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The Guardian - AU
The Guardian - AU
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Gaynor Parkin

Homesickness is a form of loss which may never grant closure. But a heart in two places can still find joy

A hand on a window pane of a plane lit by a sunset or sunrise
‘I’m trying to feel grateful for what I have here, without letting the sadness for what I don’t take over,’ … for some, homesickness doesn’t always ease over time. Photograph: Marco Bottigelli/Getty Images

“I don’t have the words to describe it properly, I just feel I’m in the wrong place and I don’t want to be here.”

For the past few years, *Suzanne has travelled each year halfway around the world to visit family and close friends in her birth country. While the farewells are always hard, Suzanne usually settles back home after a few weeks, staying connected with video calls and regular messaging even when time differences made it difficult.

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