At some point in our life, we all experience the sensation of feeling homesick. Whether that be when you were 8 years old and going off on your first sleep over or when you were 18 and leaving the safety of your hometown to endure college. Sooner or later, you’ll miss your home, your family, your friends and your dog. But, it’s okay to feel this way. There is nothing wrong with it. I think in our society there is a stigma regarding feeling homesick. It’s viewed as a negative feeling, when in reality, it’s okay to feel any and all emotions. Feeling homesick does not make you less of a human. In fact, it is what makes you human.
When I was a innocent 18 year old on my way to college, I was not expecting missing my home. I was so excited to leave my hometown of Howell, New Jersey and experience what it felt like to be independent from my parents’ rules – sorry Mom and Dad. But what I did not expect was to indeed miss my family and friends when I went off to snowy Pennsylvania. I found myself constantly thinking about home and not wondering what my family was doing. I would rather stay inside my dorm and continue to be upset rather than going out and experiencing my first week in college. I kept putting myself down for feeling the way I felt. It wasn’t until my roommate freshman year (who later become one of my best friends) told me she was also experiencing feeling homesick. When she confessed her sadness to me, it hit me that it was okay to miss home. It was okay to call my parents and my sisters for a week straight. After the first week progressed though, I started to feel better. I was making friends, starting classes and working and soon started to forget feeling sad. After some time, it felt amazing to be away from home and living my own life.
When I transferred to The College, I’ve only experienced feeling homesick once. The College made me feel like I was right at home. The friends I met became my family and made me miss them and Charleston when I went back home. I’m so grateful for them and for The College. I found that if I felt comfortable where I was, I never felt homesick. Maybe I felt homesick my freshman year because I never really felt comfortable at my old school, but I’m glad I experienced it. It taught me that just because people think homesickness is a bad thing, it is okay to embrace it. I sure did. I let myself cry on my friends shoulder and eat all the vegan chocolate ice cream.
So if you ever feel homesick, know that it is okay. You are not alone. Breathe. Spend time with your friends if you start to feel homesick. Watch a funny movie. Read a book. Color cute pictures. Go for a walk or a run. Eat some bomb food. Just know that it is okay to feel whatever you are feeling.
Photo courtesy of: Trip Advisory – Charleston, South Carolina: College of Charleston