Homesickness doesn’t really get talked about enough in college. People assume that by junior or senior year, you’ve adjusted completely and left those feelings behind. But the truth is, missing home can sneak up on you at any stage. Whether it’s missing the comfort of your family, the ease of old friendships, or just the familiarity of your hometown, homesickness can feel isolating. The good news is, there are small things you can do that bring you back to yourself and remind you that you’re not alone.
This is my favorite view in my hometown I felt like sharing: The Gardens at Blithewood Mansion of Bard College:
Here are five things that help me and maybe they’ll help you, too.
Call Your Family or Hometown Friends
It sounds simple, but picking up the phone and calling the people who know you best can work wonders. Sometimes I’ll text my group chat with my hometown friends, and within minutes we’re laughing about something we did years ago or something ridiculous happening in their lives now. Other times, I’ll call my mom just to hear her voice. Those conversations remind me that the connections I built at home are still there, even if I’m far away.
Listen to an Old Playlist
Music has a way of taking you back instantly. For me, it’s my old indie “emo” playlist from high school—the one I listened to on repeat when my biggest heartbreak was that the guy I liked had a girlfriend. Its full of Phoebe Bridgers, Salvia Plath, TV Girl, Frank Ocean, Mistki… you get the vibe. When I listen to those songs now, it makes me smile at how far I’ve come since then. It’s grounding to remember that the challenges I face today will also shrink in perspective with time.
Watch a Movie You Love from Your Childhood
Sometimes when you’re homesick, the best thing to do is put on a comfort movie. For me, that’s Ferris Bueller’s Day Off when I want to laugh, or Bridge to Terabithia when I just need a good cry. There’s something simple and meaningful about pressing play on an old favorite and soaking up the simple joys of a good movie.
Do You Things You Love To Do When You’re Home
When I’m really missing home, I try to recreate the routines that made me feel comfortable there. In high school, I worked at a coffee shop, so now I’ll go sit in one of the cafés in Providence, nursing a latte and people-watching like I used to. Sometimes, I’ll head up to Prospect Terrace to look out over the city because it reminds me of the rolling green hills of upstate New York where I grew up. Building these small rituals helps me feel more at home.
Go On A Long Walk With A Friend, Start a Deep Conversation
Homesickness is often tied to loneliness, and for me, the hardest part of college has been feeling like I don’t have the same strong connections here as I do at home. But when I go for a long walk with a friend and open up about what’s on my mind, I realize that so much of that anxiety is just in my head. Having meaningful conversations grounds me in the present and reminds me that I’m capable of building new, lasting connections.
It’s important to feel the depth of your emotions while you’re feeling them. If you are feeling homesick, don’t try to undermine those feelings or brush them away. Lean into them—watch the comfort movie, call your family, cry if you need to. At the same time, remember that homesickness, even though it sucks, is also a privilege. Feeling it means you have people and places that matter to you. That’s something to be grateful for, because so many people—maybe even some of your friends here—don’t have somewhere to go back to that they love. So take some time to reach out to your loved ones and remind them how much they mean to you.