This is my seventh year abroad, I don’t feel homesick as often as the first time when I left my country. I still miss home sometimes, especially during traditional Chinese holidays. However, after all these years, I have learned multiple ways to deal with homesickness.
My first coping method: Eat food
Food can bring so much pleasure that nothing else can compare with. I believe that everyone has their own comfort food. For me, it is bubble tea, which is milk tea with tapioca in the shape of pearls. A new bubble tea place just opened around the corner of Queen Mary campus. I was so excited that I went there four days in a row. London is such a diverse city that you can get almost any food from anywhere around the world. Even if you cannot find the food you like, you can still make your own in the communal kitchen. No matter you are stressed out, upset or depressed, you should get some food.
Fruit tea and milk tea
My second coping method: Shopping
I really love to shop with friends, so we can give each other opinions in the fitting room. In particular, I prefer to try on prom dresses just for fun. I feel more alive walking in the mall, shopping for clothing and cosmetic products. It is not necessary to spend money every time, even window shopping can achieve the same level of joy. In addition, girls can never have enough clothes in their wardrobes.
My favorite slogan from one of the stores in Westfield
My third coping method: Going to the museums
So far, I have been to the British Museum and the V&A. The later one is my most favorite. I visited the V&A for Frida Kahlo exhibition but all the tickets were sold out that day. Then I discovered the Fashion from Nature exhibition, which explores the complex relationship between fashion and nature from 1600 to the present day. I learned from the exhibition that nature is part of fashion because some patterns and materials that we used to make clothes came from nature. It is a meaningful show that I would recommend to anyone who is interested in the fashion industry and sustainable resources. I will definitely go back to V&A before the end of the Frida Kahlo exhibition because Frida Kahlo is the woman who I look up to. Museums have this magic power that makes me feel calm and comfortable. Instead of meditation, I immerse myself in art. Every time I go to the museum, I will discover something new, and all the uneasy feelings are left behind. (By the way, free admissions to both museums except for some major exhibitions).
