When I was growing up, my family’s idea of exotic travel was going on a Sunday afternoon drive on the back roads from Little Rock, Arkansas, over to Hot Springs or some other natural state forest. It was something you did together for the afternoon.Two of my favorite classes in school were geography and history. I loved studying about the great explorers such as Columbus, Magellan, Marco Polo, Ponce de Leon, Alexander the Great and Genghis Khan. I guess that’s how I became interested in this part of the world.
Back then, if you were a real traveler, you had a map of the United States on your wall. Nowadays people have a map of the world. Travel has changed drastically.
Although recreational vehicles (RVs) are not so common in Turkey, back in the states, the gas guzzlers had become a way of life for the past couple of decades until the gasoline shortage. Instead of a wall map in your home, you posted state stickers of various colors on the back of your RV for everyone driving behind you to see.
On the other hand, there are some folks who just insist on not budging. They don’t have any interest in traveling far from home at all. My brother Jamie is like that! Familiar surroundings, people and routines provide people like him with a sense of security and comfort. He can’t understand how I can enjoy being in a new place. I am often asked when I go home if I find myself missing the comforts of home and loved ones. It is natural to do so. Those homesick feelings are completely normal. But they don’t have to stop you from enjoying your travel experience.
Of course, along with travel comes homesickness. This is not just for kids, either! Everyone who has traveled has probably experienced feeling homesick from time to time.
I believe that it’s true that travel expands the mind. It opens up doors of opportunity to knowledge and experience. If you are a true traveler, you can be at home wherever you are.
Recently a friend of mine who was younger than me died from cancer. At her funeral, it was said that she had traveled to 27 countries. I thought to myself, “That is impressive.” One of the things I admired about my friend was that wherever she was, she made her home. It takes a special person to not just be at home but to make others around her feel at home.
Often when an individual is on the road, as they say, s/he yearns for the familiar. I’ve had some folks tell me that when they have to go on a business trip that they really struggle in the evenings. They say the deepest loneliness is at night. One friend told me that driving past people’s homes in a foreign city makes her homesick. It makes her wonder what her family is doing at that precise moment.
Just this past week, I had two guests staying with me for a few days: One was missing her family and the other her pets. When you’re homesick, it is not unusual to feel nostalgic for the familiar things like your family, friends, home, pets, favorite chair or special food. It’s possible to miss something as simple as your bed or the view outside your window.
You may wonder what you can do to keep from lamenting where you are and wishing you were elsewhere, namely, back home!
Whether you are on a business or research trip or studying abroad, here are a few tips to help deal with homesickness:
Be aware that if you feel a little loneliness, sadness or anxiety, you may just be homesick.
If you have physical symptoms, like a stomachache or headache, or even become truly depressed, it could be related to homesickness.
When you are feeling overwhelmed, it’s a good idea to talk with someone; it may make you feel better. If not, seek help from a doctor or the school or camp counselor.
If you are overseas homesickness can be more intense.“One’s destination is never a place, but a new way of seeing things.” -- Henry Miller
Note: Charlotte McPherson is the author of “Culture Smart: Turkey, 2005.” Please keep your questions and observations coming: I want to ensure this column is a help to you, Today’s Zaman’s readers. Email: c.mcpherson@todayszaman.com
