# the homesick thread.



## alli (Mar 6, 2008)

i'm homesick.

just finished up at work, feeling tired and super homesick.

I have two newborn babies I am an aunty to - isaac and bailey. not being there to see them is ripping me up. 

All my friends back home seem to be having more fun than they did when I was there - or maybe i'm just exaggerating it, but it feels like since I left everyone elses life has gotten way more interesting.

Plus I miss my parents in law's dog, and my cockatiel sunny. And of course my family.

Feel free to be homesick in this thread with me


----------



## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

Awwwwww Alli, sending you big hugs!!!

It's perfectly natural to be feeling homesick, the first few months are the worst. Just keep yourself busy, pamper yourself with a nice long soak in the bath, watch your favourite movie.....anything that takes your mind off missing your loved ones.

It DOES get better, I've done this twice and know exactly what you're feeling.

Keep your chin up.  xxxx


----------



## bubble_boy (May 28, 2008)

And here I thought I was the only one.


----------



## mazdaRX8 (Jul 13, 2008)

Count me in, I'm counting the days till I head back... Miss my friends, my car and the great weather!


----------



## macca_24 (Apr 14, 2008)

I'm not joking your making me cry. At least you've got a job to keep your mind off things and occupied for a while. My Mother my soul mate died 12 months ago and since being over here all it does is make me miss her more and think about her more. I miss my 4 year old grand daughter who was living with me, its also tearing my heart out and a 3month old grand daughter that I'm only going to see once a year I look longingly at her photos. I only say this so you know your not alone and here I am with just my laptop for company, its really a great life though and I love it.


----------



## alli (Mar 6, 2008)

thanks for understanding guys. 

macca - i really feel for you too honey. 

sigh.


GROUP HUGS!


----------



## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

Believe it or not, guys, but I'm actually homesick for Dubai!!!

I've been back in the UK and now at home in Spain and it just doesn't feel like home to me anymore. My feet are itching big time and I so miss bright lights, the multiculterism (ok, you get that in the UK but no-one smiles!!) and my beloved shisha cafe's. I miss the sights, smells and sounds, the belly dancing, dune bashing, my wonderful group of friends I made.....ok, I'm gonna shut up before I depress myself further!! LOL


----------



## alli (Mar 6, 2008)

I wish I felt that way about dubai, but I just haven't been able to yet.

But this is the homesick thread, so you are welcome to be homesick about, well, anywhere you want!

All I want to do is be back in oz, driving to my friends house who live on a river on the north coast.... sitting by the river, fishing, drinking james squire pale ale and singing songs on the guitar before falling asleep under the stars.


I think I just made it worse for myself. lol


----------



## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

[email protected]!!

I used to lie on the beach at Abu Dhabi after swimming in the Gulf and admiring the stars then off to a cafe for shisha and a frappe....*sigh*

Don't get me wrong, Spain is a beautiful country, the people are lovely, the food scrummy and the scenery is wonderful but for me, Islamic culture, architecture etc just turns me into the kid with eyes wide open in awe!!! I guess when it's a subject you've studied for years and then you get the chance to sample what you've been reading it makes it more difficult to forget, well, for me, thats the case.

Hey, I even fell in love with the camels and miss them too!!!


----------



## bubble_boy (May 28, 2008)

I know how you feel Alli. It doesn't help much that my wife is back in SA till her visa is sorted and enjoying what we used to... BUT, it is better for us here. We can make a proper future, and who knows, maybe retire early.  I do miss my grandparents and all the thing i got irritated back with in SA. I miss going on road trips, and seeing my friends do them in cars that I enjoy is just worse.


----------



## macca_24 (Apr 14, 2008)

On the North Coast anywhere near Port Macquarie?


----------



## Ogri750 (Feb 14, 2008)

I am gonna have to buck the trend and say I'm not homesick at all.

When I first got here, the first 3 months when I was on my own I missed my wife and kids, but since they got here a few months back, I'm not really missing anyone too much in the UK.

Whether it's because I left home years ago and joined the army, so have done all the leaving bit, I don't know.

The only thing I do miss about the UK is my bike I had to sell..............but with the driving here, probably best I didn't ship it


----------



## macca_24 (Apr 14, 2008)

I don't think my husband gets homesick either just misses his grandkids but thats all part of being homesick missing friends and family. I think he enjoys getting away from it all and living on his own but for me going so long without seeing them is really hard


----------



## macca_24 (Apr 14, 2008)

Oh and he had his bike shipped over, to ride off road with his work mates


----------



## amaslam (Sep 25, 2008)

I think it happens to everyone, for the first 3 months I felt like I had done the dumbest thing in the world and should never have come. Now it's 5 years later and I'm loving life. I still miss my family (especially my parents). But as others have said, keep yourself busy, pick up the phone and chat. If you want to see people, buy a pair of webcams and send one to your folks. Then use MSN or Yahoo to see each other. I know that grainy image was just enough to lighten my mood 



alli said:


> i'm homesick.
> 
> just finished up at work, feeling tired and super homesick.
> 
> ...


