Personal note:
Grading tests now. An Indonesian female student chose as her essay topic the immense isolation she feels and how it has led to a mental crisis. I’ve experienced that more times than I want to remember - it becomes existential to the point that you simply want to drown yourself to end it all. Living in a foreign country gets easier - and actually quite enjoyable - with practice (and it’s funny - it doesn’t matter where you live as they’re all foreign places, meaning different customs, languages you do not comprehend, and no family or friends for support; it’s learning how to respond), but those first steps are often very painful.
So I set her test aside and emailed her to ask for a meeting. I hope that she responds. But reach out when you see someone flailing. We’re all in the same boat. (Although I suppose one doesn’t flail if one’s still in the boat - sorry; mixed metaphores. But you get the idea.) - William