What does homesickness mean?

Homesickness? No. Maybe a little bit. What does homesickness even mean?

'Homesickness is the longing for home while being in a foreign place.'

Admittedly, sometimes I imagine the moment of being embraced by my best friends, my parents, my sister. The scene plays in slow motion with super emotional music in the background in my head, bringing a smile and tears to my face. I can't wait to have my loved ones close to me again, spending evenings on the balcony and just talking. I am immensely looking forward to being able to tell my stories and proudly show my pictures.

There are many things I'm looking forward to. Little things. I look forward to taking the car and driving into town. My goodness, how much I would love to go to a drugstore sometimes. I can't wait to drive to my best friend's place on Saturdays, sitting on the balcony, smoking and drinking, chatting, getting dressed up, and going out to party. I miss spending evenings with my parents, eating chicken wings and listening to country music on the balcony. Things that I miss and that I am definitely looking forward to.

It's exciting to see what you actually miss from home. It's not my room, not the wardrobe. It's the people and the time spent with them. It's the small moments of happiness in everyday life, like my dog Sylvie, when I sit down on the floor and she comes wagging her tail and cuddles up to me.

But is that homesickness? No, definitely not. Every time I think of my home, I have a smile on my face. That's what you would call anticipation.

And there's something else that burns inside me and when we talk about pain, really hurts: Wanderlust.

'Wanderlust describes the human longing to leave familiar surroundings and explore the wide world. The word "wanderlust" is the literal opposite of homesickness, the longing for home.'

There we have it, the big brother of homesickness, and he doesn't just have his eyes on me, but firmly in his grip. Yes, wanderlust has taken hold of me. I was almost shocked to realize recently that I'm already halfway through my journey. How time flies. Where's the repeat button here?

In my research on wanderlust, I came across an interpretation that captivated me. 'Wanderlust means being homesick for a place you've never been.' That would probably be my kind of homesickness, and at the end of the day, traveling is probably the healthiest addiction you can give yourself.