Away from home, away from family, away from one’s own bed. It’s enough to upset any young person and arouse feelings of sadness.
“I was nervous to come to camp at first because I didn’t know what it would be like,” MIPA student Bailey DeLaere said. “I’ve been away from home before, but I’ve never stayed in a dorm room and had no idea what to expect.”
Homesickness can strike at the worst time and stick around for ages. And it isn’t as if one can flip a switch and tell it to stop, go away and don’t come back. It’s out of conscious control and can’t be stopped by anything. Anything, that is, except for distraction.
“Kids usually get homesick because they may be away from home for the first time,” floor counselor Elaine Hewitt said. “They may be away from their friends and family and are out of their comfort zone.”
But don’t fret— there is still hope for having a good time. Try going to different activities, meet new people in classes and explore campus, suggested Hewitt. Putting oneself out there opens the door to make new friends and forget about the grief from missing home.
“By the time I got to camp I realized I had nothing to worry about,” DeLaere said. “I have friends from school here and I’ve also met a lot of new people, so I’ve had a pretty good time here.”
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