One of the most common issues that AFS participants face on program is overcommunicating with family and friends in their home country. It is expected that you will keep in touch with your family or friends while you are abroad, but like everything else, it is important to have moderation in your contact with home.
AFS recommends limiting contact to, at most, once each week. From experience, AFS has learned that more frequent contact can hinder the process of immersion and host country adjustment. Here is some advice to help you achieve a balance:
- DO contact your family when you first arrive to alert them of your safe travel.
- DO limit communication with the U.S.
- DO make a rough communication schedule.
- DO monitor your time online and on the phone.
- DO look to your immediate surroundings for support if you are experiencing an emotional low.
Before calling home, consider...
- What is the time difference between the U.S. and your host country?
- Will you have internet access in your host family’s home?
- How frequently will you contact your family in the U.S.? (Write a loose schedule if possible.)
- What form of communication will you primarily use?
Remember that:
- Contact with home can intensify homesickness.
- The more you immerse, the faster you will adapt to your host country.
- Internet and phone service might be costly for your host family.
- Setting boundaries for yourself in terms of communication back home will help you stay on track.
- The more you can remain mentally present on program and tuned into what is happening locally, the greater sense of agency and belonging you will feel to navigate your host environment.
- Speaking English means you are not speaking your host language.
- Your local AFS volunteer and host family are there for you if you’re feeling down.