Earlier in the day, i got into one of my too frequent day dreams and my mind happened to wonder onto homesickness. All sorts of questions started popping into my head along the lines of "Why does it occur?" and "Does everyone get it?".
These questions and thoughts have been playing on my mind for the rest of the day, so i thought it would be appropriate to write something up here as many of you who shall be reading this will have or will soon be moving into a new season of life which may be taking you away from the place you consider home, and the people you hold in highest regard. I myself have felt a slight feeling of homesickness in the past few days because of a visit from my mother and cousin.
So what is it that causes homesickness in us? Is it just something that some of us "weaker", "more emotional" people suffer from, or is it something that everyone will probably face at some point during their lives?
Well, after some thinking and some research, i came to the conclusion that the latter is probably the correct answer. I don't believe that homesickness is a sign of weakness, in fact i think it is a natural thing that nearly all of us will go through. Often we try to shrug it off, saying we are fine, and that all is well, when actually deep down, we are longing to see those that we love and care for the most.
The reason homesickness sets in is because we become familiar with certain places, people and things. This means when we are removed from these things we desire to be there and see them again. Places that are familiar give you a sense of comfort and security much like my home, family and friends in Winchester were for me. Even though people in Poole are just as lovely as those i know back in Winchester, it takes time to adjust to new faces. Having grown up in Winchester, coming to a new place is like starting all over again, i have to get to know a new area, new people and a new lifestyle. Many will be experiencing this at the present time, where as others will do in the future.
In some people (i would include myself in this group) homesickness only truly kicks in when you see something that reminds you of home, or when you see or speak to someone who you care about a lot.
It may seem like I am going on a bit of a negative run right now, but I believe that change is a good thing. We all need change in our lives in order to keep productive and driven. New challenges motivate us to push on and succeed.
Those of us who have recently moved away from home either to start University or on a gap year are all finding our feet in our new lives now. We can look back on the past with happy memories of the good times, we can learn from our previous mistakes and then look eagerly on into the future.
Many psychologists and intellectuals will say they have found cures for homesickness, but do any of them actually work? I would argue that the majority of the time, the success of these methods will rely heavily on the individuals involved. I myself, believe the way to move on and stop the feeling of homesickness is by simply getting involved in your new way of life. Get out there and meet new people, explore and enjoy the new area you are living in, and finally cherish every single moment you get to spend at "home" with those who you love. Fear often tells us that people will forget us and things will be different when we go back, but this is not the case with those you are close to, you will find you can take off straight from where you left of.
All the best with your new journeys in life...
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