35 days until Thanksgiving.

[Parks]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 3:11am

It's funny. For the last 4 years of my life, I had always dreamed of going to school in New York. My dream came true when I started school at Hofstra University this fall. It's been great being up here--but after just a few short days (or weeks), I started to miss home.

I created a paper chain countdown, currently hanging from my ceiling, to let me know how many days there are until Thanksgiving (the day I go home for the first time since leaving in mid-August). My best friend at NYU (who is from home) says she doesn't even want to go home, and she didn't really even want to see her parents this weekend. You wouldn't think a boy like myself from Texas would even think about Texas but once every few days, let alone miss it--but there are SO many things I can't wait to get back to Texas to do.

I miss driving up and down US75 at night--with no real purpose but to maybe relieve stress.
I miss my cat.
I miss having my own room (although I found out on Friday that my brother stole my bed for his apartment!).
Those are just a few things...

Is anyone else (or has anyone else ever been) a little homesick? What are some things you miss about where you are from?

I'm not saying I don't love it here--I do--but there are certain things that I've had my whole life that cannot be replaced. I think I'll always be a Texas boy, no matter what :).

Updated On: 10/22/08 at 03:11 AM

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 3:19am

Updated On: 1/10/09 at 03:19 AM

[Kasie]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 3:34am

I won't be going home to my family until Christmas, so this Thanksgiving will be interesting. My roommates and I are broke and we're all vegetarians, so we will have to improvise.

Perhaps we could make a turkey out of Ramen.


Updated On: 10/22/08 at 03:34 AM

[StageManager2]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 3:57am

Obviously, you've never heard of Tofurkey.

[Kasie]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 3:59am

Stagey, what part of "broke" don't you understand?

Plus, that looks disgusting.
Updated On: 10/22/08 at 03:59 AM

[StageManager2]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 4:03am

Go for broke, says I.

[LePetiteFromage]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 4:11am

Updated On: 1/10/09 at 04:11 AM

[JohnBoy2]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 7:22am

Holy Hell, Parks! Where's you hair?!

[Marianne2]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 8:07am

I sort of understand where you are coming from, and I only went to school 45 minutes from where I live. Well, it was just a hard adjustment in the beginning. I remember going my first week, and wanting to go home and stay home. Obviously I did not do that. Now, where I went to school, unless you were from a foreign country, we were kicked out of the dorms for Thanksgiving break. So, I had no choice but to go home. I'll say, it was annoying to do, but I think I would have been disappointed if I had to spend Thanksgiving by myself.

[StockardFan]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 8:15am

Awwww! I think that's very sweet, Parks!

[caitiesus1522]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 8:22am

I'm not going home for Thanksgiving this year thanks to a night class that goes until 930 the night before. Luckily I am going home two weeks before for a doctor's appointment.

I totally understand being excited to leave then missing home...I felt it when I started at both AU and Hofstra. I am glad you like it here Parks!

[blondebaby589]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 10:08am

Turducken. I actually experienced this one year. Never ever ever again...

[Auggie27]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 10:32am

Time for my annual viewing of THE ICE STORM, the definitive movie about this holiday, complete with a key party and a 70s wardrobe that is unmissable.

[hermionejuliet]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 6:28pm

Parks,

First of all, I'm equally excited about Thanksgiving, but it is just because I love Thanksgiving!

I understand where you're coming from. As you know, I am from Texas and went away to Chicago for college. I don't remember being terribly homesick, but I did miss a few things after going away to college.

A few included:

having a bathtub
having my own room
home cooked food
my dog
spending time with my family
not having to go downstairs to do my laundry
having my best friend to do crazy things like midnight movies
WALMART --- seriously, you don't miss it till you don't have one!!

Funny thing though, while I was thrilled to come home for my first Thanksgiving, I was definitely ready to get back to college life after the break.

Keep us posted. It will be interesting to see how you feel when you come back after break!

[xoangel2789xo]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 7:11pm

I used to take swimming classes at Hofstra when I was little. Thanksgiving food is the best. Last year I got to eat all of my favorites...except for pumpkin pie, but that's okay. I'm not a very homesick kind of person and my family isn't very close anyway. We usually just end up going to friends places for Thanksgiving dinner. Last years stuffing was amaaaaazing.

[dalefully]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 9:36pm

I'm a college junior now, but I still get extremely homesick...I was going to go home during fall break, but it ended up on the same weekend as the [tos] closing, so that was ruled out. It's funny, because when I'm here I miss everyone back home so much, but it's gotten to the point that over the longer breaks I majorly miss everyone here too...so I'm basically always missing someone =/

But this year my birthday falls on Thanksgiving weekend and I'm so psyched to celebrate with all my friends back home.

[KrissySim]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 10:04pm

I wasn't very homesick in school, hell my home location changed enough as a child to know that nothing is permanent.

I did become homesick for the western world - any place in western Europe or North America - the first winter I spent in the former USSR just after its collapse. Milk was scarce, eggs were almost nonexistent. It was cold. You couldn't just go to the store to buy things because the shelves were largely empty. There were still very few imports in the hard currency shops.

It was a very interesting cultural experience, but it was weird to have December 25 pass without fanfare and see people cutting down and buying holiday trees for decorating at the end of December. The New Year tree. I am not very religious, but Christmas was always a celebration in my childhood. That year for Christmas I went with friends to a village dacha where they slaughtered a pig for the Feast of the Nativity. The lighting of the candles began at sunset January 6 and Christmas day was January 7, with the feast being in the middle of the night at a small village church. It was snowing.

[mc1227]

Posted: 10/22/08 at 10:11pm

For all you college kids, make friends with some of the staff and faculty of your schools. You'd be surprised at how many of them would love to invite some students home for holiday meals or even cook an extra turkey for a group of students.

I worked at a small private college for several years and the staff would always think of the international students who could not go home for holiday breaks. Also, some of the schools clubs would have commuter students bring a friend home for Thanksgiving. Get involved with your school community!!!

[Parks]

Posted: 11/25/08 at 6:54am

And I'm finally going home today. I might cry when I see the Dallas skyline... haha

[artscallion]

Posted: 11/25/08 at 8:22am

Have a happy Texas Thanksgiving, Parks!

[Dein Herr]

Posted: 11/25/08 at 8:27am

I'm not going home this weekend (funnily enough, the Czech Republic doesn't celebrate our Thanksgiving... isn't that odd?), but I was in Amsterdam with a few of my closest friends here staying with my roommate's family, and on actual Thanksgiving, my school is organizing a huge Thanksgiving dinner for 170 people are so. Should be VERY interesting.