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Is This Normal?
It’s yet another of those early mornings when I can’t go back to sleep after using the loo, so I’ve spent much of the last hour thinking. While I know I’ll be completely exhausted this afternoon during my last lecture, I think it’d be a better use of my time to actually type out some of my thoughts.
I’ve now officially been here a month. A month and two days, to be precise. And I’m not sure what I think about that—or if it’s a milestone that even requires thought at all. It’s been a wonderful time—I’ve proved to myself that I’m actually capable of living abroad, I’ve met great people and made new friends, I’ve gone sightseeing and seen some incredible sights. While I haven’t met as many Australians as I’d like yet, classes just started last week and I’m only starting to learn about my classmates; I’m confident the friendships will form over time.
It hasn’t been a perfect month. I’ve fought with my parents, who are still jittery about having their daughter so far away. I’ve gotten frustrated with the slowness in getting things done sometimes. I’ve gotten lost on campus more times than I can count. I’ve gotten migraines and a mysterious 24-hour stomach virus. My stove has suddenly decided to stop working. And, of course, there are those rare hours or nights where I’ve grown frustrated because I just don’t know how something is done and have no clue about where to turn.
But overall? A month of learning and adjusting, but a month I don’t regret in the slightest.
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If there’s anyone reading who’s done the study abroad thing (or even the expat thing) before, I have a question to ask: is it normal to not be homesick? I love my family and adore my friends, but I curiously don’t miss them all that much. At least not in a I-wanna-go-home-now sort of way, even temporarily. Have any of you experienced this?
And if so, does it mean something? I can’t help thinking the lack of a language shift (or even a barrier) is lulling me into a false sense of home, and I’m not picking up on the things I would if I had to use my Spanish or German regularly. That using English all day long is letting me think I know what people are talking about, and I’m not as careful with the subtle differences as I might be if I had to be more careful with the language.
I don’t know; maybe I just need more sleep. But thoughts are welcome.