Homesick Vaccine

I thought getting over the 6 month hump would mean homesickness would continue to subside in a downward linear slope. With the holiday season in full gear, I miss friends and family back at home more and more; the fact it is getting to be summer here doesn't take away from the memories of warm gatherings sheltered from the cold weather.

My friend K held a Thanksgiving feast at her house. There were 20 odd ex-patriots from South Africa to the good ol' U.S. of A. We set up a long table much in the style of the pilgrims in her back yard and ate in the glow of afternoon sun. There wasn't football on tv, but there was cricket on the tube to attract the guys like moths. We had two turkeys (one kosher) , mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce/gravy, green beans, corn, and three kinds of stuffing. Dessert was replete with 5 pumpkin pies, ice cream, chocolate pecan pie, and apple crumble. The feast certainly rivaled some of the past Thanksgiving dinners I've had, but it just wasn't the same.

It has been a year since I left for Australia. I feel I have come full circle back to the initial feelings I had when I first arrived. Things have gotten easier in terms getting settled and making great new friends. Yet, thoughts of home still seize my heart, and I am overcome with longing for a place I cannot easily get to. Part of me wishes there's a homesickness vaccine to immunize me from these bouts of sadness, but even if there was such a thing, I don't think I could just cut out these feelings permanently. Maybe a temporary fix, like an aspirin, so I can just get past it until I stop thinking about it.