Being away from Notre Dame is rough. Although after the stressful, test-packed last couple weeks of school being home can be nice, it only takes a couple weeks for the sad thought to set in: there are still 3 months until we can go back.
It is not easy to find a cure for “dome-sickness,” as the only real cure is to go back to school, but there are some remedies to start the healing process and remind you of the amazing place that Notre Dame is.
1. Keep a count down until move-in
This should have been one of the first things you did when you got home. Keeping a count down until move-in day (August 24) can help to highlight the fact that summer is not as long as it seems. In no time we will be back where we all really want to be, the lovely South Bend, Indiana. Also, it reminds you that soon you will not have that “take me back” panic anymore. Just hang in there!
2. Watch Rudy
At this point in the summer, you might be thinking about how close football season is. School spirit, friends, tailgate food, new ND apparel, what more can you ask for, really? So as you think about these incredible Saturdays and realize that you need your fix, grab some fried chicken and your favorite ND sweatshirt, and turn on Rudy. It will remind you of the spirit and the luck of the Irish that makes Notre Dame so special.
3. Stock up on winter clothes while they’re on sale
So far, you are still somewhat okay with nostalgia, so this is just a suggestion, but winter clothes are probably still on sale. A stylish reminder that South Bend winters are the part of Notre Dame you miss the most, right?
4. Back stalk yourself
Now the desire to go back has turned a corner for the worse and you are probably really missing ND. Now is the time to go to your Facebook and back stalk yourself. It may sound lame, but it will help bring back a flood of memories, in a good way. It will remind you that next year can only be more fun than the last! (You will also notice how cute your friends’ clothes are, so you will know what to borrow/steal in the fall.)
5. Pretend you’re at a dorm party
It is getting bad now isn’t it? This may sound drastic, but try throwing yourself a dorm party. Blast that playlist you have from the year, close your eyes, and it will be just like you are back in that small, packed, hot common room.
6. Talk to your Notre Dame friends every day
I am sure you have been doing this all along, but talking to your ND friends will keep you sane. You probably already talk to them more than your high school friends or family even. It helps because we are all thinking the same thing as you and misery loves company. You can remind each other that the new year will be here in no time and in the mean time you can reflect on the past year, the laughs, the tears, the mistakes, and the achievements because these will be your friends for life.
Domesickness is a real epidemic, so be one less.
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Images 1 and 2 provided by author, 3