Homesick for the Love of Egypt

I don't care who you are or how tough you consider yourself to be, if you are thousands of miles away from everything you've ever known, at one point or another you will get homesick (to some degree).  If you think you are immune to this disease you're up a river in Egypt - DENIAL!

 Now, some people are blessed with the ability to wholeheartedly embrace their new surroundings knowing that they will be home soon enough and may only experience mild twinges of homesickness.  Then there are others who, whilst enjoying their adventure abroad, get quite homesick for certain aspects of home (i.e.family, pets, the ability to go for a run whenever they want without fear of attack from a masked marauder).  Then there are those who end not having a great experience in general and find themselves ready to head home ASAP.  The degrees of homesickness seem to follow a spectrum filling in the gaps between these three categories.  A person may also swing along the spectrum as their experience abroad progresses.

Long story short, we all experience homesickness.  It's normal to miss home when you are taken out of your comfort zone and stuck in a faraway land (no matter how magical) for an extended period of time.  Unless you're Harry Potter living in a cupboard at home you'll probably miss family/friends/pets/activities/combination-of-the-before at some point.  The important thing is not to feel ashamed or guilty.  You can be an adult and still miss home, these emotions are normal!  When these emotions strike find someone you trust to talk to.  The best person would be someone going through the same thing (a fellow study abroad student).  More than likely they have been through (or will go through at some point) the emotions you are experiencing and will be able to listen and offer advice.

I can tell you that I have been through the whole spectrum of homesickness.  I'm currently a little homesick just for the fact that if I were in the States I could go to lecture in my sweats and no one would judge me.  Unfortunately, I am not in the States and must therefore now find real clothes to wear to class.  Other things I miss:

• Obviously family, friends, blah blah blah
• Riding my HORSE - huge stress reliever that apparently causes withdrawal symptoms in the form of severe anxiety
• Running whenever I want, whenever I want, with or without anyone for company
• Baggers in grocery stores
• People saying "How are you?" rather than "Are you ok?" - it gets me every time, I think they think something is wrong with me
• Non-stick cookware
• Readily available array of spices
• Mixing bowls
• REAL SPATULAS
• Having a clock in the kitchen
• American microwaves with all their fancy buttons and settings
• Having a printer in my accomodation
• EASY METHODS FOR TURNING IN PAPERS!!!!  It's sooooo complicated here!
• My closet full of clothing
• My canine buddies
• American Television shows
• Speedier internet 

#firstworldproblems - wow I'm spoiled.

The point of all this is that, you're in a foreign country, you're going to feel out of your element at some point and that will cause some sort of homesickness.  This is normal, acceptable, and ok.  Allow yourself to feel those emotions so that you can grow.

Now if only you could be excused from class for homesickness....MENTAL HEALTH DAY required.

False, I drink Bailey's Hot Chocolate!

If you are homesick:

1. Talk to someone about it
2. Get out of your room - go do something
3. Stop skyping home so often 
4. Give yourself a budget for retail therapy and go shopping
5. Find a new friend with a dog, give dog hug
6. Exercise
7. Bake (preferably with friends)
8. Go to a movie
9. Allow yourself something fun
10. Plan a trip
11. Journal
12. Read the Bible
13. Blast angsty music and mosh about
14. Watch funny YouTube videos
15. Plan a fun trip
16. Have a drink with a friend - don't develop bad habits, but it does help to have a drink every once in a while (reminds you that you're an adult)
17. Have breakfast for dinner
18. Have a hot beverage per Sheldon Cooper

Really do anything that will lift your spirits and help you get over your hump :)