Dealing with homesickness in Germany

Hello everyone,

Being an expat in Germany can turn out to be a wonderful human, social or professional adventure... with potential moments of nostalgia and homesickness along the way.

What are your personal tips to prevent homesickness?

How do you deal with such feelings?

Are there shops or stores offering products from your home country in Germany? Or maybe venues with music and ambiance from your homeland?

Thanks for sharing your experience,

Priscilla

Depending on where you stay in Germany (and where you're from) there might be many or none of your compatriots around. But even if there are lots, sticking with them isn't the best way to avoid homesickness in the long run. It is always better to get to know the locals, their life and environment and adapt or adopt as much as possible. That way, you'll find you feel more and more familiar with your new home and occasions for missing the old home will become less and less.
Warning: It has been said that Germany "grows on you" - and many foreigners stay much longer than originally planned, or even forever!

Homesickness is a given when you live in another country. I studied in England & had a lot of friends there. So when I came to Germany, because of marriage I felt homesick for London.I went back as often as possible. However since I worked for the American Army I was able to get over the homesickness. I think this would have taken longer if I had worked for Germans because of the language.

Hello,
Dealing with homesickness in Germany i resolve it with spending time, when i have a bad time and missing them, with communicate with Skype to my family.
Also make trips on your free time and see other places. For me it helps.

Its easy to say to get friends with germans and build up a friendly relation. 
To get a good friend relation with germans is difficult.  Most of them are reserved and closed and its difficult to get inside they enviroment. Also most of them have a problem with english.

Others may have it easyer, but in my case i find it difficult.
I am more living on my own and enjoy my freedom.

I agree with this!

Integrate. Learn the language and USE it in everyday life. Travel.

I personally think that a homesick  can only be someone who is, in some if not all aspects not happy where they are. Then, if that is the case, they must go back home.
How do I cope? I am happy here in Germany. I have no contact to anyone from my home country, that was my decision and I stick to it. In some months I will finish my 3 year Altenpflege Ausbildung. I have in 5 years that I am in this country improved a lot. First was to have a drivers licence,  then learning  the language. Of course I faced lot of challenges, I cried sometimes as it was not so easy as I thought it would be. What helped was also the support from my husband, that made me  strong. But in all this, I never thought of going back home. This is my home now. I am used to the life here and really thankful for the way I am treated.

:cool:,
At first it was hard,owing to the fact that I did have millions of friends who end up decreasing because of the distance,copping with almost (if not) everything.
Then the language became so unbearably hard which made it even more complicated to talk or even ask for "milk" to someone in a supermarket which ends up being Milch with a "sh" at the end.But with a little patience,the people who seem to have seen you more that once step in and do a little of helping."aquitance".
being a country with a culture of 100s of year things and customs,Germans don't open up to friendship just early as in many other countries.
There is is even a saying that goes,"...so wird's gemacht. "that mean. It's done like that.because you can't improvise a soup from something else and think that it will be allowed.Nein,(No)so wird's gemacht!  :D
But after learning this simple rules and ways,you should find yourself being a accepted in the society and enjoying or atleast pretend to enjoy the environment.
Asian supermarkets if the regular ones like Rene,Edeka, Lidl,only to mention a few,are a good substitute to finding you hometown delicacies.
Enjoy your stay,and just listen to them talking about other people so badly as if they don't talk to other people about you.

Talk laters
Ciao!
Azeez.  :top:

The first time I moved here with my son, I had no friends and my husband was working abroad most of the time.
Then I've decided to check out a baby playgroup that is organized by the local church nearby. My son made newfriends and so did I.
On my spare time I would cook food/snacks that remind me of my home country.  Cooking really helps me cope with the homesick-ness that comes and go everynow and then. But keeping yourself occupied by doing other things would help too.
Make new friends, go attend expact community etc.

Annie