There are a lot of hindrances to Filipinos wanting to even consider the American Dream, especially if they do not have family members around them. They bear the anxiety of being unfamiliar and homesick.
It can arise because of the different environment and can also be frustrating especially if there are communication barriers, making it hard to express what they think. There are various reasons why homesickness is triggered. If you don’t want to experience the feeling of homesickness in the US, here are ways to conquer it after leaving the Philippines:
1. Plan your life in your new home
Always remember the main reason why you’re working in the US. Whether it’s to gain better career opportunities, improve the quality of your life, or provide a brighter future to your family – keeping focused on your goals can distract you from feeling homesick.
Set measurable goals and write them in your journal to keep you motivated at all times. You can also create a plan of activities that you can do to make your life more meaningful and enjoyable even if you’re away from home.
2. Explore Your Place
If you ever feel the homesickness kicking in, you can always have a tour or sightsee that place you are in. Oftentimes, staying inside makes you feel lonely and makes you think more about home. But when you wander around, you’ll get to discover its beauty.
Search on the internet some tourist attractions that you can visit in your state, or the best restaurant to eat local food. Look for things or areas that make you feel comfortable to help you adjust to your new place and new home.
3. Find A Community Or A New Group Of Friends
It’s always nice to have the same support system you have back home. You can look for people who have things in common with you or maybe your fellow Kabayans to help you cope up or make you forget being homesick. Build lasting friendships so that when a problem arises, you won’t rely on people far away, but will have someone to lean on who is close.
Finding fellow Filipinos in the US won’t be hard for you since millions of Filipinos live in the USA. According to worldremit.com, Filipinos now represent the largest population of Asian Americans in California and are the second-largest ethnicity in Hawaii.
4. Keep In Touch
When you miss home, you can always do something that reminds you of it; it’s okay. You can eat or cook Filipino food, go to places that remind you of something in our country, or talk to Filipinos. Forgetting our culture so that it can’t trigger our homesickness is sad. We must embrace it, share it even. You’re allowed to do things to feel at home.
5. Do Filipino Related Things
Forgetting your culture so that it can’t trigger your homesickness is sad. So whenever you miss home, it’s good to do something that reminds you of it. You can go to places where there’s a Filipino community. You can eat or cook Filipino food. Embrace your Filipino roots and share them. It will help you feel welcome and at home even if you’re miles away.
Moving to the US for work is probably the most difficult but at the same time, the most fulfilling change you’ll ever make. Leaving your family behind, getting out of your comfort zone, and adapting to a different place and culture will never be easy. However, the world is big, and the land of new opportunities is waiting for you to explore it.
So if you ever feel homesick, read this post again so that it can help you to cope. Be grateful for the opportunity, manage that fear of unfamiliarity, and edge closer to living the American Dream. You can always speak to our visa professionals today to find out available programs for you.
