Dealing with loneliness when moving to another country

hi! hopefully, you will be adjusting to a new environment soon. homesickness is a serious matter. not a lot of people ever realize how much family and friends mean if they haven't been away from home for any period of time before. vacations are a different matter unlike settling yourself for more than a vacation. at the end of a vacation in another place, you are bound to go home anyway, so homesickness could be felt lightly or none at all. when you go to another place to live there much longer than an intended vacation, you have to psyche yourself that you may not be able to see family and friends in person, may not be able to eat the same foods you are used to, not be able to sleep in the same beds you used to sleep in for so many years... in short, missing the things that are familiar to us. fortunately for you, singapore really is one of the closest asian neighbor of our country. and it's also very diverse in culture just like us. there's a lot of filipinos living and working there so it might be a good idea to meet a few. making new friends in unfamiliar places would feel like you are closer to home. thus, much easier to deal with loneliness. you may also want to try adopting a new cat. since you loved your cats back home, a new cat may remind you of home and be less lonely. the internet and mobile phones are quite helpful to stay in contact with family and friends. as often as you can, please share your new experiences to your loved ones back home. it's not only you missing them... most definitely, they are missing you too. so stay in constant touch with them. one other thing is food. if you know how to cook, try to make your favorite dishes (the ones you loved to eat back here in the philippines). from the experience of my friends, food is one of the hardest to adjust to when they move to a new place that is quite different from their home country. it's much less expensive too if you cook rather than go out to restaurants for your meals. unless of course, money is not an issue. :) hope some of these may ease a bit of your loneliness. if all else fails, then just log on to mylot and start a discussion with our fellow filipinos. :) i had wonderful visits in singapore, and i made it my exit points from indonesia when i stayed there for several months. at one point i got mistaken for a local and some british couple asked for directions when i just got there myself for the first time. good thing i have read the map before i left my hotel and i was able to guide the couple to the direction of their route. oh, before i forget... get a map. it's free at the airport, or buy yourself one in one of the 7-11 stores there or other places where they sell maps. familiarizing yourself with roads, landmarks, routes, bus numbers and stations... would be really very helpful for you. trust me on this. :) goodluck and take care. :)

Hi! I have been working in the States for a year and a half now, and I was so homesick when I was just new here. I would even cry myself to sleep. I guess I just got a bit luckier because I live with my sister here (although she is usually very busy). I also have the benefit of getting a 1-800 number so I can just call home (the Philippines) anytime. I guess the calls helped, plus going out and exploring the city or watching movies. I live in Philadelphia, by the way. I just got used to being here without my parents and my other siblings after a year. Hope you would be able to deal with homesickness. Happy myLotting!