Homesick? (facebook repost)

I'm desperately homesick. Thanksgiving can't come soon enough!

Yesterday was my birthday and I had so much fun with my new friends out here in Knoxville. THANK YOU ALL for helping me feel at home in my new home. Today i received my birthday presents from my family. I opened them to find the love and support that i've grown up with. My mom packed me a birthday party. I'm sure she is missing me terribly and wants nothing more than to have me home to celebrate a new year of life with me. She packed party hats, goody bags, cookies, candies, rice crispy treats, balloons and a lot of love. I cant wait to share these things with my friends here.

But in opening the lovingly packed packaged i was overwhelmed by the feeling of loss that i've been suppressing as much as i can over the last couple of months. I want to come home to have a home cooked meal. To smell the familiar smells of Christmas approaching as our house gets turned into a Gingerbread house factory. To hear the pecans falling on the tin roof while the dogs bark at the wind as it whips across the fields and around the house.

I miss these things in my small and lonely one bedroom apartment.

I do however Love my new surroundings at school. The people i'm working with, learning with, and learning from are all wonderful people. They have embraced me as their own and started to nurture my talents, foster new habits, and encourage new growth. I know that i'm in the place that i need to be to successfully become the person i think i'm meant to become.

I know I have grown up a lot in the last 2 months, but in opening that package i was glad to feel that i'm still myself. I still can't wait for Thanksgiving and Christmas. I want to come home and hug those that i've longed to hug and laugh with those i've longed to hear laugh. But for now I'll continue to sit here and hold back the tears of happiness, sadness, and exhaustion.