How to cope with homesickness

There is no sickness like homesickness

Anyone who’s lived away from home, be it 2 weeks or 2 years, is likely familiar with the concept. We’re all susceptible to the sickness and if you’ve lived abroad, it’s possible you’ve fallen ill before.

Homesickness doesn’t necessarily come with physical effects – it’s an illness of the soul. It’s tricky to spot, it can come as quickly as it goes and it hits us when we least suspect it. It’s the travel companion which never leaves our side. It’s the feeling of being alone – never lonely, just alone. You’re vulnerable to feeling separate from everything and everyone, and it can cause you to question your sense of belonging. One thing I’ve found is that it always comes in waves. Sometimes you can physically feel the wave coming. Sometimes it lasts only a few minutes and it’s gone and sometimes it creeps in and calls your body home for weeks at a time. It can also feel draining, like somewhere in your heart there’s a leak, and happiness is slowly trickling through.

Why does homesickness occur? Sometimes I think it serves a purpose and sometimes I think it’s just a part of moving away, like a step you take along your journey, as necessary as the plane ride to get there. We can’t deny its’ presence, although we can try our best to cover it up with busy social calendars, and glasses of wine, it will always re-appear, rearing its’ head to say “pay attention to me”.

For some, it forces us to put up a fight and say I’m stronger than this feeling. It asks us to confirm that yes, this is indeed is what I had asked for – what I longed for many weeks or even years ago. Sometimes it teaches us more about what we didn’t realize we’d miss about home and or the person we were whilst there. And sometimes it is simply a call that tells us “it’s time to come back home”.

For those that are homesick, be thankful for it. It’s a sign you’re pushing your boundaries and evolving. Allow yourself to feel the homesickness and to understand what it’s asking of you. Welcome it as part of your journey and you will learn to surf the waves of emotion that can come rushing in and hit you when you least suspect it. Maybe one day they won’t have the same effect, or maybe one day they will wash you up upon a whole new shore.

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