to your taste you can simply fly home. But not when you are living abroad, permanently, whether as a student or as a professional.

Professionals can find life abroad particularly difficult, as colleagues tend to go home to their families after work. Or, if you work in an environment where you are the only foreigner, you may find yourself feeling ignored. Just remember that your colleagues themselves are probably unsure of what to say to you, or how to sustain conversation, so one tip is to be brave and share funny personal details of yourself (without compromising yourself of course). This helps them to relax around you and share with you as well. This may not always be easy so ask yourself carefully if you are in an environment that will be nurturing enough for you in the long run, an environment that will help you grow to like the country you are in.

Community Hangouts

In every country you will find minority groups congregating in such places: supermarkets, restaurants, universities, places of worship and recreational places such as in theatrical groups, karaoke clubs and video arcades. Every person living abroad will face this question at one time or another: “Should I or should I not mingle with only my own community?” You want to assimilate with the natives, and so you may avoid the ‘danger’ of only being seen around your minority group. But the support you get from your own community is invaluable. So don’t ignore it, appear regularly at these places, make a couple of good friends who are also interested in the native culture, and soon you will find yourselves exploring the new culture you are in together.

Here are some important knick knacks you should consider bringing from home, when going abroad for a long period of time:

In Part 2 of this article, you will find more tips on coping with living abroad, especially ways to assimilate into the new culture you live in, without losing touch of your own culture. Click here to see Part 2.


The copyright of the article Away from Home and lonely in Self-Awareness is owned by Lynette S.K. Webster. Permission to republish Away from Home and lonely in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.





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