I'm Homesick

Greg Vodicka
Kappa Alpha Order

I’m homesick.  It happens about this time every year for me.  Maybe it has something to do with the fall weather and football atmosphere that makes me miss my buddies from high school and Friday nights under the lights that much more.  Maybe it’s the fact that I haven’t been home to see my mom since July and haven’t been able to watch the Bears with my dad since the 2009 season.  Either way, It’s this time of year that I get that strange feeling that makes me want to pack up my car and head back to the promised land. 

I grew up in a small town west of Chicago.  After high school, all my friends migrated to close by schools while I made the choice to head south to Mizzou.  It was a tough decision to leave all my friends.  I can count on one hand the number of people from my high school that have ever come to MU.  This next step in my life would prove to be more of a leap; a leap of faith.

I’ve lived in Columbia since the day I moved out of our simple raised ranch back home.  I’ve spent the last two summers away from my hometown working in Como.  Sure, I’ve gone home for holiday breaks and several long weekends, but my trips back are becoming less frequent.   

As most of you have probably realized, us Chicago kids make up a good amount of the out-of-state students.  While many of you guys from St. Louis or KC find time to take weekend trips back home to see family, there is rarely a suitable weekend to make the seven hour trip each way to spend an afternoon at home for us.  As hard as it is, I’ve gotten used to it.  My family and I have found way to stay just as close while being miles apart.  It honestly makes going home that much more significant.

At first, being away from home was tougher than I thought it would be.  When I left I was confident and excited for my independence.  It wasn’t long before I started to miss my friends and family though.  

Feeling homesick meant I was pacing around in my room wondering if it was the right choice to come here.  I would call all my buddies from home and try to plan weekend visits.  I would sit on the phone with my dad and ask about how my high school football team was doing.  I did anything I could to get my home fix. 

It wasn’t long before I knew this was obviously the place for me.  Mizzou is my home, and leaving after graduation will be just as difficult as leaving Chicago was.  Columbia has taken me in over the years.  The place that used to seem so strange and unfamiliar is now the place that holds some of my best memories and experiences.

For all you freshman feeling homesick, you’re not alone.  For you upperclassmen, good luck on the next chapter of your lives.  I don’t know what the future holds for me or where I’m going to end up.  Leaving home was difficult and leaving Mizzou will be just as hard.  What I’ve learned is leaving isn’t really leaving at all.  My hometown is just as much a part of me as it was for the 19 years I lived there.  Mizzou will always be my home even when I’ve left school and moved on to the real world.  That’s the thing about the people and places you love.  Even when you’re not together, you’ll always have something that makes you feel like you are.  Never forget that you can always go home.

Greg is a junior studying journalism and business. You may contact him at greg@odyssey-central.com.