How I’m Beating the Urge to Miss Home

I went through my down in the dumps I miss home phase and I’m over it. I mean, I’m only here for 58 more days! I’ve been here for 121…. 58 is nothing compared to 121 and there’s still so much more I can do! I’ve made the decision try my hardest to not get home sick. How?

1. I have a count down/count up on my phone for how many days until I go home versus how many I’ve been here. That is now on the third screen on my phone instead of the main screen that I look at the most. Now I’m not constantly thinking ‘how many more days until I go home?” just enjoying it.

2. Keep myself away from negativity and people with negative attitudes. This experience is incredible and I’m so lucky to be doing this… why waste it with talking to people about how much I can’t wait to eat mexican food at home or sleep in my own bed. Ham and sharing a tiny room with someone are all part of it.

3. Get out of bed and outside. I can watch movies when I’m home, I can’t walk across a Roman bridge built in the thirteenth century back home.

4. I will see my family and friends so soon! I’ve got some of my closest friends visiting me next weekend for my birthday, I’m going to Barcelona to visit my best friend in 13 days, I’m going to Greece with my two best friends in about a month and my family comes right after that!

5. Write more in my journal. Putting my thoughts down on paper. Why does this help? Not sure, but it does.

6. Discover more about Salamanca that I love. Today I went to a museum about the Spanish Civil War and it was really interesting! Get to know my home here instead of thinking of all the things I miss from home.

7. Realizing that in a year from now this will all just be a dream. Live. It. Up. My friend Kelsey told me the other night “Life’s too short to be sad.” She’s so right. I need to live in the moment! Knoxville will be waiting for me with open arms come July 1st.

So now you all know how I’m going to win my battle with the evil homesickness! If you catch me on facebook ‘liking’ pictures from my freshman year of me and friends at a football game feel free to send me a message and say “GET OFF OF FACEBOOK AND GO DO SOMETHING SPANISH!”

Also, big news!! I got into the Elementary Education program at my school, University of Tennessee!! I had a skype interview about a month back and have been really nervous waiting to hear back. This means I am officially part of the College of Education, Health and Human Sciences and will have a place as an student teacher intern the 2013-2014 school year in Knox County. Go me. 

Enjoying the fantastic nightlife at one of my favorite bars, Paniagua

The cathedral in MY city!

Hanging by the river with friends braiding hair. Photo by Kelsey Guziak