By Lakesyn Melia | Assistant News Editor
Whether you just got to Baylor to start your freshman year or you are quickly realizing you’re almost done with college, homesickness is something that loves to creep up on you. Trust me, everyone experiences it. You’re not alone.
When I first got to Baylor, I knew two people. All of my friends went to schools closer to home and already knew so many people who were attending. I don’t admit this very often, but I struggled. I compared my experience to everyone else’s online. You know what they say about comparison: it’s the thief of joy. As a freshman in college, there’s not that much joy to begin with. I believe, without a doubt, you have to create your own.
My mission as a freshman was to find my happiness in places and activities rather than people and things. Sure, making friends really helps when you miss your hometown friends, and a new Outdoor Voices order cures that 30-minute breakdown the night before. However, temporary happiness won’t help minimize homesickness in the long run.
Here’s what I’ve learned in my last three years as an out-of-state student: people are not always dependable, sometimes you will have multiple breakdowns about school in one day, and my mom doing the laundry that I’ve drowned myself in for weeks would probably solve most of my problems.
However, relying on other people — or your academic success — for happiness and validation won’t make you feel any more at home. What will help, though, is exploring where you are and forcing it to feel like a second home.
The word “force” sounds a little harsh in this respect, but you’re here and you have no other choice. At least, that’s how I got myself through my first semester of freshman year. As a pessimistic person, I hated the amount of optimism I forced upon myself when I first got to college. Now, I’m so grateful that I tried so hard to make myself love where I am, because I do.
Of course, my friends make Waco feel like home, but the local restaurants, the coffee shops I love, the weird traditions, the way it randomly turns into fall on some summer days and so many more things make Waco home.
I wouldn’t have ever become comfortable in Waco if I didn’t take the time to appreciate it. Although the amount of construction can be frustrating, you can find plenty of great spots if you take people’s recommendations and go out to look for them.
What I hope you’re getting from what I’m saying is this: find your places. Force yourself to explore all that the small town of Waco has to offer. Do things that make you excited about your surroundings, whether that’s grabbing a morning latte and breakfast tacos at El Crucero, trying new restaurants, cramming for a test in your favorite study spot or driving through Cameron Park.
You will feel less homesick if you make yourself at home. My biggest tip is to incorporate small aspects of where you’re from and allow yourself to love where you are.
