In almost three years of travel blogging, one thing that I’ve never really addressed is what to do when you’re feeling homesick while travelling.

A lot of people assume that because I travel for a living, I don’t get homesick anymore. While this has some truth, (I definitely have gotten better at coping with missing my friends and family) I do still get homesick every now and again! It’s inevitable that at some point you’ll find yourself missing home.

This year was particularly challenging for me because this summer I did a lot of long-term travel where I was away from my family for months at a time.

Whether you’re travelling for six weeks or one, it is perfectly normal to get homesick! There’s not much that you can do to prevent it from happening and you’ll find that it sneaks up on you when you least expect it – maybe a photo of your friends at a party without you pops up in your Facebook feed or you catch a whiff of what smells like Mom’s home cooking. Whatever it is, it can leave you feeling down, but there is absolutely no reason to let homesickness ruin your trip.

Here are some of my best tips for conquering homesickness to make sure you’re making the most of your time on the road.

Sign Up for a Tour

If you’re finding yourself spending more time in your hotel room thinking about your friends and family back home, sign up for a group tour or class to get out into the culture of wherever you’re visiting and most importantly – meet some new people! I’m a huge fan of hopping on group tours as a solo traveller, especially when I’m feeling a little lonely. Group tours are an awesome way to take your mind off of everything and meet some new friends!

Buy Your Loved One’s Souvenirs

If you can’t get your friends or family off your mind, then don’t fight it! Instead, why not head out on a shopping spree to buy some fun gifts to give them once you get back home? This is fun way to stay preoccupied and reconnected to the people that you love. Plus, who doesn’t feel better after a little shopping spree?!

Get Outside

Sitting in your hotel room wallowing in your feelings is not going to help your mood. Instead, try getting outside and keeping yourself busy. Even if you just walk a couple blocks around the neighbourhood or grab a quick coffee, the change of scenery and outdoors are sure to boost your mood and hopefully take your mind off of things at least for a little bit.

Get Off Instagram

If you’re wasting your trip by scrolling through Instagram, wishing that you were back home enjoying those moments with your friends, you’ll never get over your feelings of homesickness. Don’t self-induce FOMO by spending your precious time abroad by agonizing over your friend’s social media posts. Log off and focus on making your own memories.

Be Patient

You won’t get over your homesickness in a few minutes just by telling yourself to get over it. It may take a few days or weeks for you to start to feel better. Be patient and take the time to understand why you feel this way and know that eventually, you’ll feel better and ready to start exploring again.

Call them!

If you find yourself really down during your travels, there’s nothing wrong with giving your loved ones a call! Seriously, a quick phone call or a Skype date will quickly eliminate any feelings of homesickness and your loved ones will be able to encourage you to get back out there and enjoy your trip.

That’s all I have for today! Do you have any more tips for curing homesickness? Leave me a comment down below!

This post was made possible through a partnership with 1Clover