Homesickness and belonging: living between two cultures

Homesickness can arrive at unexpected moments: a song, a smell, a family celebration you are missing. Even years after moving, many expats feel they don’t fully belong here or there anymore.

It is a sign of connection

Missing home means you have people and places you love. It doesn’t mean you made the wrong choice. Many people live with a mix of gratitude for their new life and grief for what they left behind.

Ways to cope

• Allow the feeling rather than fighting it. Grief for home is real grief.
• Bring home with you: cook your family’s recipes, celebrate your holidays, speak your language with others.
• Create new traditions in Prague that are just yours.
• Plan visits and calls so you have something to look forward to.
• Find others who understand, especially people from your own culture or other expats.

Identity and belonging

Living between cultures can raise deep questions about who you are and where you belong. Exploring these questions with a counsellor who understands the expat experience can turn a painful feeling into a source of strength.

Prague Integration offers counselling for expats and locals in over 10 languages, online or in person in Prague 1. Book a free discovery session and we will match you with the right person.