A long way from Home

Iaorana!

So as I'm sure you are all aware, when you are very far away from home and living in a culture that is completely different from your own, it is very easy to get homesick! I think the hardest part for me was at the very beginning when I was trying to get classes in order, get settled in with my host family, and get used to communicating in a language that I wasn't fluent in. It is definitely overwhelming, but take if from someone who knows, it WILL get easier! A few things that kept me calmed down were to just remember that you will only be here for one semester. Try not to let yourself get too worried or down if things aren't going exactly as you expected and just try to take full advantage of every opportunity that comes your way. Use things that don't go as planned as a learning experience. This is a different system and a different culture so you will constantly encounter surprises!

Another part of homesickness is missing your friends, family and/or significant other quite a bit when you first arrive. Especially if it's your first time being this far away it is difficult to adjust to not seeing or talking to the same people every day. Try to remember though that while you are here you have each other and you have your host families! Plus, your families know you are a long way from home so feel free to talk to them about it if you're feeling homesick. This is also a great time to get to know your host families as much as possible. Tell them about yourself, your family, your hometown and ask about theirs. It's a perfect opportunity to practice your French right when you arrive as well! Even though it may feel awkward and frustrating at first, talk as much as you possibly can. The more you practice, the easier it gets. Reading and watching films in French is helpful too if you have time to kill by yourself.

I'm not sure if all of your host families will have internet or not, but if they do, Skype is a great way to talk to people at home. You can call cell phones for a small fee and you can call other skype accounts on the computer completely free. Emails of course are good too. Make sure if you do have internet access to ask your family if there are any limitations on how often you can use it since internet is very expensive here. If your family doesn't have internet, you can access the internet at the university and there are also a few cybercafes in Papeete that are pretty reasonably priced. Another thing that helped me when I missed friends and family was to be old fashioned and write letters! (Especially when my internet was down) Even though they may not get them for a couple weeks, it is almost therapeutic to write to them and just tell them how you are doing and about your experiences.

I hope this post didn't get you down. I'm sure you will not feel homesick for very long, but hopefully if you do this helped a little bit!!

Nana,
Emily