----------



## Kansaag (Aug 6, 2008)

bubbles said:


> I know how you feel Alli. It doesn't help much that my wife is back in SA till her visa is sorted and enjoying what we used to... BUT, it is better for us here. We can make a proper future, and who knows, maybe retire early.  I do miss my grandparents and all the thing i got irritated back with in SA. I miss going on road trips, and seeing my friends do them in cars that I enjoy is just worse.


Bubbles = SA is not the same any more. Make the most of it here, within the next 24hr you will feel much better!


----------



## Genghis (Sep 5, 2008)

alli said:


> i'm homesick.
> 
> just finished up at work, feeling tired and super homesick.
> 
> ...



I feel for you Alli and unfortunately there is no medicine for home sickness.
Maybe a parcel from home with some "comfort" things - favourite chocolate, TV show, magazines, I dont know, stuff that makes you feel at home while your away.

All I can say Alli is anytime I've travelled with work in the past, I've always felt my friends were having such a great time at home. But when I would get home I'd realise they hadn't moved on from where they were before I left - they were doing the same job, in the same company, socialising in the same place with same people. And when we'd meet up all they do is complain about the place and say how lucky I was to be sampling life abroad. A couple of weeks back home and I'd soon realise how good I had away - P.M.A.

Hope this is some help.


----------



## lovebug (Sep 7, 2008)

well, my problem is that i'm homesick only for my parents & family. not for my home country AT ALL. and from the 2nd day i arrived here i hated it. and still do. i can't imagine how i've stuck it out for this long. and i don't even want to anymore. it can be very frustrating especially with how incompetent people can be and how the laws keep changing and you're never certain about anything. hang in there, alli - some people feel completely lost out here too !


----------



## bubble_boy (May 28, 2008)

Kansaag said:


> Bubbles = SA is not the same any more. Make the most of it here, within the next 24hr you will feel much better!


How do you mean Kansaag? To me everything is still the same. Except for the interim president, and 11 cabinet members resigning. Oh and more speed cameras.  I have only been in dubai 4 month, so perhaps i got used to SA the way you said it has changed. The things i miss about SA most won't easily change. Being able to get in your car on a sunday morning and drive a few hundred kays... Holidays in mosselbay. Doing the wine route. Having a braai and "lekker kuier" with friends. Alchohol prices . My family who i use to see every single day. I can really go on and on..... Other than the political climate that is changing, I don't see what you mean. And I even have hope for that.


----------



## Genghis (Sep 5, 2008)

Ogri750 said:


> I am gonna have to buck the trend and say I'm not homesick at all.
> 
> When I first got here, the first 3 months when I was on my own I missed my wife and kids, but since they got here a few months back, I'm not really missing anyone too much in the UK.
> 
> ...


Ogri I come out on the 22nd Oct. The other night I took my bike ('07 Yamaha R6) down to my brothers house (he is going to look after the sale for me) and it dawned on me how much I'm gonna miss biking, the buzz and the camaraderie. But you're dead right, the standard of driving and the boring straight roads would not entice you to drive a bike out there. I think I'd spend my time knee down on the turn pikes!!


----------



## crazymazy1980 (Aug 2, 2008)

Ogri750 said:


> I am gonna have to buck the trend and say I'm not homesick at all.
> 
> When I first got here, the first 3 months when I was on my own I missed my wife and kids, but since they got here a few months back, I'm not really missing anyone too much in the UK.
> 
> ...


I'm a trend-bucker as well, not really missing home, moved about a lot over the last 7 years so, besides a flat I never really lived in, I don't really see I have a home back in the UK to be sick about. I do miss my family though, especially my niece and nephew but I get to talk to everyone on Skype / webcam so it's not too bad.

I do feel for all those that are missing home but there is so much to do out here and you're also a hop and jump into SE Asia. There are plenty of things to keep you occupied. I mean there are not many places you can go Skiing and SCUBA diving in the same city - and with all year sunshine - not to mention Dune Buggying and everything else you can do here, I'm more worried if I'll have the time in the next 2/3 years to take advantage of it all.

...and I'm here alone, new and not many friends (yet) don't even have a wife or kids to come home to


----------



## macca_24 (Apr 14, 2008)

I bought web cams for all my family for christmas cost a fortune they were really good ones I probably paid too much for, (damn ebay). But nobody uses them and I'm still waiting 6 weeks later for my stuff to arrive desk top computer and web cam included. I'd love to see their faces and hear their voices. I think they are just happy to be rid of Mum.


