A note on homesickness

Homesickness is part of doing an exchange, and it comes differently to all exchange students. I struggled with homesickness a lot at the beginning of my first exchange. I missed my family, my house, the food, and it made me feel extremely sad.
This time, however, it’s a different kind of homesickness. Of course, I miss my family immensely, but it’s not as intense this time around. Maybe it’s because I graduated high school and would have been leaving anyways. Maybe it’s because I’ve already done this once. Whatever it is, I haven’t struggled with it yet. Instead, my homesickness is manifesting itself in the form of nostalgia, and I think it’s because I’m growing up.
Unlike my first exchange, I don’t go home after this one. Sure I’ll go back for the summer, but then I’m on to university. I am eighteen now, officially an adult, and I’ve stepped into my adult life. Now, I find myself homesick for my childhood, and I miss the little things right now. I miss loading the dishwasher. I miss going to Costco with my parents and little sister on weekends. I miss playing video and board games with my entire family after dinner. It has made me wistful to think that I am leaving that life behind. However, I also feel ready to step into my adult life. I can’t go back to my childhood, but I have the memories of it, and I’ll happily take them with me into my next stage in life.