Choosing to study abroad is a difficult choice. For all the amazing opportunities and experience you’ll endure, you also sign up to be away from your loved ones and closest friends for what is probably your longest time away yet. At first it’s easy, you want to tell your family and friends about your new apartment, new roommates and the first adventures you go on. But, as you adjust and the new city you're visiting starts to feel like home, it's easy to get caught up in your new life.
This is why it is so important to remain connected to your people back home. While you are off on this crazy adventure, your family and friends are back home living their normal lives. It’s hard to be the one left behind and it's easy to fall behind on what is going on in the lives of those you love, especially if you’ve left behind a significant other.
I think the most important part in keeping up communication with those you love back home is first understanding that it is not always going to be consistent. While establishing a day and time of the week to call or facetime your loved one may work sometimes, plans can change and it can be difficult to always keep this time set aside. Knowing beforehand that communication may be rocky (bad cell service, different time zones, etc.) helps in those times that a phone call may just not be possible.
One of the best things I have done to keep up relationships with family is creating a Whatsapp group chat solely for my travels. I added in friends, family, anyone who I thought would have an interest in what I was doing. Now when I go on trips I send a few photos and let my family know what I’m up to without having to individually message each person. This lets the know what is going on in my life in a more passive way that they can choose to interact with if they want.
The other thing I have continued to do while abroad is keep up a timeline of my life. It may sound cheesy but I have slowly been adding in photos and stories into a google slides presentation so that when I’m back home hanging out with my best friends I can bring them through the past few months in a funny and simple way.
It is small actions like these that let those back home know you’re still thinking about them. You can only say “I miss you” so many times before it begins to lose its weight and by thinking ahead a little bit, you can really make it so your family and loved ones are on this great adventure with you.