Homesickness

[Piefre 15]

My POE date is rapidly approaching and I'm starting to feel those pangs of sadness because I'll be leaving soon. Of course I want to be with my fiance and don't regret my decision to move to the US. But I can't help feeling sad about leaving Canada either. I can't be alone in feeling this way so I thought maybe it'd be nice to share our stories of moving to the US and describe the ways we coped with moving and being away from our families.

Homesickness happens to a lot of people. I had it bad when I was a kid when I first immigrated to Canada. Not looking forward to getting it again, though I hope it's easier to deal with now that I'm a bit older--aw, who am I kidding? I'm going to miss Canada and my family and friends a lot! I already kind of feel sad about leaving a place that I've identified with and grew up in for two decades.

I have a few ideas to keep the homesickness from getting too bad. Of course I'm going to keep myself busy in the US. But I'm going to call my family with Facetime or Google Voice three times a week at least, I'm sending my friends cards and mail, and I'm already planning to go back and visit whenever I get the AP. Things are a lot different now than they were in the early 1990s when I immigrated to Canada. And the situation is different. For one thing, we have all this technology to help us. And if that isn't good enough, I am in a slightly better financial situation to afford going back for visits than when I was a kid.

Did you all experience homesickness when you left? How long did it take to "settle down" in the US? What did you do to help you miss Canada less? Got any stories to tell about your first little while in the States?

[Penny Lane 8,159]

You're not alone at all. I miss Canada horribly. I'm thrilled to be here finally and settling down, but I don't feel like I'm "home" .. I'm not sure I ever will.

[VanessaTony 3,567]

I don't mean to be rude but... I wouldn't go home so soon. A girl I know (Canadian) did and it only helped make her feel worse because she hadn't yet "settled" into life and a routine in the US so it was easy to go home and think of what she's missing there, rather than in the US.

I went home a year later and I still didn't have a job, we were living on the floor of a relatives house waiting to close on a house, and we had a puppy so I at least felt a little more "attached" to the US.

Just an opinion of course. I've been here 2 years and I'm still not sure I identify this as "home" but I don't feel that Australia is home either.. I'm in limbo at the moment.

Oh, and a friend told me about an app called "Viber". I haven't tried it yet but it's a free app for free calls and texts to other people with the app installed. My sister and I tried facetime but it required wifi to work.. hoping this one doesn't

Edited November 15, 2011 by Vanessa&Tony

[MSR 6]

Let me tell ya.... You are NOT alone!! When I first arrived and for a few months after, I thought i was going to lose my mind.... I was VERY homesick.. It was awful. I cried (something I rarely do in all honesty), I couldn't sleep, etc etc. It's normal though, I don't think that feeling every really goes away. Canada is our home, or the home in our hearts if you will... In time, it will get easier. I went out and bought a treadmill lol, that helped me a bit; and I also went to EVERY museum in D.C. and spent days there. I really love it there now, Do something you enjoy doing, I think that's important.. Whatever you do, DON'T listen to our National Anthem, LOL. Sounds weird, but you will be bawling like a baby..... I didn't think it was possible, I mean, how many times have we heard it right?

Again, find something you like doing and immerse yourself in that.

You will be fine.. It gets easier...

Take care

[stefan y karen 23]

Use skype. You can have free person to person VIDEO CALLS as long as they are using skype too. It makes a world of difference.

[CDAgirlMI 51]

Join the club....you're not alone.

Certain forms of technology are excellent nowadays for keeping in touch. I use Skype with my parents here & there, but mostly just use a calling card to call them.

Blackberry has been a great device to send messages & get instant replies from family/friends.

It'll take a while, only time will tell how long. There will always be someone else who went thorugh it, someone going through it, and someone who will go through it.

[dukeandduchess 141]

Whatever you do, DON'T listen to our National Anthem, LOL. Sounds weird, but you will be bawling like a baby..... I didn't think it was possible, I mean, how many times have we heard it right?

lol.. I thought this was so funny and cute!

I think once you settle in and get a job/daily routine the homesickness will go away. I've never been super attached to my home or being near my family (I know it sounds cold, but I have my reasons) so I'm not sure if I will get super homesick or not. I always miss being around my mom but I've only seen her about once a year for the past 5 years so it won't be much different for me. I definitely won't miss my job and most of my friends live all over the world so not many are left here. I'm in kind of a weird limbo living here and I'm excited to start my life in the US with my fiance!

