The life of a digital nomad, working and living abroad can be a very exciting one. Furthermore, and contrary to a relatively popular narrative, there are plenty of ways to live this lifestyle without getting lonely or craving more regular social contact. (Coworking spaces, somewhat newly popular, can actually be a wonderful help in this regard.)
Sometimes though it’s not loneliness so much as a sort of homesickness that can afflict people living and working abroad. It’s perfectly normal to long for home now and then, whether that means you miss spending time with friends and family, you long for your old bed or apartment, or you can’t quite escape a craving for a dish from a favorite restaurant. Not all of these longings can be perfectly satisfied while abroad – but there are some ways to stay a bit closer to home without sacrificing the nomadic lifestyle you’re trying to live.
1. Use Free & Easy Communications Apps
Free international texting is the most obvious solution here, but that doesn’t mean it shouldn’t be mentioned! This service is available through several different apps and gives you the ability to reach out to friends and family from home no matter where you might be, provided there is data or WiFi. This would have been impossible or expensive just a little over a decade ago in a lot of cases, but it now makes it easy to stay in fairly regular touch with the people you miss from home, even as you live your life abroad.
2. Bring Your Favorite Movies Along
This is a small touch, but sometimes – for movie lovers at least – having the right film on hand can be a nice way to feel for a few hours like you’re back home in your comfort zone. Maybe a certain film makes you remember an experience at your neighborhood cinema; maybe a holiday movie reminds you of festivities in your home living room with family. Whatever the case, it’s never been easier to have your favorite movies on hand on the go, whether through Netflix’s download feature, iTunes or Amazon Prime libraries, or any number of other services.
3. Bet On Your Favorite Sports Teams
Casino and betting activity has gotten quite big online, and new sites are always appearing internationally, making it easy to place little bets securely whenever you wish. If you happen to be a sports fan, using this convenience to place the occasional wager on a favorite team from home takes you a little bit beyond merely tracking results and news, and ties you to results and team performance in a way that can make you feel close to home. That doesn’t mean you should spend too much or bet heavily, but if you’re careful with your funds, it’s a creative idea.
4. Start A Blog With Open Comments
After securing a fee texting app, blogging may actually be the best and most natural way to stay close to people from home. It doesn’t need to be anything too complex or involved, but merely posting your thoughts and what you’ve been up to will probably be interesting to friends and family back home. Allowing readers to comment, meanwhile, allows them to respond as they read, and can establish a long-running group dialogue between you and the people you care most about.
5. Journal On Behalf Of Friends & Family
This is a strange idea, but it can be a fun and effective one if you’re truly homesick and finding that you miss certain people a great deal. The idea isn’t that you journal for yourself in order to show them one day, but rather that you keep a running journal on these people’s behalves, such that you imagine what they may be up to in life and write in their voices. It may make you miss them even more, but living through their eyes for 10 or 20 minutes at a time while writing can be a nice way to transport yourself back home also.
The post 5 Ways To Stay Close To Home While Traveling was first published on Coworkaholic.