The first time I felt homesick during my semester abroad, I hadn't even left the country yet. My parents had just dropped me off at JFK. They had stayed with me until I entered the security line, and then, with a few hugs and wave goodbye, they were gone.
It'd be the last time I saw them again for 6 months, the longest we'd ever been apart. Suddenly, that notion, so unconcerning a few moments before, felt unfathomable.
The second time it happened, I was shopping in my first Prague supermarket, surrounded by foods I didn't know, brands I couldn't read, and cashiers I couldn't understand, as I was shouted at in rapid Czech.
I was alone, confused, and incredibly overwhelmed, hating the unfamiliarity and wondering why I'd possibly thought traveling abroad was ever a good idea.
孤单、困惑笼罩着我，几乎压倒了我。我讨厌这种陌生感，搞不清楚当初自己为什么那么想出国。
3. 生病的时候，你想起给你端水送药、为你忙来跑去的母亲，和她焦急关爱的眼神。
孤独掺杂着疾病的痛苦，让家成为了你梦想中治愈的天堂。
The third time, I was deeply sick with a virus; feverish, exhausted, and miserable. My friends brought me soup and I stayed home from class, but all I wanted was to be in my own house, with Gilmore Girls on the TV and meds that were in English, and a mom who'd rub my back as I fell asleep.
For the first time ever, I hated being abroad. The feeling went away the moment I recovered, but for those 10 days, nothing felt worse than being 4,000 miles away from home.
Find ways to get involved outside of academic classes, for example participate in an intramural sports team, join a hiking club or volunteer for a student-run organization. Participation will help you meet students with like-minded interests.
It’s tempting to look at what your friends are doing at home, but you need to minimize time spent scrolling through social media. If you constantly focus on what you’re missing, you forget to live in the present moment.
Do a little research about where you’re living and find a few places you absolutely have to explore –- the ten best coffee shops in the city, or the favorite locations for local street artists. Make a list of these places and challenge yourself to see all of them before you leave.
Schedule specific times for video calls with your family. University can be very hectic, so make time to keep up connections. You want to stay in touch through good times and bad.
定期和家里人视频。大学生活是非常令人激动的，花点时间和家人联系。不论生活是好是坏，都和他们分享。
But limit your phone or Skype conversations to a few times a week with family. Talk to them too much and you’ll become dependent on them.
不过，每周和家人的电话和视频聊天几次就好。太经常和家人聊天，会让你太过依赖他们。
5. 动手做做家乡菜
Cooking food that you're used to eating at home with your family can be a fun way to tackle homesickness. Most supermarkets have aisles for "international" foods and introducing your flatmates to a new cuisine can be fun, and remind you of home.
