Living as an expat can be challenging. There are days when you miss your loved ones back home so much all you want to do is go back. In today’s Internet age, however, it’s easier to stay connected with people in your native country than it was, say, 50 years ago. If you’re an expat living in a land far away from home, then you’ve probably wondered how you can stay connected with loved ones.
Your new life in your new home can make it difficult to remain in touch with your old life and the people that were a part of it, but let’s be honest, no one ever really forgets their roots. Excessive workload, responsibilities, new friends – these are only some of the things that can keep expats from connecting with loved ones back home.
Here are some things that you can do to stay connected with loved ones:
1. Create a Calendar at the Start of Every Month
No one loves anything more than being remembered by people who are close to them. Remembering special occasions by marking them on a calendar or a notebook is a great way to stay connected with loved ones back home. You would want them to do the same for you, right? So it only makes sense for you to do it for them, too.
Whether it is a birthday or an anniversary, it is always great to note down and remember the dates for the right time to be celebrated. Your loved ones back home will appreciate you remembering important events from their lives despite living so far away.
At the start of each month, simply create a rough timeline for the whole of the month. Try to remember as many dates as possible and make sure to connect with anyone back home to learn about forgotten days or the upcoming events that would soon be marked as momentous occasions. It is normal to not be able to remember every event, therefore, it is better to note the dates on a calendar and hang it in the bedroom, kitchen, or even next to the mirror in the bathroom. In today’s world, it’s even easier to do this. You can simply create the scheduled alarms on your smartphone and be notified on the right day.
This will not only help you remember important events happening back home, but your loved ones will also be motivated to remember important dates from your life. And who doesn’t like people remembering things about them?
2. Write to Your Loved Ones or Send Something Special
It would be no exaggeration to say that since time immemorial, letters and souvenirs have brought hearts together. From inked letters being delivered with the help of birds to postcards being sent through ships or planes, people have always found ways to communicate with each other and amend hearts while living far away.
While the times have changed, the desire to stay connected is still very much alive. In fact, expats now have a lot more options to express their love to loved ones back home. Staying connected through e-mails is a common way to connect with people, but you know what’s even better? Finding an actual postcard in your letterbox. It has an effect on people that an e-mail would never have.
You can also send hand-written letters to loved ones back home. Write about your most fond memories with the loved ones and share your recent experiences in life. A letter gives you more room to express your feelings, so you can include questions concerning the health and life experiences of the person you’re sending the letter to. For expatriates, it is always great to send a certain souvenir along with the letter to bring the loved ones closer and let them hold on to an object from a land far, far away.
Make sure to use your words wisely as sometimes it can be hard to understand the meaning and emotions behind written words.
3. Use Social Media to Stay Updated
It’s the 21st century and there’s almost no one in the world who is a stranger to social media. With the technological advancements that brought the tools of communication into the hands of almost billions of people in this world, it is safe to say that social media has brought the world closer and has put an end to homesickness for people living in foreign lands.
There are so many different platforms available on smartphones that you should have no trouble staying updated with what’s happening in the lives of your loved ones. This two-way communication can help you share places you’ve explored, things you’ve experienced, and daily activities that go on in your life.
With the help of social media, you can get rid of the time barrier that makes it so hard for you to stay connected with loved ones.
4. Connect Through Face-to-Face Live Video Conversations
The deeper connections with loved ones are usually formed via dialogues and conversations. While all the other available options hold their benefits, nowadays, it is personal video communication that creates the feeling and sensation of being the closest one can get to loved ones back home.
Sharing your stories with loved ones by being visually and audibly present allows you to feel like you’re actually there with them. There are so many video chat tools available now, that it’s almost impossible for you to not feel connected to your loved ones.
The Takeaway
All in all, staying connected with loved ones back home is not as difficult as you may think it is. One of the best ways to do this is by having video calls with them, but you can also send letters or postcards. Hand-written letters have a completely different effect on people and it feels nice to know that someone took the time and effort to write an actual letter.
You can also stay updated with everything that’s going on in your loved ones’ lives through their social media accounts. There may still be some hindrances depending on the country you live in, but the world has advanced to a point where it shouldn’t prove to be too difficult for you to stay connected with loved ones back home.
