Isn't it funny how homesickness vanishes when you're forced to return home?

[Els]

Well. Currently, I'm in the bf's country on a working holiday visa, and the plan was to continue from there into my postgraduate next year. However, due to some immigration red tape that I really am too tired to mention or discuss in detail here (having gone over it several times with the immigration officers, my parents, and the bf...), chances are I may have to return to my home country for 2-3 months before my course starts at the end of February.

 

Now, I'd been having recent cravings for home country food, as well as missing my friends quite dearly... But as soon as I heard the news, I realized I don't want to go back for 2-3 months!! I'd love to visit, sure, but not live at the parents' for so long, and not during the 3 free-est ('free' is relative, but still...) months of the bf's year, not just after we finally manage to live together! I don't want to go back to long distance for 3 months; it actually only feels like I just only got here!

 

There's a way to increase the chance that I may stay, but it'll cost the bf and I quite dearly (plane tickets home are paid for by my parents because they'd like to have me return home anyway). We're already in a very tight financial situation now because everything is coming to a head just before the bf starts work and can get paid (bond and advance payments for new rented house, etc).

 

Isn't it ironic.

[aerogurl87]

Well sucks to hear you have to return home for up to three months Elswyth but I'm going through something similar on my visit right now. About 4 days into my 3 week stay I got really homesick as it got ridiculously cold where he lives (well at least it did to me as it was about 2 times warmer where I'm from when I arrived). I started to miss my parents, friends, food, and weather from back home. But now that I leave in 8 days I don't want to go back to being in a LDR. I wish I could stay here with him or at least have him come home with me, which I know isn't going to happen as he has to work, but all my homesickness has evaporated. I'm just dreading the inevitable goodbye we'll face at the airport again.

[la vie est belle]

I know how you feel, I met my SO when I was living in France and I was totally homesick for California. However, once I was forced to return home when I wasn't ready to leave I wasn't as excited about going home anymore, haha. I knew I'd have to stay back in CA for at least 6 months while I finish up school before I can travel again.

 

Admittedly, when I was abroad I totally I over-glamorized California, and now I'm just sick of being home and ready to leave again!! However, I've been extremely busy so time has just flown by, I can't believe I only have 1 month left... Just make sure to keep yourself busy, take advantage of this time to catch up with friends and family, and you'll be together again before you know it! 3 months isn't too too long.

 

Off-topic: May I ask where your home country is? I'm just curious because you mentioned the food is good, haha. I'm guessing somewhere in Southeast Asia because the food is ah-maaay-zing... especially Thai & Indonesian mmm... or Malaysian because it's like a mix of everything haha.

[Els]

Wow. I see our food garnered quite a global reputation You actually did guess correctly - it's one of the three.

 

I guess I'm not too worried about my situation; there's a chance I may be able to stay, and even if I go home 2-3 months isn't that much of a biggie I suppose. But I find it a very interesting experiment re: the human psychology. When we think we can't have something, we over-glamorize it... but when it's forced onto us, even though it itself is essentially the same, our perspective changes greatly.

 

P.S. Crap, now that you mention the food again... >.>

[la vie est belle]

If you say the food is that good, I'm guessing Indonesia because their cuisine is the best haha. I've only ever had it in Holland, but I was like obsessed after I tried it, I need to find a restaurant here!!

 

And you're right- grass is always greener on the other side right? When I was in Paris, I could only think about how awesome CA was (awesome weather, active lifestyle, happy people... etc.), and I forgot about all the things I hated about L.A. like smog, people obsessed with image, traffic. However now that I'm back home, I forgot about all the things that made me miserable in Paris like the weather, depressed people, constant strikes, etc.

 

Anyway I feel ya, visas are such a pain in the ass... good luck.