After three months of fast food, partisan politics and unsustainable shopping sprees, I recently returned to Sydney from exchange in Washington DC. However, I didn’t feel like I had come home - if anything, I felt like a foreigner. It is very strange to think that you would associate the word, ‘home’, with a place that you had only spent three months in.
I’ve since realized this is what they call ‘exchange withdrawal’, and it isn’t as bad as it sounds. It gave me the refreshing opportunity to experience Sydney as if I had just moved here – everything seemed new again.
Now I’m not going to lie, it has been a good two months since I’ve returned, but I still haven’t fully completed the transition. Sure, I’ve returned to the usual daily grind and routine of standing on crowded buses and sitting in less-crowded lecture theatres, but something is still missing. I think going on exchange has created an extra home for me, one that I will always be homesick for. But don’t get me wrong; it’s the type of homesick that will always make me smile whenever I reminisce about my time there.
Comments
I was a study abroad student at Sydney Uni 2 years ago (from Indiana in the US), and I have to say that your last two sentences describe perfectly how I feel about Sydney. Glad to hear you had a great experience while you were stateside!
Posted by: Brad | April 24, 2012 03:15 PM
Thomas, would you be interested in writing a blog post for our College site here in America on your Study Abroad in America.? We have students writing for us from different destinations around the world. Our website is about College Towns around America and abroad.
Many Thanks
alison@thecollegetourist.com
Posted by: The College Tourist | October 24, 2012 09:45 AM