Homesickness

First Posted: 2018 October 11

Draft 2

One of my biggest concerns about studying abroad was how homesick I might get. For those of you unfamiliar,¹ I’ve lived my entire life in the same beautiful city² of 8000 or so people. This semester, I decided that I would spend a semester of my life 4100 miles away, in a city of many millions.

I was expecting some culture shock, which I wrote about earlier. But, I was also expecting to get homesick, if only because all of my friends told me I’d feel that way.

Now, the only time I’ve ever been truly homesick was, strangely enough, at a camp at Grinnell College.³ But, I’d never spent so much time away from family, friends, and familiar surroundings. And, the first night, I worried a lot about how homesick I might feel, to the point that I began to feel a little homesick.

But, in the 43 days that have followed,⁴ that’s the only homesickness I’ve felt. I’ve still got another 70 or so, but I don’t think it’s going to suddenly come on. So, yay! No homesick for me.

Draft 1

One of my biggest concerns about studying abroad was how homesick I might get. For those of you unfamiliar,⁵ I’ve lived my entire life within the same beautiful city.⁶ Then, I decided that, just for funsies, I would spend a semester of my life 4100 miles away.

I was expecting some culture shock, which I wrote about earlier. But, I was also expecting to get homesick.

Now, the only time I’ve ever been truly homesick was, strangely enough, at a camp at Grinnell College.⁷ But, I’d never spent so much time away from family, friends, and familiar surroundings. And, the first night, I worried a lot about how homesick I might feel, to the point that I began to feel a little homesick.

But, it’s been 44 days⁸ and that’s the only homesickness I’ve felt. I’ve still got another 70 or so, but I don’t think it’s going to suddenly come on. So, yay! No homesick for me.