by Christy Koumakis

It’s been over a month that I have been in the USA. For some context, I came early to do some solo travel around the East Coast before beginning the semester.

I’m not going to sugarcoat it, the thought of leaving NZ and my family was super challenging. I am close with my family so the idea of moving to the other side of the world was difficult. I am extremely grateful for FaceTime and have used video calling to keep in touch with my family.

Homesickness is inevitable, so it’s just realising that, along with knowing how to make it a little more bearable. Often times it came when I was jet-lagged, tired or overwhelmed. The first couple of days while being jet-lagged was tough. It didn’t help that Arizona has been having one of the hottest summers. It’s all a part of the journey.

I would say some of the best things I did was:

1. I arrived in the US and got to the city I was living in early and was settled before orientation. This is harder if you are waiting until you can get into your university accommodation, but perhaps instead book a hotel/hostel for a couple of nights before you move in so you can rest from your travels.
2. Go to the orientation and meet as many people as possible. Get phone numbers and/or socials of everyone you meet so you can keep in touch. This is key as the day goes by so quick and there are often so many people to meet. We only had one orientation day so it meant we had less chance to meet people.
3. Get involved in a club. We had a club day where all the clubs got together, and there you could see what clubs you are able to join. They also gave away freebies! It’s a great way to meet locals as well.
4. Hang out with your new friends lots in the first couple of weeks. This helped with homesickness and staying connected. I have an amazing group of friends who are always organising hangouts and events, which has been super helpful.
5. I was given some great advice that while there is so much new stuff going on now, soon you will arrive back at the airport of your home country and most of the time not much will have changed. When I realised that wishing my time away is pointless and that I am only here for a short amount of time, it freed me to be able to truly enjoy the experience and make the most of each day.

TikTok Travels

Christy is posting more about her experience over on her TikTok account. Follow along! @christykoumakis

@christykoumakis

Some highlights from my first week at an American college as a NZ university exchange student! 🍔🍟 #exchangestudent #semesterabroad #universitystudent #studyabroad #movingabroad #firstdayofschool #oweek #collegestudent #lawstudent #studyintheusa #asu #asustudentlife #univerisity

♬ I’ll Be Around (feat. Timbaland) (Radio Mix) – Cee-Lo

@christykoumakis

Here is what I got up to in the past week as an exchange student in the USA 🇺🇸 #exchangestudent #semesterabroad #studyabroad #movingabroad #studyintheusa #universitystudent #asu #collegestudent #weekvlog

♬ Cola (Sped Up Version) – sped up nightcore