No Place Like Home: 5 Ways Expats Can Stay Connected to Their Home Country

Moving to another country for work or retirement can be as daunting as it is exhilarating. You’re about to immerse yourself in a completely new culture: eating local food, dressing differently, and maybe even learning a new language. 

Even amidst the excitement, staying connected to your home country is equally important as adjusting to your new lifestyle. Spending time with family and friends and managing your personal affairs can be hard to figure out, especially if you don’t have a personal address back home.

Luckily, there are a few ways expats can stay connected to their home country. Here are five ways expats can bridge the gap to their home country, even from thousands of miles away.

Invest in a virtual address

Expats use many different tools to manage logistics in their home country. One of the best ways to manage mail is to invest in a virtual address from service providers like iPostal1. Virtual addresses can receive, forward, and manage any mail or packages delivered in your home country. You can use a virtual address as your business address in the US or even just for personal correspondence.

Stay in touch with friends and family

With apps like Whatsapp, Facebook Messenger, Zoom, and Instagram, there are a ton of options for you to stay connected with friends and family back home. 

Maintain group chats with your friends, schedule Zoom calls with your parents, and send your high school crush memes. The options are endless, and they’ll keep you in the loop with your loved ones back home.

Cook food from home

Everyone has comfort food from their home country that they love to eat. When you’ve moved to a new country, finding the same food you grew up around can be tricky. 

While you might be able to find your country’s food in specialty markets, you may also want to try your hand at making it yourself. That way, you can have a taste of home whenever you want, no matter where you are, and you can even share your culture’s food with your new friends.

Subscribe to streaming services

A common thread unifying expats is homesickness for their home country’s entertainment. TV shows, movies, and cultural programs all might be hard to relate to in your new home. 

Subscribing to Netflix, Amazon Prime, or any other streaming service will keep you up to date on all the latest binge-worthy programming in your home country and elsewhere.  

Meet fellow expats

Depending on where you’re moving to, there might be an established expat community already. 

You’re sure to find someone from your home country or somewhere similar that you can connect with over your shared heritage. Chatting, cooking, and celebrating holidays with them are some of the ways you can stay connected to your roots, even in another country. 

Celebrate holidays from home

Holidays are often the background to some of expats' best memories of growing up. However, your new home might not celebrate all of the same holidays. 

Even if it seems strange to celebrate without your usual company, making an effort to observe your home holidays is a great way to combat the expat blues. 

Wrap up

Hopefully, these tips help you adjust to life in your new country. Keeping track of your mail, staying in touch with your loved ones, and eating food from back home are all excellent ways to fight off homesickness and enjoy a new life--without forgetting your past lives.