Homesickness is the distress people feel when they are from home. It is very common students who move away for university. Research that it usually becomes intense over time, especially when students form new and routines. Surprisingly, many people also experience ‘reverse culture ‘ when they home after a long time abroad. Their home may feel unfamiliar, because they themselves .

In the 1950s and 1960s, researchers began describing the experience of adjusting to a new culture as a series of stages. In the first stage, often called the honeymoon stage, newcomers feel excited and fascinated by everything new. Later, as daily difficulties accumulate, many enter a stage of frustration, in which language problems, unfamiliar customs, and loneliness become tiring. Gradually, most people reach a stage of adjustment, and eventually many feel comfortable in both cultures.

This model, sometimes drawn as a U-shaped curve, became very popular. However, later research found that not everyone follows the same path. Some people never experience a honeymoon stage, while others feel the most difficulty at the very beginning. The intensity and timing of each stage vary widely.

Researchers now see adjustment as influenced by many factors, including language ability, personality, social support, and how different the two cultures are. Having friends both from the local culture and from one’s own culture appears to help.

The good news is that the difficulties are usually temporary, and the experience of adapting can develop valuable skills, including flexibility, empathy, and the ability to see one’s own culture more clearly.