I decided NOT to give up

Ada from Finland spends her exchange in Arizona, USA.

Hi! Greetings from sunny Arizona

I had been dreaming about doing an exchange year for years and 3 months ago my dream finally came true after long waiting. I moved to Arizona! It’s been really hot (over 100°F/38°C), but now it’s getting cooler and I absolutely love the weather here!

Everyone says that exchange year is a rollercoaster and that couldn’t be more true… During the past three months, I’ve been experiencing things I never thought I would. I’ve met so many amazing people from all over the world and learned about so many cultures. Even though I’m living my dream I have my bad days and that’s totally normal. But the thing I really wanted to talk about is something I really struggled with for the first 2 months; homesickness.

I’ve never been homesick before. I traveled a lot without my parents, and I’ve always adapted to changes quickly. Before coming here, I was so excited about finally starting my exchange year and homesickness was the least of my worries. I never thought I’d be homesick. I started feeling homesick on the second day here. Can you believe that? That’s supposed to be your “honeymoon phase”; you have finally started your exchange year and everything is perfect. I really don’t know why I felt so homesick since the second day. I had “no reason” to be homesick. Basically, the first two months of my exchange year I felt homesick almost every single day. The feeling was weird. I wanted to go home but didn’t want to give up and leave America.

I decided NOT to give up and now I’m sharing some of my best tips to cope with homesickness:

1. Join exchange student group chats. You can find other exchange students on social media. Text them and create/join a group where you can share your thoughts, worries, and joy with other exchange students. Trust me, you are not the only one struggling with homesickness (or other issues).
2. Make a photo/video album of pictures from home. When being homesick, I tried to avoid everyday contact with my family and friends back home. Instead of talking to them, I created a photo album full of videos and pictures from home.
3. Have your family and friends write letters for you. My friends and family wrote me letters that I still read when having a bad day. Even after reading them several times, they still make me feel better!
4. You probably hear this a lot but it’s true: Keep yourself busy!!! And when I say this, I want to clarify that it’s totally normal to want to be alone when feeling homesick or having a bad day. But don’t stay in your room too much. Ask your host parents to go to a grocery store with them, go for a walk, try a new sport, ask someone to hang out, cook something, or just go and sit in the living room.

Homesickness is a feeling that almost every exchange student feels at some point. I would say that it’s something that is a part of your experience. Remember: you’re not alone. Every time you feel homesick, you learn more about yourself and become a stronger person!