----------



## crazymazy1980 (Aug 2, 2008)

macca_24 said:


> I bought web cams for all my family for christmas cost a fortune they were really good ones I probably paid too much for, (damn ebay). But nobody uses them and I'm still waiting 6 weeks later for my stuff to arrive desk top computer and web cam included. I'd love to see their faces and hear their voices. I think they are just happy to be rid of Mum.


Definitely not. I miss my Mum and I am sure they miss you - you've only got one!!!!


----------



## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

I've spent the past 12 years moving around, the past 5 years living abroad. I only missed my kids and Granddaughter but having a cam meant Grandma could keep up to speed with her little angel! 

Roll on getting back to Dubai!! 

PS Crazy, the Middle East is actually south east Asia.


----------



## crazymazy1980 (Aug 2, 2008)

Pasanada said:


> PS Crazy, the Middle East is actually south east Asia.


Would you say?

See I would class the Middle East as being from Libya in North Africa all the way through to Afghanistan on the tip of Asia...?

...Still miss my Mum


----------



## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

The Middle East or the Arab world runs from Morocco and no Libya.....try Wikipedia, it explains the true geographics of the Middle East which incidently, was named by the British.

From a geographical perspective, there is no Middle East.

HTH and sorry to hear you're missing your Mum. xx


----------



## macca_24 (Apr 14, 2008)

crazymazy1980 said:


> Definitely not. I miss my Mum and I am sure they miss you - you've only got one!!!!


Thanks for that reassurance crazy


----------



## crazymazy1980 (Aug 2, 2008)

Pasanada said:


> The Middle East or the Arab world runs from Morocco and no Libya.....try Wikipedia, it explains the true geographics of the Middle East which incidently, was named by the British.
> 
> From a geographical perspective, there is no Middle East.
> 
> HTH and sorry to hear you're missing your Mum. xx


Don't take Wikipedia as a trusted source, that's what 'they' want you to believe...

BBC NEWS | Technology | Wikipedia 'shows CIA page edits'


----------



## Pasanada (Feb 5, 2008)

I don't but it's digestable information. I took my info from my Geography and History books 

And yes, I had heard about the CIA edit on Wikipedia......very naughty...... hmmmmmmm


----------



## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

macca_24 said:


> I'm not joking your making me cry. At least you've got a job to keep your mind off things and occupied for a while. My Mother my soul mate died 12 months ago and since being over here all it does is make me miss her more and think about her more. I miss my 4 year old grand daughter who was living with me, its also tearing my heart out and a 3month old grand daughter that I'm only going to see once a year I look longingly at her photos. I only say this so you know your not alone and here I am with just my laptop for company, its really a great life though and I love it.



I sympathise! In the last 2 years that I was in the UK, I lost 3 family members in the space of 12 months. I know what you are feeling cause I found it so hard being so far away and all alone. It felt like no one really understood and in the end, this was one of the main drivers for my move here; I just felt that I had accummulated too many bad memories in one place. BUT, time is a great healer. You slowly start to get over it. Once you are settled in Dubai, life will slowly but surely improve.


----------



## Maz25 (Jul 6, 2008)

To all you guys

I left for the UK 3 weeks after my 20th birthday. I'm from Seychelles so you can imagine the culture shock - small island, where you know everyone to big city where no one talks to you. Before that, I had never even been away from my family for longer than a few nights. I never knew waht depression was like until the day I landed in the UK. For the first 3 months, I lived through hell on earth! I had never ever felt so miserable in my entire life. After 3 months, I went home and when I went back to the UK, I decided that I was going to try and make a go of things. I suddenly realised that I was only hurting myself by being miserable!

From that point on, things only improved. Sure I was homesick and missed my family. I even lost some family members along the way but I picked myself up. I must have done a good job with my little self-therapy cause I ended up staying 6 years!

I'm not homesick in Dubai. Been there, done that! Conclusion - love it! But I understand how you all feel cause I went through it myself. Your family will always be there for you; speak to them regularly, get out and about, rally new friends around you and I promise you all, that in time, you will all start to feel better. You might never fall in love with Dubai but you will slowly start to enjoy life here or at least get used to it! Regularly visits back home will work wonders as well!!


----------



## bubble_boy (May 28, 2008)

Very well said Maz! I wish more people could understand that being miserable is not the right thing and will just pro long your sickness, and will make you prejudiced against seeing what fun could actually be had in a new country, and enjoying it.

