Visiting Home

I have never been homesick before. I suppose that is because I have never really been away from home. From talking with others about homesickness, I always had the impression that homesickness was about food. I have no complaints about the food in London, and just like back in the states, food is generally a good value for the money. I have always wondered why food is so cheap… I mean, they really have us over a barrel on that one: no food = death. It seems that I would have to buy food no matter what it costs. Anyway, there is food from all cultures in London. I absolutely love all of the Asian and Persian cuisine everywhere. I can even get decent Portuguese food: while it is not my mother or grandmother’s cooking, it is quite good. So food definitely isn’t the cure for homesickness.

It is nice seeing family and friends, but it all rings a bit hollow somehow when you go to visit and I seem to be an outsider in my own family and old circles of friends. All kinds of dynamics have changed and the world I knew so well has gone on without me. This is not to say that I do not appreciate the wonderful new friends I have met along the way here. I have met some truly inspiring people I never would have met otherwise. And living here has given me a whole new perspective on things I had never considered before. But still: seeing family and friends, surprisingly, is also not a cure for homesickness.

I do miss having a base understanding of how everything worked: from what where to look for items in the market to knowing what questions are fair to ask in a job interview. I also miss most is working on my own house or garden. I always get a bit of an emotional boost when I listen to the Car Talk podcast. It may feel like any Saturday at home, but the big difference is that I am not working on the kitchen library or garden whilst listening. Mostly I miss that everyday stuff, like just popping by my parents or inlaws or friends in that everyday way. Or just working on stuff. Now, everything at home is an event. In some ways, I am more homesick when I am at home than when I am here. So I guess there is no cure for homesickness mainly because when I go to southern New England, I have no home to go to. I am just on holiday (vacation) in the place I used to live.