It really doesn't matter whether you're 30 minutes or 5 hours away by plane, homesickness is a reality. Though I knew that moving across the country for college would bring a great deal of missing family, friends, and my home, I also knew that being so far away would allow me to really find myself, to step outside of my comfort, way outside of my comfort zone. What I've found helpful during these times is turning to my friends and allowing myself to be vulnerable and open with how I feel about being away at school. I can't stress enough the importance of finding support through friends, your RAs, or even other adults on campus who might be able to talk things through with you. I've been told on numerous occasions to constantly distract myself from feeling homesick, but I strongly believe that bottling up your emotions will only cause more problems in the future. I've also found that allocating time in my daily schedule to call my family has made my adjustment so much easier. Though it's hard to squeeze in time, even 5 minutes on the phone with my dad can brighten my mood no matter what. I would also consider calling my friends from home calling my family because they all also decided to go out of state for college, so if anyone understands my situation, it's them. It's so extremely important to maintain your ties to home, and if these connections are important to you, you'll be motivated to keep in contact. Finally, I've found it helpful to get involved with my school since it's allowed me to make more friends and find activities I genuinely enjoy. Just last weekend I attended a retreat that I impulsively signed up for and it ended up being my favorite experience at Fordham thus far. I was able to connect with 30 other freshman who were all in the same boat as me, as well as deepen my faith life. I also met so many people who were also traveling out of state, and they all offered me incredible advice of their own. Though homesickness is inevitable for anyone, making the most out of your situation will help tremendously and make the time you're away from your home -whether it's 30 minutes away or 5 hours by plane- go by fast.
