From There to Here: Are you a homebody?

Friday, 27 July 2012

Somewhere in Banff National Park - Summer 2011

I don't often get homesick. In fact, I could probably count on one hand the number of times I've felt homesick in the last 2-3 years. Of course I miss family and friends and Canada and certain food items. When I'm sick I wish I was somewhere where things were easy and I could order in takeaway and go to the pharmacy and know exactly where to find that cough syrup that always works. When I skype with my 2.5 year old niece I wish I was there so she knew that Auntie Jay Jay doesn't live in the 'puter.

But I don't often feel 'sick' about it.

I miss them, I sometimes feel sad about missing out on things but not really homesick.

I have a fairly easy time making somewhere 'home.' I don't even need all of my 'things' nor do I need to spend a bunch of time in the place - home is where I tell it to be and home is where Joe and I live together. It gets easier when we settle in to a place to live and I begin setting it up as I want it and filling it with things that mean something to us but even before then, it's home.

What about you? Do you get homesick? How do you make a place a 'home?'

12 comments:

AusCanuckSarah27 July 2012 at 14:41
I hear ya. I've lived overseas for 6 years now and yet I don't get homesick very often. Hysterical when you consider as a teenager visiting Florida with my best friend's family, I was so homesick, I was physically sick!
People ask me all the time if I miss home. Sure I do but the reality is my family is now spread across Canada so no one city has everyone in it for me. I've certainly had my moments of wishing I was in Canada (usually this is when something job wise or visa/government red tape wise is going on) and I certainly miss my mum when I'm sick but chances are I wouldn't be living in the same city as my family so I'd still be Skyping etc.
I've been lucky enough to go home or have someone come to me once a year and I think this is integral to living abroad-at least if you're close with your family.
Enjoy your trip home and fill up on Canadiana! I look forward to doing the same next time I visit!
Robyn27 July 2012 at 15:11
homesick-hmm-i miss things and sometimes will be down. but i don't know if I get homesick-but I love being home- I probably get homesick when I am home, thinking 'i'm going to miss this, and this and this...'
Jay27 July 2012 at 15:15
@Sarah - that is too funny that you used to get ultra homesick but I'm glad you are over it now!

@Robyn - I'm terrible at overindulging just to get my fill of things before I leave!
Mish Lovin' Life27 July 2012 at 19:53
I hope I feel the same way when I'm gone..I kind of think I will because my whole family no longer lives in the same home and they're scattered across the U.S...so I feel like wherever Verner and I are, I can make it feel like "home."
Good post :)
Katie27 July 2012 at 22:39
I feel like I get homesick quite a bit- but I think mostly it's my family I miss and not necessarily the place. And I think it's worse now that I haven't been home in over 2 1/2 years because that just feels like a really long time to me. My husband knows that if I'm watching Love Actually anytime in July that I'm having a homesick day. It's rough on him too, because I think sometimes he feels guilty bringing me here.
Andi of My Beautiful Adventures28 July 2012 at 00:06
I don't travel for more than really 2 weeks at a time, so I don't get homesick. But I'm sure I would if I was gone for more than a month or so.
Jay28 July 2012 at 02:00
@Katie - 2.5 years is a really long time! I hope you get to go home soon!
Callie29 July 2012 at 01:56
Funny how the most random things can make us feel homesick. Living in South America, I mostly missed knowing people for more than about a week (too many goodbyes when you only meet travelers, no matter how awesome they are!), but looking at my journal from then, it seems that I missed barbeque sauce an awful lot as well...
Abi29 July 2012 at 03:17
I cn relate- its not very often that I'm homesick, and if I do get those feelings, it's more for people as opposed to a place. And where JJ is realy is my home. And I think I'm lucky, my parents make a huge effort to always visit- wherever we are
Jay30 July 2012 at 08:51
Callie - I love that you wrote about BBQ sauce!

Abi - I think visitors would make a huge difference. Traveling to Gabon was too difficult & expensive for most but hoping to get more in Europe!
Anonymous30 July 2012 at 16:46
Whoa! This blog looks exactly like my old one! It’s on a completely different subject but it has pretty much the same layout and design. Outstanding choice of colors!
Postcards from Rachel1 August 2012 at 20:43
I get homesick every couple of months. We have been living in Scotland since September of last year and I think the hardest part has been adjusting to the time change (I have to wait to call my family so I don't wake them up) and the weather... it's miserable sometimes. It would be so much easier if we had constant sunshine and less rain. :)

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