[frostiana 12]

When i get those pangs I just have to consider all the wonderfulness of why I chose this route ... My new husband to be (on Friday) and my new home with wonderful friends and everything. You are lucky to have memories you love and people you can look forward to talking to and seeing again.. but so lucky to have found someone special and in a place that you will love as well! Many good times ahead!! A milestone to make the move.. but much to look forward to.

[MSR 6]

lol.. I thought this was so funny and cute!

I think once you settle in and get a job/daily routine the homesickness will go away. I've never been super attached to my home or being near my family (I know it sounds cold, but I have my reasons) so I'm not sure if I will get super homesick or not. I always miss being around my mom but I've only seen her about once a year for the past 5 years so it won't be much different for me. I definitely won't miss my job and most of my friends live all over the world so not many are left here. I'm in kind of a weird limbo living here and I'm excited to start my life in the US with my fiance!

I'm serious LOL... It bothered me tremendously to listen to it..... I have never been the emotional type but this bugged me, haha. I don't miss my job, but i do have friends back home I miss.

[Piefre 15]

Thanks for sharing your experiences and support. I didn't think about avoiding the National Anthem. But now that you mention it there's something else weird that I experience too. Whenever I'm down in the US for a visit, it always struck me to see the American flag everywhere. Not that it bothers me or anything. I suppose it's a little strange because I just expect to see the Canadian flag instead and it doesn't really register in my mind where I was.

I don't know about not visiting so soon though. I got a lot of my stuff to move over gradually as I'm taking it a little at a time on the plane. We'll see, but I think I'd go back and visit after AP and make it a habit to go often. It's a bit of a comfort to have a date in mind for going to see my family and friends. I don't think I could keep away knowing that I could go, but that I'm not.

[frostiana 12]

I'm serious LOL... It bothered me tremendously to listen to it..... I have never been the emotional type but this bugged me, haha. I don't miss my job, but i do have friends back home I miss.

I don't know if I ever really considered what it was to be a Canadian til I contemplated moving here... and all the time I learn more about what it is to be Canadian... but that's OK!! I also seem to be a lot more interested in Canadian and American history. We are stretching and growing! I'ts good.

[Wyatt's Torch 45]

Funnily enough, I've been in the U.S. for 20 months now, and I haven't really felt any pangs of homesickness. Sometimes I'll see Vancouver in TV shows or movies and feel some nostalgia and a sort of "comfortable recognition", but I'm happy to be in the U.S., and homesickness was never a problem for me. I'm not super close with my (small) family, so that probably helps.

[Flames9_RN 358]

It Affects everyone differently. Been in the USA since Dec 2004 and I miss Canada a great deal. Luckily I go back fairly often,maybe not the case now I'm in Nicaragua,lol I wear my Cdn hat a lot, which has enabled me to meet other Canucks in the USA and even here in Nica. I always get goose bumps listening to the CDN anthem! may sound corny, But always think about the vets that sacrificed their lives for our freedom. This world would be a lot different place if they had not, which I think some forget that. Off my stool,lol Some people get to the USA and they think its the best, good for them, nothing wrong with that.

[Udella&Wiz 325]

I have been here in the USA since oOv 2007 - 4 yrs last week actually and I still get homesick although it's changed over the last 4 yrs. Initially all I could see were the differences and my teenage daughter had a super hard time adjusting so I regretted disturbing her and uprooting her at such a tender time. I missed food and TV and the little things it means to be Canadian that you don't notice or miss until you leave.

I went back about 4 months after the move because the kids had spring break and then we didn't go for another year+ which was really hard.

I find now that I miss my family mostly as my parents get older and I'm missing milestones in my nieces' lives.....I miss how it used to be back home, but I don't think I could return to my old life as I am quite happy with my married life and all it's brought me.

As everyone has said - its different for everyone and you'll never know until you try it. Do what makes YOU feel better - if that's visting and call back home often, so be it.

[dukeandduchess 141]

I'm serious LOL... It bothered me tremendously to listen to it..... I have never been the emotional type but this bugged me, haha. I don't miss my job, but i do have friends back home I miss.

lol I'll warn my fiance not to panic if he finds me one day, curled up in a ball sobbing to "O Canada"....