Everywhere I went in Australia, I saw my dad. Taking the ferry at Circular Quay in the Harbor, diving into the waves at Manly Beach, walking in the downtown Central Business District (CBD); he was in all my experiences, even though physically he was still over nine thousand miles away in Missouri. My dad was one of the reasons that I decided to study abroad in Australia, as he had lived and worked across Australia for six months in his twenties.

Growing up listening to his stories of Sydney, Perth, and the Gold Coast, and heading into the Outback, sparked something in me from a young age, and it felt full circle when I finally landed on the continent. Yet, experiencing all the things he loved without him or the rest of my family and friends, there was also one of the hardest parts of being abroad. To make the most of my experience and to help cope with homesickness, these are tips I found to be helpful to stay connected to those who couldn’t be in Sydney with me.  

Say Click! 

My dad’s photo of St. Mary’s Peak in 1995 and my photo of the Blue Mountains, two different beautiful sights in Australia, and two places my dad visited.  

Now this advice might sound obvious, but it is often overlooked when you’re in the moment. I’ve found that simply taking pictures is a great way to connect with others. Most of the time when something reminded me of someone that I was away from, I would just take a picture of it and send it to them to let them know they were on my mind; whether this be of my sausage roll that I know my dad also enjoys or of a beautiful beach I know my friend would appreciate, or of the sunset from my apartment that I know my mom would want to see. It was a great way to keep in contact and also give an insight into what I was doing and seeing abroad.

I also created a shared album and study abroad Instagram account where I added pictures and tried to keep updated weekly with what was going on in my life. This was also a great way to keep in contact with a wide range of people who were interested in my experience abroad and also have something to look back on in the future. I had a lot of family members and friends tell me how much they looked forward to seeing my pictures and enjoyed my little updates, especially if it was hard to connect with them directly due to time constraints.  

What's Up on WhatsApp 

My dad on the beach of the Gold Coast and me on the beach of Byron Bay, thirty years apart. 

When it comes to keeping connected while abroad, nothing beats a phone call catching up with those you’re missing. This, however, can be a little tricky if you are like me and had to get a different sim card for your phone while you were abroad, thus rendering it more difficult to connect using Facetime or your usual number. This is where WhatsApp came in handy. WhatsApp, if you’re not familiar, is a free app where you can register your phone number to make free calls and texts to international numbers and was what I used to stay in contact with my family while I was away.

Although the time difference was difficult for me living in Sydney, I always tried to find time in my day to call and contact them in ways that looked different than when I was at school. I found that I could call my parents on my morning commute to my internship, which lined up with them having Sunday dinner back home. It may take some adjustment and trial and error to find a time and a method or a platform that works for you and your family, but it is worth it in the end to feel that connection from home.  

Alone but Not Lonely 

My dad and a kangaroo with its joey versus me with a kangaroo at Featherdale Wildlife Park.  

Additionally, one of the things that I found important while studying abroad was learning how to enjoy things on my own time and for myself. Even if no one else was free, I began to feel comfortable going to the beach or exploring a new coffee shop by myself. It was in those quiet moments that I also felt like I could recenter myself and take in all the new experiences I was having. Through enjoying this time in Australia and learning more about myself and who I am as a person, I couldn’t help but think back to my dad and his own personal journey he also took coming to Australia by himself. It felt like fate that I was back in Sydney, almost exactly thirty years later than when he was there. I knew that even though he didn’t get the chance to visit me, I was lucky to have someone to share that joy and experience with, even from home. By studying in Sydney, I was living out his dream and mine.  

Photo of my dad circa 1995 in Circular Quay near the Opera House.