Missing home doesn’t mean you’re doing travel wrong—here’s how to fix it.
Travel can bring out feelings you didn’t expect, especially when the rush of excitement slowly blends with a tug of homesickness. It’s strange how you can crave adventure and discovery yet still find yourself longing for familiar smells, sounds, and faces. Missing home while exploring the world doesn’t mean you’re ungrateful or doing it wrong—it just means you’re human. Ignoring that homesick feeling only makes it stronger, but there are surprisingly simple ways to ease it.
You don’t have to sacrifice your travel joy to keep homesickness in check. A few thoughtful tricks can help you reconnect with comfort while still soaking in new experiences. You’ll find yourself feeling more balanced and less torn between two places you love. Try these simple but surprisingly powerful methods to enjoy your travels without that ache to get back home growing louder by the day.
1. Create a small routine wherever you are.
Having no set rhythm can make even the most beautiful places feel a little disorienting. Setting up a simple routine—like morning coffee at the same café or a short walk before dinner—gives you a slice of normalcy that feels grounding. It’s not about scheduling every minute, but anchoring yourself with tiny, repeated actions. These little rituals remind you that you’re not just floating through the experience; you’re living it.
When everything around you is unfamiliar, a routine acts like a tether to a sense of “home” inside yourself. It helps you feel settled instead of adrift, says Mollie at We Are Global Travellers. Once you find a couple of steady habits, you might be surprised at how much calmer and connected you feel. It becomes easier to enjoy the chaos of travel when you have even one predictable piece in your day.
2. Keep something familiar close.
Packing light doesn’t mean you have to leave comfort behind. A favorite sweatshirt, a particular tea you drink at night, or even a playlist of songs from home can make an outsized difference. Having something sensory that connects you back to the familiar soothes the parts of your brain craving home. It’s a small but mighty link to your regular life without weighing down your suitcase.
There’s a reason certain smells or sounds instantly transport us—your brain finds relief in the familiar. When you’re missing home, a quick moment with that item can reset your mood without derailing your adventure, as stated by Paul Youngbin Kim at Psychology Today. It gives you the little hit of comfort you need to keep going without that pit-in-the-stomach feeling growing stronger.
3. Stay connected, but set limits.
It’s tempting to text, call, or scroll through home updates constantly when you’re feeling homesick. While staying in touch can help, overdoing it often leaves you feeling more stuck between two worlds. Setting small boundaries—like a daily call or a few messages—can give you the dose of connection you need without overwhelming your sense of being away, according to authors at Nomads.
This kind of balance reminds you that home isn’t disappearing just because you’re not there. Instead of pulling yourself out of your travel experience every time you check in, you keep both feet planted where you are. The more present you feel, the easier it is to enjoy the experience without the heavy ache of missing home dragging you down.
4. Personalize your temporary space.
Even a bland hotel room or a rented apartment can feel more comforting if you add a few touches. Arrange things in a way that feels cozy or bring a small framed photo for your nightstand. Changing a sterile space into something that feels lived-in—even a little—can work wonders on homesick feelings.
When you invest just a little effort in making a space yours, it signals your brain that you’re safe and grounded. The result? Less longing for home and more energy to explore what’s right in front of you. It doesn’t take much, but it has a big emotional payoff.
5. Savor the local “home” comforts.
Every place has its own version of comfort food, cozy spots, and friendly routines. Finding a local comfort—a bakery that feels welcoming, a park where you can people-watch quietly—gives you a stand-in for the things you miss about home. It’s about discovering familiarity in unfamiliar places.
When you recognize that comfort exists everywhere, not just back home, the gap starts to close. It allows you to build tiny bridges between where you are and where you came from. Before long, you might find that this foreign place starts to feel like a second home all on its own.
6. Journal your homesickness.
Trying to ignore homesickness usually just makes it louder. Instead, give yourself five or ten minutes to journal about it. Write down exactly what you’re missing, what you wish you had, and even what feels good about being away. The act of naming the feeling pulls some of its power away.
It’s not about wallowing, but about clearing mental clutter. Once those feelings are out on paper, they don’t feel as overwhelming. You create space to experience the good parts of travel without homesickness quietly stealing the show in the background.
7. Practice gratitude for the here and now.
It’s easy to mentally pack your bags and go home when you’re feeling down. Instead, try shifting your focus by making a short gratitude list about your current surroundings. Maybe it’s the smell of fresh bread, the sound of a foreign language, or the way the sunset looks different here. Tiny things count.
Gratitude doesn’t erase homesickness, but it does shift the weight of your attention. Instead of leaning into the sadness, you gently pull yourself back toward what’s good about this moment. It’s a small adjustment that can make a massive difference in how you feel.
8. Give yourself permission to feel both.
You can love travel and miss home at the same time. Trying to force yourself into “either/or” thinking usually just makes you feel worse. Allowing room for both feelings can actually take the edge off your homesickness and make the joy of traveling feel even richer.
You’re not betraying your love of travel by missing home, and you’re not being ungrateful for your adventures. You’re just being human. Giving yourself that permission makes the homesickness less of a problem to fix and more of a companion to manage.
9. Set future “home” check-ins.
One reason homesickness can feel overwhelming is the sense that you’re untethered with no clear return point. Even if your travels are open-ended, setting a soft check-in—like a video call with family next Sunday or planning to visit a cozy bookstore—can make a huge difference. It gives your mind a milestone to hold onto.
Knowing when your next connection point is coming can calm that restless homesick feeling. Instead of battling the distance every day, you have a planned moment to recharge. It’s a way to stay engaged with where you are without feeling like you’re leaving home behind forever.
10. Remind yourself why you’re traveling.
When homesickness hits, it’s easy to forget the reasons you packed your bags in the first place. Take a minute to remember why you chose this adventure. Was it curiosity? Growth? A dream you’ve always had? Bringing those motivations back into focus can re-energize your spirit.
Your reasons for traveling don’t erase your homesickness, but they can put it into perspective. You’re not just away from home; you’re actively creating memories, growth, and joy. And every time you miss home and still keep going, you’re making the whole experience even more meaningful.