how long did you spend abroad?

for those people who have been travelling for a gap year- how long did you spend abroad in total and what was the maximum time you spent abroad in one go? did you get home sick?

Reply 1

shoegirl

Not on my travels yet but will answer for previous trips abroad. First time was 10 weeks. I got so homesick at the beginning (it hit me about 4 days in) then really enjoyed it. Second time was 5 weeks and I wasn't homesick at all, I actually didn't want to come home!

I'm a bit worried about spending 6+ months abroad soon but hopefully I can make it! I think it's quite normal to feel homesick, especially on your first trip away.

Reply 2

rscully

I spend 14 weeks in Asia last summer and didn't get homesick at all. I'm planning on spending a year in South America after I graduate, not sure what that will be like.

Reply 3

charliechildnurse

I was in Italy for 4 months, and I hated it but I wasn't homesick. I couldn't wait to get home at the end though!

Reply 4

fasteddy

12 months, 6 in Asia, rest in Aus, NZ & USA.

It was a long time though, but awesome all the same. Might be an idea to structure your time e.g. do a tour, volunteer, work & travel.

Reply 5

oxymoronic

I've done cerca 4 or 5 months each summer for the last 4 years. I didn't have a gap year but I may as well have done!

I always find that about 3 months in I have a period of a few days where I keep thinking I'd just love to go home right now and do X. The last 2 years of travelling this X has been my boyfriend who I was desperate to see, the previous 2 years when I was in sixth form were more related to just a general 'I wanna go home!!' for no reason in particular sort of thing.
However, then I've always bypassed that stage (as I said its always been for few days around the 3 month mark) and then am bounding and ready to go for however long else I'm away for.

At the moment I'm on a year abroad meaning I've actually been away from the UK since April, bar a week at Christmas. And I'll be here until May, so that will be a year solid. But I'm used to it now so I don't really mind - if I am in the UK I get bored. I think the most important part of travelling is reckognising if you're feeling abit down and doing something about it- maybe doing something more typical of home which you've been shying away from. I tend to go to the cinema to be around native English (thats always a thing which gets to me when I'm away, I miss native English speakers, particularly British) and just go for some food at somewhere where I might go at home. Also you need to ensure you let yourself speak to your family/friends/other half if you want to do so - skype is great and you can use it anywhere in the world.

Reply 6

gemini89

I was away September 07-May 08, so 10 months.....I didn't get homesick, though I met so many travellers who did, usually when they were ill or it was raining for days etc. I missed talking to certain people, mainly my best friends, when certain things happened (when I broke up with my NZ boyfriend for example)...bit frustrating, even though I made good friends out there.

Reply 7

Ewan

7months, felt homesick in the first few weeks, and the last few.

Reply 8

Joanna May

I spent four months in France and although I was homesick at first, that was really just not being happy with my job. Once I accepted it was **** and got over it, I had the best time ever and wasn't homesick at all.