"Home" sick

"Homesick" - the distress or impairment caused by an actual or anticipated separation from the specific home environment or attachment objects. Feelings of longing are often accompanied by anxiety and depression. These symptoms may range from mild to severe.


Interesting how you can be homesick for somewhere that isn't even your "home".


The other day I was having the worst Kenya homesickness ever. I miss the bonfires, the roasted corn, the stars that look like an explosion of glitter, fresh sugarcane, Mama Carol, having roomies, giraffes, shower parties, laundry gatherings, tea time, gas station "chips" (french fries), GIANT avocados (the size of your head), motorcycle taxis, my team mates...

my favorite Kenyan snack

So in my distress, I decided that I needed roasted corn. Not wanted. NEEDED. So I drove to the store. Bought corn. Came home and proceeded to try to roast it on my gas burning stove....
Can you say, "epic fail." ? :(
Apparently it's a different kind of corn. It didn't turn out right at all. Not even close. I wanted to cry! *sigh*


I'm not unthankful to be home. Not at all! I love my America. I love my California. But somewhere in there, Kenya snatched a corner of my heart too. I don't want to live there, but I love the people there. They are some of my dearest friends. And yet, I know half of those friends are now spread all over the world, back in their own homes or on new adventures.


But I figured the best way to fight homesickness is to look at what I have here that I'm now more thankful for than ever. :) So here it goes...
- Climate control (air con? what?!)
- Good, real coffee.
- Bread I can eat. (wheat allergies aren't so easy to accommodate in 3rd world countries)
- Hot showers.
- My car. Being able to go where I want, when I want is such a freedom.
- Apples! (not a common fruit over in Western Africa)
- Not being a novelty. Being "normal". Blending in. Not drawing obscene attention to myself by just walking down the street.
- Safe water. (I will never complain about tap again.)


And it helps. :) It helps a lot when things seem down to make a point to look for the good. Search for that proverbial silver lining in everything. It may be hiding, but it's there if you look hard enough.