Going away to school, even just four hours away from home, was a big adjustment for me when I started college. I remember being super homesick for the first two weeks (okay maybe the first month) of my freshman year. I missed everything about home - my family, my friends, my mom's cooking, feeling so comfortable there, my room, etc. I could't really appreciate the school because I just wanted to go home. Everything just seemed so scary to me. However, just as everyone says, once I started to find my good friends and joined various clubs, college slowly started to feel like my home away from home. As a second semester sophomore, I'm pretty comfortable here now. I have found some of the greatest friends I've ever had, become comfortable in my own room, found my niche in many clubs and organizations, and finally figured out my way around campus and even some of the city.
Although I now love PC a lot, I still find myself missing home sometimes. I think there's something good about missing home a little though. Obviously being too homesick can be a problem, but a little bit of it can be good. When you miss home, you appreciate it much more. Going away to school has given me a new appreciation for all the things I value about home. My mom always teases me about how I've found an appreciation for her cooking and some of my least favorite meals have become my new favorites. I also find myself appreciating the city of Brooklyn, especially my area, much more than I ever did. I didn't realize how there is truly no other place like it until I went away to school. You can't walk to many places near campus and there are definitely no bagels or pizza quite like those at home. Providence is great as it has some of its own unique qualities and attributes, but it will never match up to my home in Brooklyn.
It's normal to miss home as it is what we've become used to throughout our lives. It is where we grew up, made our good friends, and experienced some of the best times. It consists of all of our family and friends that we care so much about. Unless we had bad experiences there, it would be odd not to miss it!
Missing home also enables you to add more meaning to life as it allows you to reflect on how far you have come and all that you have been through. You can come to realize how much you've grown over the years. It's sometimes funny how life works out and it can be cool to look back at all the steps you've taken and to look forward to those you will take.
Just because you're having a great time at school doesn't mean you shouldn't or can't miss home a little bit. It can be good to miss home sometimes. Sometimes it is just what we need.
