When ‘fernweh’ meets homesickness: how to deal with feeling homesick while traveling
Feeling torn between your love for travel and your longing for home? You’re not alone. While fernweh fills us with a hunger for distant places – new cities, fresh air, foreign sounds – there’s another feeling that sometimes sneaks in between train rides and sunsets: homesickness.
What happens when the pull is reversed? When the open road feels less like freedom and more like a thread tying you back to where you began? It can catch even the most passionate travellers off guard. In this blog, we explore what it feels like to be homesick while traveling, where it comes from, and how we’ve learned to deal with it.
Traveling across Europe, Jaz and I often hear the question: “Don’t you ever miss home?” The truth is, we do — but maybe not in the way people expect. These days, we focus more on shorter trips, often just a week or so, especially since Jaz has a cute lil’ baby waiting for her back home. And while it’s not long enough to completely miss home, those feelings can still creep in.
Fernweh (noun) Pronunciation: [FEHRN-vey] Origin: German Definition: A deep, almost aching, longing for far-off places; a desire to travel and explore the world, often accompanied by a sense of curiosity and restlessness. Synonyms: Wanderlust, travel fever, yearning for adventure. Antonym: Homesickness (Heimweh).
Navigating the Emotional Layers of Travel
For me (Kiki), traveling has always been my biggest dream — it’s what makes me happiest. But in the past few years, that dream has come with a few emotional plot twists. Mental health struggles have added a layer of complexity to something that once felt so easy.
Sometimes, the anticipation of a trip feels overwhelming. It’s not the being away that scares me—it’s the getting there. The planning. The leaving. The moment before the adventure begins. It’s ironic, really: I know how much joy the actual experience will bring me. But still, there’s that flicker of fear in the lead-up.
Homesickness also hits on a deeper level for me. I grew up with divorced parents, constantly switching between two houses. That experience shaped my idea of “home” and what it means to miss it. I became familiar with that bittersweet ache at a young age. So now, when I’m far from home, even if it’s just for a week, those feelings sometimes resurface. Like an old friend showing up uninvited.
And Jaz? While she loves exploring just as much as I do, travel hits differently now that she has a baby girl waiting for her at home. We don’t travel for weeks at a time anymore — we take shorter trips, a week or weekend here and there — but even in those moments, the feeling of missing someone can be sharp and sudden.
What Homesickness Really Feels Like
Homesickness isn’t just emotional. It can feel physical. It’s the heaviness in your chest when you wake up somewhere unfamiliar. It’s the lump in your throat when you say goodbye at the airport. It’s a low-energy, unsettled feeling that lingers — even when you’re somewhere beautiful.
Sometimes, it’s a craving for familiar routines, your go-to coffee spot, or just hearing your language spoken around you. Other times, it’s tied to deeper memories — past anxieties or early life experiences that leave a lasting imprint.
No matter how it shows up, feeling homesick while traveling is valid. And learning to recognise it is the first step toward easing it.
How We Cope With Feeling Homesick While Traveling
Homesickness is universal, whether you’re on a week-long trip or traveling for months. Over time, we’ve found strategies that help ease the ache and make the most of our adventures and might make you feel a little less homesick while traveling:
Carry Home With You
Bring small, comforting items that remind you of home. A cozy scarf, your favorite tea, or a pillow spray with a scent you associate with calm can make any place feel a little more familiar.Build a Routine on the Road
Establishing little rituals while traveling — like a morning walk, journaling, or enjoying a specific snack — creates stability. It’s a way of grounding yourself in the unfamiliar.Stay Connected
Schedule video calls with loved ones, or even send them photos or voice messages throughout your day. For Jaz, seeing her baby on FaceTime always helps.Use Products That Bring Comfort
Products designed to soothe and comfort can be lifesavers. Noise-canceling headphones for quiet moments, a weighted blanket for better sleep (though you might have to sacrifice half your luggage allowance to bring it along!), or lavender essential oils to calm your nerves are all great tools. An e-reader can make a hotel feel cozier, while travel-sized skincare or a favorite candle can create a sense of home wherever you are.Focus on the Positives
Instead of resisting homesickness, lean into the moments of joy your travels bring. Romanticize the little things — a train ride, a quiet street, the first sip of wine at sunset. Journaling or snapping photos can help you document the good times and remember why you’re there.Practice Gratitude
Reflect on the privilege of being able to explore new places. It’s okay to miss home while still appreciating the experiences travel gives you.Take Breaks When Needed
It’s okay to carve out time for yourself on a trip. Find a quiet corner of a park, retreat to your hotel room with a good book, or just indulge in some downtime scrolling through TikTok (trust us, it’s one of our favorite ways to recharge!). Sometimes, doing nothing is exactly what you need to feel refreshed and ready for the next adventure.Embrace the Shorter Trips
If long stretches away feel too much, that’s okay. Quick getaways or city breaks can still feed your wanderlust—without overwhelming your nervous system.
Turning Homesickness Into Gratitude
Rather than viewing homesickness as a burden or something we need to ‘fix’, we are trying to learn to see it as a reminder of what’s important to us. It means we have something back home that matters — and that’s something to be grateful for.
Homesickness doesn’t take away from the beauty of travel. If anything, it adds to it. It reminds us that we can hold space for both longing and belonging at once.
So, whether you’re on a short getaway or a months-long journey, remember that homesickness is a part of the process. It’s a sign that home will always be there, waiting, when you’re ready to return!
Have you experienced homesickness while traveling? What helps you cope? Share your tips and stories with us in the comments or on Instagram at @chapterfernweh — we’d love to hear how you balance the pull of fernweh with the comfort of home.
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