All throughout high school, I couldn’t wait to go to college where I would be able to be away from home and live on my own without my parents watching my every move. One thing I’ve learned while living seven and a half hours away from home is simple: even if you love where you are, it can be easy to get homesick. Unfortunately, I’m not in a position to drive home for long weekends or persuade my parents to come visit whenever is convenient for them so I don’t have the luxury of driving home to cure my homesickness with a meal cooked by my mom or a trip to the dog park with my dogs. However, even though I can’t go home I’ve learned a few things that can help lessen the pain of feeling homesick.
1. Facetime
This seems obvious, but sometimes you just need to clear a few hours of your day and set up some Facetime dates with your family. Every now and again, I need a Facetime call with my mom, brother, or best friends from home so I can stop missing them so much. A long Facetime call always reminds me that, even though I’m away from home I’m just a call away from everyone I love and miss the most.
2. Request photos
I tend to miss my cats and dogs every time I see an animal on campus, so I learned early on to ask my mom for photos of my animals. At least once a week, I get a photo of my cat or dog from my mom and, without fail it always makes me smile. Whether it’s a picture of my cat snuggled up in a random box she found in the living room or a picture of my dog sleeping, I always feel closer to home when I see the pics of my animals.
3. Treat yourself
This one might be harder depending on what your bank account looks like, but whenever I get paid, I find myself using this technique. There are some foods and drinks that naturally just remind me of home and I find it helpful to splurge on a meal that will make me feel at home. For me, this can range from a Dunkin Donuts’ caramel swirl iced coffee–the very one I was drinking almost every summer morning– or mac ‘n’ cheese from Panera–my go-to meal whenever my mom and I get lunch together.
Obviously, there’s no better cure for homesickness than going home, but I have found that these three things really help me feel more at home when I’m at school. If all else fails, beg your parents to come visit (tell them to bring home cooked meals!) or get in your car and drive home for a weekend.