The Continual Struggle Of Homesickness | The Odyssey Online
Start writing a post
Student Life

The Continual Struggle Of Homesickness

It never really goes away.

124
The Continual Struggle Of Homesickness
Legends Nation

It's impossible to put into words how I felt leaving my parents for college. Freshman year move in day was pretty much the worst day of my life: It was rushed and hot and I cried. A LOT. I remember feeling such an intense feeling of loss and hopelessness as I was pulled away from my mom and dad at the start of orientation. I remember wearing sunglasses to my first meeting to hide the fact that I had been sobbing moments before.

The first month of college was much of the same. I made lots of great friends and started classes and when I was busy, I was content. But when I was alone, feelings of loneliness and immense sadness and wishing to be home overwhelmed my thoughts. I spent many nights that first month crying. I cried to my parents about wanting to come home and to my friends about missing them and how much I missed the summer. There were many times that first month that I thought I had made the wrong decision, a mistake.

Flash forward to today: I’ve lived in Boston for more than a year and a half and, for the most part, it has been incredible. I have made wonderful friends, experienced incredible things, and learned so much both inside and outside the classroom. I have learned how to J walk like a queen, tune out the constant sirens that go up and down Brookline Avenue all hours of the night, and call Dunkin’ Donuts Dunks. I have found my place in my adopted home: I don’t feel like I’m wondering around aimlessly anymore, which I feel is always a good thing. I don’t feel like I made a mistake; I know that I made the right choice.

That doesn't mean I no longer experience homesickness because I do: I miss my parents, friends, and pets every day while I'm at school, but the way I experience homesickness has changed dramatically.

Unlike last year, homesickness, and subsequent feelings of loneliness and sadness, isn't part of my every day life anymore. They come in waves, like after someone from home visits or after I come back from home. It hits me sometimes after realizing I haven't talked to a friend in a few days or when I see my friend tagged in her roommates photo on Facebook or Instagram. It happens sometimes when I hear a song or when the dinning hall serves a certain food. When those feelings do come, I let them. I talk to my parents and roommates and friends about them. I'm sad for a few days and then feel better.

For a long time last year, I thought being happy in Boston at school meant that I couldn't be homesick and if I was homesick then I couldn't be happy at school. What I've realized this year is that you can be both. It's possible to be completely happy where you are and still miss home. You can miss your parents while enjoying the freedom of being away from them and just because you are having fun with your friends from school doesn't mean that you don't miss your friends from home.

Being away for college has taught me that I need to balance those feelings: I need to balance where I am and how grateful I am to be here with the tug of wanting to return home to the people and places I am used to. And I'm still working on it. I think I'll be working on it forever because the feeling of missing friends and family never really goes away. But I think with time, you can start to manage the feeling of homesickness so the feelings associated with missing someone or something aren't completely unbearable. I am living proof of that.

Report this Content
This article has not been reviewed by Odyssey HQ and solely reflects the ideas and opinions of the creator.
Featured

15 Mind-Bending Riddles

Hopefully they will make you laugh.

193058
 Ilistrated image of the planet and images of questions
StableDiffusion

I've been super busy lately with school work, studying, etc. Besides the fact that I do nothing but AP chemistry and AP economics, I constantly think of stupid questions that are almost impossible to answer. So, maybe you could answer them for me, and if not then we can both wonder what the answers to these 15 questions could be.

Keep Reading...Show less
Entertainment

Most Epic Aurora Borealis Photos: October 2024

As if May wasn't enough, a truly spectacular Northern Lights show lit up the sky on Oct. 10, 2024

16529
stunning aurora borealis display over a forest of trees and lake
StableDiffusion

From sea to shining sea, the United States was uniquely positioned for an incredible Aurora Borealis display on Thursday, Oct. 10, 2024, going into Friday, Oct. 11.

It was the second time this year after an historic geomagnetic storm in May 2024. Those Northern Lights were visible in Europe and North America, just like this latest rendition.

Keep Reading...Show less
 silhouette of a woman on the beach at sunrise
StableDiffusion

Content warning: This article contains descriptions of suicide/suicidal thoughts.

When you are feeling down, please know that there are many reasons to keep living.

Keep Reading...Show less
Relationships

Power of Love Letters

I don't think I say it enough...

459140
Illistrated image of a letter with 2 red hearts
StableDiffusion

To My Loving Boyfriend,

  • Thank you for all that you do for me
  • Thank you for working through disagreements with me
  • Thank you for always supporting me
  • I appreciate you more than words can express
  • You have helped me grow and become a better person
  • I can't wait to see where life takes us next
  • I promise to cherish every moment with you
  • Thank you for being my best friend and confidante
  • I love you and everything you do

To start off, here's something I don't say nearly enough: thank you. Thank you, thank you, thank you from the bottom of my heart. You do so much for me that I can't even put into words how much I appreciate everything you do - and have done - for me over the course of our relationship so far. While every couple has their fair share of tiffs and disagreements, thank you for getting through all of them with me and making us a better couple at the other end. With any argument, we don't just throw in the towel and say we're done, but we work towards a solution that puts us in a greater place each day. Thank you for always working with me and never giving up on us.

Keep Reading...Show less
Lifestyle

11 Signs You Grew Up In Hauppauge, NY

Because no one ever really leaves.

27335
Map of Hauppauge, New York
Google

Ah, yes, good old Hauppauge. We are that town in the dead center of Long Island that barely anyone knows how to pronounce unless they're from the town itself or live in a nearby area. Hauppauge is home to people of all kinds. We always have new families joining the community but honestly, the majority of the town is filled with people who never leave (high school alumni) and elders who have raised their kids here. Around the town, there are some just some landmarks and places that only the people of Hauppauge will ever understand the importance or even the annoyance of.

Keep Reading...Show less

Subscribe to Our Newsletter

Facebook Comments