I’m sitting in a laundry room in the creepy basement of a 1960s residence hall, and I couldn’t feel more at home. I’m not saying that the brick dorm makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, although I’m sure it will become a fond structure in due time. In fact, it kind of makes me slightly uneasy that I have to get up and move around every so often to keep the motion detecting lights from going off and leaving me in the dark, but I’m realizing more each and every day how simple it can be to feel at home.

I like to think of homesickness as a realization that something is missing from each of the senses: sight, taste, touch, smell, and sound. Homesickness is when your body notices that what was once familiar and regular is not there anymore. It makes your body feel irregular and unbalanced. Even though I’ve lived far from home and family before, when my parents got in the car and left me at college, I felt that overpowering lump climb its way up my throat, forcing my eyes to water and my ears to ring. I thought to myself, “Oh not again. You’re 20 years old! This is supposed to get easier!” I’ve decided that homesickness probably won’t ever get easier. You never stop missing the people you love. The need to be with them never really goes away. Slowly, you just get better at handling and managing the distance.

I handle the distance by focusing on one sense at a time, so for sight, I focus on what I’m going to wake up and see every day. I’ve hung family pictures on cork board right next to my bed. This way, my parents, siblings, and pets are never very far from my thoughts. When I have really rough days, I pull out my favorite TV show, something that I usually watch with my mom when we cook in the kitchen. Although I haven’t been experiencing much homesickness in this past week, there is something strangely comforting about setting time aside to watch reruns of Gilmore Girls.

I think taste may be the most difficult sense to appease. My mom makes pretty amazing food, well seasoned with a bit of spice. Naturally, dining halls don’t spice their foods much since they have to feed hundreds of students with different preferences at each meal. Thankfully, I forgot to bring an umbrella to what has proved to be a very rainy state, so my family had to send me a package right away. My mom made sure to add hot sauce and hot pepper flakes to my umbrella box, so I can burn my tastebuds if I so choose. I’m also a big fan of oatmeal, and I can’t express just how at home it makes me feel to eat warm oatmeal in the morning before leaving my room.

Touch may seem like a strange sense to miss. Maybe you miss hugging your parents before heading to school or holding your siblings’ hands at the dinner table before saying a family prayer that you all memorized in kindergarten. I try to surround myself with things that make me feel at home. I didn't buy any new blankets. Instead, I brought all the blankets that I kept on my bed at home. Not only are they cosy, but they smell and feel familiar. I also can't express the power of a hug. It's been a week, and I've already had to ask friends both old and new for a quick hug. I've also been asked for hugs, and I'm realizing that everyone is in the exact same boat as I am. Everyone wants to feel at home and loved, and human connection and friendship is a huge part of that.

I like to surround myself with familiar smells, but that has actually been more challenging than originally expected. It's difficult to recreate familiar scents, so I focus on one thing at a time. I brew coffee because it reminds me of both of my parents. Also, I just really love coffee. I make cinnamon tea because it reminds me of sitting on the couch and watching movies with my mom.

The laundry room has become a favorite spot for me. Not only do I use the same detergent that my family uses at home, but every laundry machine sounds the same. I can close my eyes and imagine that I am sitting on top of our counter. The laundry room is warm and the hum of the machines makes me feel calm and clearheaded. I also have to admit that having a quick phone call with a loved one is the best medicine for homesickness.

So, for any person who feels homesick, remember that almost everyone is in the same position. Everyone wants to feel at home and loved, so show as much love as you can