Homesickness: Becoming comfortable with the uncomfortable

If you are like me, one of the 500,000 plus people who relocated to Texas in the last couple of years, then you might find yourself feeling overwhelmed in your new city. You find yourself surrounded by all new sights, sounds, and smells that bring you so much excitement. However, all this new change can also make you miss all the things that brought you comfort in your old home. This feeling of homesickness can start to take a hold of you and end up bringing your new adventure to a harsh halt.

Maybe you are not like me, or the other thousands of new neighbors you have gained. Maybe you have lived a year and a half in uncertainty, doing everything in your control to keep you and your loved ones safe. Something that this pandemic has taught us is that homesickness doesn’t just affect us during a move. It can hit us sometimes unexpectantly, like when we lose control of the ability to go see our friends and loved ones on a regular basis. It can make us feel isolated or lonely and have us thinking back to the times that brought us joy and happiness.

One thing is for certain though, homesickness is a common feeling that we all go through at some point. It can come and go at different parts of your life, just like a wave and I am here to say embrace it! Become comfortable with that uncomfortable prickly part of homesickness!  Allow yourself to feel whatever you are feeling and know that you don’t have to rush to feel happy again! It will come in time, but until then here are a few Wild Cactus Tips on embracing those prickly’ parts of homesickness or reemerging from this past year of covid hibernation: 

• Explore your new city! Cover every single inch!

• Even if you know your city get back out there and explore it again. Find those places that you used to go to for joy

• Find streets that have the same name of ones back home, then go find a restaurant or café on the street to make it your new favorite

• Drive around the neighborhood or even the city over

• Book something exciting to look forward to, like a trip to a museum or even a concert (I’ve seen a lot of cool immersive museums lately!)

• Cook your favorite meal that reminds you of back home or from your favorite restaurant

• Get in a simple routine like you had in your old home or the routine prior to the pandemic

• Write a journal and write a list of things you love about where you’re living

• Get involved in the community; meet new people and make new friends

• Finally give yourself some much-needed self-care, maybe a long bath or just a nice binge on Netflix

From one wild cactus to another stay wild!

—Nick Holdcroft LPC-A Lic. #86218