I am chatting to my wife and she's is homesick for Dubai.  She's been in SA 6 weeks waiting for her visa, and seem to be becoming physically sick from homesickness. That's what she tells me.


----------



## teinesamoa (Aug 3, 2008)

The thing I miss the most are bg family events, like my mum's 50th, the birth of my nephew, watching him grow up and my grandma passing away. When things like that happen, it really hits me deep in my gut. I hate that I can't cuddle my nephew on his birthday or read him a bedtime story, soppy things like that. I know it sounds silly and immature  I wish I could say that I'm all grown up and over being homesick but unfortunately I'm not. I have days when I get under my blanket call home and then have a nice long cry when I've hung up. It clears the system after a day or 2 and luckily it doesn't happen too often (only half a dozen times a year ) . I do have to admit, I wouldn't give up this opportunity to travel and experience things because I know we can't travel forever and also we can always go back home if we really need/want to.

Macca, I've been married for 5 years and away from my mum for as long and a bit and I don't miss her any less than when I first left home for Uni!! Mums are AWESOME


----------



## crazymazy1980 (Aug 2, 2008)

Well I'm missing things slightly less as the Man Utd - Bolton game is showing on Show Sports 1

Although Utd seem to be all over us at the moment


----------



## macca_24 (Apr 14, 2008)

teinesamoa said:


> The thing I miss the most are bg family events, like my mum's 50th, the birth of my nephew, watching him grow up and my grandma passing away. When things like that happen, it really hits me deep in my gut. I hate that I can't cuddle my nephew on his birthday or read him a bedtime story, soppy things like that. I know it sounds silly and immature  I wish I could say that I'm all grown up and over being homesick but unfortunately I'm not. I have days when I get under my blanket call home and then have a nice long cry when I've hung up. It clears the system after a day or 2 and luckily it doesn't happen too often (only half a dozen times a year ) . I do have to admit, I wouldn't give up this opportunity to travel and experience things because I know we can't travel forever and also we can always go back home if we really need/want to.
> 
> Macca, I've been married for 5 years and away from my mum for as long and a bit and I don't miss her any less than when I first left home for Uni!! Mums are AWESOME


Thanks for all the loving kind words I was just reading yr thread and sympathising with you and then read that lovely message from you thankyou so much. I have a few dear Samoan friends, families, and I know how very close they are to their families


----------



## macca_24 (Apr 14, 2008)

macca_24 said:


> Thanks for all the loving kind words I was just reading yr thread and sympathising with you and then read that lovely message from you thankyou so much. I have a few dear Samoan friends, families, and I know how very close they are to their families


Thanks LUL


----------



## alli (Mar 6, 2008)

Oh guys!! So many positive messages, and it's also good to know that everyone else is going through the same thing. We just all gotta help each other get through it  And I really feel for everyone who have perhaps a more difficult set of things to get through over here. 

I'm waiting for a care package from the mother in law, she sent it a month ago and I have yet to see it 

It's full of tomato sauce, maybe it got confiscated at customs or something :/


----------



## alli (Mar 6, 2008)

macca_24 said:


> On the North Coast anywhere near Port Macquarie?


Almost, just next to Newy - a place called Bluehaven


----------



## teinesamoa (Aug 3, 2008)

macca_24 said:


> Thanks for all the loving kind words I was just reading yr thread and sympathising with you and then read that lovely message from you thankyou so much. I have a few dear Samoan friends, families, and I know how very close they are to their families


Awww, you're welcome Macca! I come from a HUGE Samoan family and we're really close so whenever there's a family gathering we always make sure to call/text/email whoever couldn't make it lots of photos and "wish you were here" messages  Corny I know, but it makes me feel good to know I'm missed as much as I miss them!! Born and bred on the island so still getting the nag of just having me and the husband and none of the extended family dropping by at all hours...5 years later LOL Maybe I'll know some of your Samoan friends...I know that sounds weird, but somehow all Samoans end up knowing someone in common if not each other


----------



## teinesamoa (Aug 3, 2008)

alli said:


> Oh guys!! So many positive messages, and it's also good to know that everyone else is going through the same thing. We just all gotta help each other get through it  And I really feel for everyone who have perhaps a more difficult set of things to get through over here.
> 
> I'm waiting for a care package from the mother in law, she sent it a month ago and I have yet to see it
> 
> It's full of tomato sauce, maybe it got confiscated at customs or something :/


I know how you feel alli. I'm still waiting for a care package from my cousin with some biscuits and Tuna from home and it still hasn't arrived. She sent it on the 14th August 

I'm still possitive about it because I just had some board games delivered 7 weeks after they were mailed from the UK, so there's hope that it's just bad mail service and that they will arrive!!


----------

