I believe in feeling homesick. When I was in high school I would tell my friends how I wanted to travel the world, and that I would live anywhere but my hometown. How boring to live in the same place all your life! There were so many "cooler" and more "exotic" places to live, work, and play. First, I moved out of my parents' home upon graduating, and moved a full two hours away. As I started out my schooling in Anthropolgy I thought about Italy first. So I started teaching myself a little Italian (Thank you "Italian for Dummies!) I lived abroad in China for 5 months teaching English--which has absolutely nothing to do with Italy, but it was exciting for sure! But, after all this, I moved back home. Inside I was so happy to be back home, but I also felt I had given up on my "big plans." Over the years I have come to realize how important it is to have a sense of "place" and to feel that you belong to a certain geography, to certain people, and to a certain neighborhood. I realized that many people don't like the idea of their childhood "home." They try to avoid it, visit rarely, and speak of its people and sites as "boring." I, on the other hand, love "my" mountains, "my" local stores, "my" friends and neighbors, and "my" family. They give me comfort and meaning. I miss all of these things on a daily basis as I live away from home. Some people call homesickness a weakness. But I think it is a strength that connects me to people and places. This I believe.Manifesto Monday: Homesick
12.15.2008
I believe in feeling homesick. When I was in high school I would tell my friends how I wanted to travel the world, and that I would live anywhere but my hometown. How boring to live in the same place all your life! There were so many "cooler" and more "exotic" places to live, work, and play. First, I moved out of my parents' home upon graduating, and moved a full two hours away. As I started out my schooling in Anthropolgy I thought about Italy first. So I started teaching myself a little Italian (Thank you "Italian for Dummies!) I lived abroad in China for 5 months teaching English--which has absolutely nothing to do with Italy, but it was exciting for sure! But, after all this, I moved back home. Inside I was so happy to be back home, but I also felt I had given up on my "big plans." Over the years I have come to realize how important it is to have a sense of "place" and to feel that you belong to a certain geography, to certain people, and to a certain neighborhood. I realized that many people don't like the idea of their childhood "home." They try to avoid it, visit rarely, and speak of its people and sites as "boring." I, on the other hand, love "my" mountains, "my" local stores, "my" friends and neighbors, and "my" family. They give me comfort and meaning. I miss all of these things on a daily basis as I live away from home. Some people call homesickness a weakness. But I think it is a strength that connects me to people and places. This I believe.
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3 comments:
I have never heard anyone say homesickness is a weakness- why would having a home and family be weak???? For that matter- what is wrong with being weak anyway, no one is perfect we all have weaknesses- that's how we learn and grow.
That is so true! We do need those strong connection to people and places. I know I'm happier when I feel at home. Since I've been married we have moved so much, it has been hard to feel at home and settled. I have learned though, to make where I'm at, HOME. Not saying it's easy, it's quite difficult, but I keep at it until it is HOME! Thanks for your thoughts. I miss Utah too!
Amen to that!
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