Submitted by Olivia Szefer on the 2020 spring semester study abroad program in Sydney, Australia…
Homesickness hit me quite hard this past week. I made a plan to have a phone call with my parents, significant other and my sister about twice a week. This way, both sides would be able to communicate openly and not miss out. However, I still began to miss them and their close presence to me. I am quite the homebody and extremely family-oriented, therefore moving across the world for three months was quite the adventure. Little to say, I was down in the dumps for a few days in this beautiful country. The silver lining in this story is that the wonderful friendships that I have made here helped me with this dilemma. My friends came to my door with coffee, a box of Tim Tams and warm hugs to comfort me. Later, the group of us made a pact to keep each other busy with adventures and day trips to not feel as lonely and stuck with our thoughts. I am lucky to have come out of my comfort zone and make new friends from across the United States who in turn help me with my longing for home.