5 Ways to Keep in Touch with Life and Events Back in the U.S.
When you’re thousands of miles away from home, keeping up with the latest trends and news can be challenging—to say the least. Sure, you can catch the major headlines on your post’s news stations, but there will always be a few things that
slip through the cracks. If you want to stay informed with what’s going on back home—trends included,
not just the news—here are a few ways to do it.
Download an app
If there’s a news outlet you regularly go to, downloading that publication’s app is the easiest way to get some news. But when it comes to tracking news, I highly recommend making sure you’ve got multiple sources from all ends of the political spectrum… and there are apps for that too. Flipboard and Feedly are news aggregators that help you organize publications based on topics you’re interested in. All the news you need to see comes to you in one place!
slip through the cracks. If you want to stay informed with what’s going on back home—trends included,
not just the news—here are a few ways to do it.
Download an app
If there’s a news outlet you regularly go to, downloading that publication’s app is the easiest way to get some news. But when it comes to tracking news, I highly recommend making sure you’ve got multiple sources from all ends of the political spectrum… and there are apps for that too. Flipboard and Feedly are news aggregators that help you organize publications based on topics you’re interested in. All the news you need to see comes to you in one place!

Sign up for a newsletter
Speaking of getting the news to come straight to you, a newsletter is a great way to keep up with more niche stories. I’d recommend Morning Brew, which is a daily email that covers the top business stories. Robinhood also has a great (fun and kinda snarky) newsletter that focuses on financial news. And, of course, you can subscribe to 3-Things Thursday, where I keep my ear to the ground and bring you some of the coolest products, shows, movies, and books so you stay up-to-date on the latest trends.
Listen to podcasts
Podcasts are perfect if you’d rather listen to the news than read it. And most news podcasts are created to be entertaining, so you’ll be able to hear a few jokes or opinions on the topic too. There are plenty of podcasts available; you just have to find the one that fits your interests.
Get savvy with social media
I’m willing to bet that you use social media to some degree, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn. I know it’s a great way to stay in touch with friends back home, but you can also use it to stay informed on current events by following the pages of news outlets. (Again, I’d recommend following several outlets with different stances so that you get a more well-rounded account of our nation’s happenings.)
Talk to your friends and family back home
The easiest way to keep up with news back home? Talk to the people who live there! Whenever you talk to your friends and family back home, ask them what’s been going on, what’s on their social media feeds, what are stores selling out of… They’ll be able to give you the 4-1-1 on the events and trends that will be most relevant to you.
Speaking of getting the news to come straight to you, a newsletter is a great way to keep up with more niche stories. I’d recommend Morning Brew, which is a daily email that covers the top business stories. Robinhood also has a great (fun and kinda snarky) newsletter that focuses on financial news. And, of course, you can subscribe to 3-Things Thursday, where I keep my ear to the ground and bring you some of the coolest products, shows, movies, and books so you stay up-to-date on the latest trends.
Listen to podcasts
Podcasts are perfect if you’d rather listen to the news than read it. And most news podcasts are created to be entertaining, so you’ll be able to hear a few jokes or opinions on the topic too. There are plenty of podcasts available; you just have to find the one that fits your interests.
Get savvy with social media
I’m willing to bet that you use social media to some degree, whether it be Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or LinkedIn. I know it’s a great way to stay in touch with friends back home, but you can also use it to stay informed on current events by following the pages of news outlets. (Again, I’d recommend following several outlets with different stances so that you get a more well-rounded account of our nation’s happenings.)
Talk to your friends and family back home
The easiest way to keep up with news back home? Talk to the people who live there! Whenever you talk to your friends and family back home, ask them what’s been going on, what’s on their social media feeds, what are stores selling out of… They’ll be able to give you the 4-1-1 on the events and trends that will be most relevant to you.