Me watching everyone who lives on the East Coast go home on weekends

Bwogger Sarah Braner is here to tell you all that IT IS OKAY TO BE HOMESICK.

The night before Fall Break began, I watched all the little people below Diana Café wheel their suitcases around, lamenting over my mediocre dinner how my home isn’t a simple plane ride away. Many people can relate; I live on the West Coast, which is a 9-hour ordeal round-trip (and many international students would scoff at such a short commute). I can’t simply go home at the drop of a hat.

Homesickness is a well-documented part of many people’s first-year experience, and for good reason. It’s quite normal. But that doesn’t make it any less hard to deal with. Personally, this is my first time being away from home for so long, and while overall I’m happy I took the plunge, being stuck here during breaks shorter than a week isn’t easy.

However, this isn’t just about me. This is to all the first-years who might be feeling something similar. Maybe you never thought you’d want to see your hometown again, but now any time it’s casually mentioned you find yourself starting to tear up. Maybe all you want to do is go back home and you don’t care who knows it. Wherever you are, however you deal with it, you are valid! Invite that person who you know is from your hometown but have never really learned their name to lunch sometime. Maybe make a Facebook group event for everyone from your hometown. Or do what I do and cry over pictures of your dogs. We’re all in this together.

If this ain’t me via Bwog Archives