“Where we love is home. Home that our feet may leave, but not our hearts.” -Oliver Wendell Holmes

I wonder how long my mom has been waiting to hear this. Today I felt my first pang of homesickness. I received my midterm back and, although I received a low A, I was disappointed in myself. I had this sudden thought- I wish I was home. It surprised me. I hadn’t felt that yet. Then as I walked home from school I was on the verge of tears. Emotions overcame me and I just wanted to talk to my mom. I couldn’t deny that after six weeks of living in a foreign country, I was really starting to miss some things from home. Just simple comforts, hot showers, a comfortable bed, my friends, my family. Then I started thinking about what I was missing. The corn was the first thing that came to mind.

I have told numerous people, “I’m from Iowa.” And after they give me a confused look, I continue to explain, “It’s just a bunch of cornfields.” But those cornfields are my home and they surround everything and everyone I care about. I think Iowa is beautiful in the summer as the fields grow. The corn and beans create rolling hills of green during the bright afternoon sun. The sunsets glow with purples and pinks as they set and create silhouettes of barns and silos in the distance. The lightening bugs flash like stars in the night sky above the fields after dark. By the time I get home the corn will have tasseled and I will have missed the season of the brilliant green Iowa.

But luckily I have a wonderful family, and when I got home from school I had an email from my grandma and a text message from my mom; it reminded me that although I may be more than 2000 miles away, I am fortunate enough to live in the age of technology. I hear from my friends and family constantly. Whether it is on Facebook, email, or this blog, I love hearing from people. I do not regret coming to Costa Rica for a second. I am extremely thankful to have been given this opportunity to travel, learn, and experience another culture. Nevertheless, I will also me happy to come home. Upon returning I will appreciate what I have more. I just hope that all of my friend and family realize how special they are to me.

    

 

“If the sight of the blue skies fills you with joy, if a blade of grass springing up in the fields has power to move you, if the simple things of nature have a message that you understand, rejoice, for your soul is alive.” -Eleonora Duse