I am from Orlando, Florida so I am many miles away from home — over 1,000 to be exact.
For the 2022 school year, Penn State reported that close to 48,000 students attend the University Park campus. According to Penn State’s student body statistics, 42% of students are from out-of-state. With roughly 20,000 of us, I am sure I speak for many when I say that we can experience great bouts of homesickness from time to time.
Of course, those who live close by can also experience homesickness, but they have the privilege of going home more frequently than the rest of us. I can’t pack a bag for the weekend and decide to visit mom and dad on a whim without driving for 16 hours or spending hundreds of dollars on a flight.
After a year in college, I can definitively say it gets easier as time goes on, but this is not without ups and downs.
Here are the two methods I’ve found to be helpful whenever I find myself struggling.
- Allowing myself to be sad
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Repeat after me: It’s okay to not be okay! We all know the relief that comes from a good cry, and sometimes we just need to let it all out in order to get through the day.
I noticed that I tend to miss home more whenever I feel overwhelmed with classwork. I used to tell myself that feeling upset gets you nowhere and only wastes your time.
Eventually, my emotions would spill over and I would break down. Then, I would start thinking about home and feel even worse.
There are some days when things just don’t go your way. No matter if they seem minute or like the world is ending, at that moment your feelings are valid. Somedays I need a good, long cry in my bed and on others, I just need a few minutes to take some deep breaths and collect my thoughts before I can move on with my day.
I never thought there could be a correlation between homesickness and being in tune with your emotions, but I’ve discovered that for me, there is.
- facetiming my FOLKS
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I purposely specify FaceTime and not a call for a reason. I find them to be more personal and allow me to feel a lot closer to my family back home since I can see their faces and not just picture them in my head. I am the youngest and so by going to college, I officially made my parents empty nesters and I know they miss me just as much as I miss them.
We’ve created a daily routine filled with FaceTime calls that almost make it feel like I never left. Nearly every morning, my dad will call me so that he can “walk with me” to class. We do this so frequently that he can judge how far away I am from the lecture hall and start saying goodbye without me having to tell him.
My mom eats lunch by herself around the time I am done for the day, and I call to keep her company. Sometimes I purposely buy something to eat so that we can have a lunch date together.
My dad is a chef, so dinner time in our house has also been an anticipated part of everyone’s day. When I first left for school, I found this moment of bonding with my parents to be the most difficult to leave behind.
In order to recreate this sacred time, once a week we call and eat dinner together. During these moments when we get to see each other, my parents are able to physically recognize that I’m doing okay and that they don’t have to worry about me.
I’m human and I recognize that these methods are not suitable for everyone. In my book, there will never be a substitute for being with your family in your own home.
Keeping yourself busy can only work for so long, so the best thing you can do when you feel homesickness creeping up on you is to embrace your emotions and talk about them.
As it gets easier each day, you realize you’ll be home before you know it.