Covid-19 made us rethink about what we’ve been given for many years: the freedom to travel whenever and wherever we want, the freedom to communicate way more efficiently than our ancestors, the freedom to plan ahead with no concerns and much more. As some international students chose to go home during the pandemic, many preferred staying in Hungary as it was a safer choice for them. But can you imagine being away from home for so long?
If we assume that the last time those youngsters went home is in December or January, they would now have their 7th month away from home, all for the sake of health and safety, or perhaps due to the total absence of flights to their home country. If you are one of those people, be sure that Corvinus understands you – you’ve been away for way too long and summer isn’t even as enjoyable as it usually is as the coronavirus left a mark on every single thing, from restaurants and cafeterias to the closed clubs and bars (which are also pretty unsafe, even if opened).
Maybe you miss your family and friends, maybe you’re enjoying the introvert’s dream, but no matter the case, you surely felt homesick plenty of times. In some days strong waves of sadness and nostalgia might’ve hit you, and in others you might’ve thought about leaving Hungary. Homesickness is a thing and you must not underestimate this feeling. Embrace, understand, adapt.
Embrace the feelings
If homesickness is new to you, you might not be able to react on time. You’ll feel sad without knowing why, which is pretty unpleasant. Acknowledge the pain of the emptiness and understand it. Do you miss your parents? Do you crave a meetup with your best friend? Is it your hometown that you miss? Perhaps everything… Nostalgia hits in waves but once you know the source, improving your mood becomes way easier. There is a simple, quick fix: keep in touch with the people you miss and love! Call them occasionally, have video conversations with them, chat, but never ignore the calls and notifications because those people miss you, too. Sometimes when you’re feeling down some family love might be all you need!
Adapt
However, you cannot be engulfed by hours of conversations on the phone. It is unhealthy and at the end of the day if you dedicate all your time on this you might continue being sad. That is why you should go out with friends as much as possible (with those who also stayed in Hungary). Contacts with other human beings is so precious when you feel alone! Moreover, you can always go a bit in the nature, travel to a nearby cool spot around Budapest or just spice things a bit with different activities every day – going to the gym, walking around the city, cooking your favorite dishes and so on. Make your days as colorful as possible. Bring your home to Hungary by listening to music from your home country, cooking national dishes and watching videos or movies, made there.
Also, something very useful is a journal, as you can always write down your thoughts and pour out your feelings. It feels much better, especially if you have no one to share those emotions with.
Being away from home is not as easy as it seems, and it is even harder when you just don’t have any choice and you must spend unspecified amount of time apart from friends and relatives. But don’t be sad, try making the most out of it – strong characters are built in hard times.
