According to a online dictionary homesick is defined as "depressed or melancholy at being away from home and family."
Well we can all relate to this can't we? Weather you were at summer camp or off to your first year at college there is always a sinking pain in your stomach longing for home and family. You miss your friends, your classmates and even your significant other, if you have one.However, I think homesickness is far more than just "melancholy at being away from home."
It is day 8 here, 4:00pm on a beautiful sunny day in Limerick Ireland and the homesickness creature has been digging it's claws into me all week. Though, I miss my family and (let's call him J) there is something else I miss, that sinking feeling in my chest isn't longing for my mom or my cat (Tommy) it is longing for familiarity.
What everyone doesn't tell you about Ireland is the harsh effects culture shocks can be to a Type A, full blooded A/B student attending a private university back in the states. Sure I like the laid back classes, sure I enjoy the peaceful walks back and forth in pouring rain, sure I relish in miscommunication...scratch that...no I really don't. I feel like I'm being pulled in to many directions, that facts are not the same throughout the system, and even that poeple are giving me the wrong information.
Yesterday was a perfect example. I traveled into the city of Limerick by bus because we needed to go to the Garda (Police station) to get VISA cards so we may remain in Ireland for the semester and in my case, a whole year. Now the directions we recived brought us to the Garda station but not after almost missing our stop, requesting directions from a native who spoke very little english and only to end up in the wrong place. After some walking and searching we reached our destination.
I feel as if America babies students too much, you know what I mean, shuttling them everywhere not letting them do things until their "of age" but Ireland just kind of tossing you into the city street and yells "don't get hit!" I miss home, but I really really miss the way of life over there. Things made since! And if you had a question it was answered, not pushed off to another person...then another...and then another.
And just another point I want to add to this rant is allergies. I am suffering from a huge allergy attack at the moment the whole nine yards. Stuffy nose, sore throat, lots and lots of sleep...it's horrible. And the medication is different! Which is fine, but no one seems to know what can help me? I say "I have allergies, do you have anything for sore throats or stuffy noses?" And they look at me like I'm from a different planet with cats falling out of my ears. DON'T YOU PEOPLE GET ALLERGIES!
So there you have it...not enough communication...no allergy medication and I want to go home...
I've never traveled or lived outside the US, but even the cultural differences between the West Coast and East Coast was enough to make me severely homesick every time I went back to Boston for school. It sounds like you're doing everything you can to stay busy and have fun (um hello, you're taking archery and fencing, plus you're a great musician--basically you're the most awesome person I know), which I always found really helpful until the homesickness becomes less overwhelming. I never found that the longing for home and comfort went completely away, but after a few weeks it became less of a dominant part of my thoughts. Hopefully you'll soon be having so much fun it becomes more of an "this is awesome, I wish (mom, friend, boyfriend, ect) was here to see this!" instead of a "this is fun, but it would be better at home!" thought.
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness I'm having the same problems in England! People don't give good directions and The Allergies are killing me! I dont know what it is about European air but dang! It makes me sneeze 50 million more times and my throat constantly hurts! Hope the medication that you found works for you!
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