“Hey, Siri? Define Homesickness.”
Siri: “Noun. A feeling of longing for one’s home during a period of absence from it.”
Elisabeth Schumm, a junior at Florida State University, shared her experience with intense loneliness during her semester studying abroad in London, England. In Fall 2019, she participated in the First Semester Abroad (FSA) program—which was her first time being away from home for an extended period of time. Elisabeth described the first few weeks as magical. It was a dream come true as she experienced independence from her parents, started making new friends and immersed herself in a whole new culture. After a few weeks, she said that “the fantasy of living in another country started to wear off. Then there’s the homesickness.”
She described the feeling of being completely disconnected from her surroundings. Elisabeth was separated by thousands of miles, a six-hour time zone difference and more from home. She struggled to understand customs, simple social cues in England and even body language was wildly different from what she was used to in Texas. London felt isolating. She didn’t feel like there was anywhere to go. Elisabeth spent three weeks alone—only coming out to attend class. She described it as one of the worst times of her life. Elisabeth said, “Being homesick on another continent feels like a well that sits in the bottom of your heart. Just so much emptiness. Something is missing, and that something is hope.”
It wasn’t until she started to put herself out there that things started looking up. She decided to try and sit with someone during lunch at the FSU London Study Abroad Center. This is how Elisabeth met Drew. Drew became a familiar face for Elisabeth, and his kindness is something she will never forget. During one of their lunches, Drew inspired her to come up with an action plan for combating her loneliness. She shared her plan with Her Campus at FSU.
- Live in the moment
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Find one thing in your current place (London) that makes you genuinely happy. For Elisabeth, this was cold weather, the sky looking pretty and the overall ambiance of rainfall in the London streets. Finding things that make you excited allows you to look at the positives of where you are. When homesick and lonely, it can be easy to only think of negative experiences. If you are currently studying abroad, embrace the unique experiences!
- Have a schedule
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When you are lonely, time passes by slowly. Every minute feels like an hour. Sometimes, she would wake up and just want to go back to sleep but sleeping all the time isn’t healthy. Scheduling meals, museum trips and classes can help re-regulate your life. Having a schedule can also encourage you to meet people in your courses and embrace your Study Abroad experience. And sometimes, even scheduling a time to eat lunch can help you make friendships like Elisabeth and Drew.
- Don’t be afraid of loneliness
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Elisabeth’s biggest piece of advice for anyone battling homesickness is “don’t be afraid of loneliness.” There are so many lessons to be learned here. It teaches you to be ok with yourself and who you are. It gives you time to reflect and explore who you are as a person without influence.
- Reach out for help when you need it
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If you are experiencing feelings of intense loneliness, depression or other harmful thoughts, help is available. You are not alone, no matter how much it might feel that way. On FSU’s main campus in Tallahassee, the Counseling and Psychological Services is a free campus resource for all Florida State University students. There is even a 24-hour Crisis Line at (850) 644-TALK. Similar resources are also available while studying abroad. Your Resident Assistants, Professors and other campus resources are also here to help you through the difficult adjustment of moving away from home. Elisabeth wishes she had utilized these resources more and believes they could have helped her process her loneliness.
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