Holiday Homesickness
Newsletter
Holiday Homesickness!
by Esther on 18 December 2025
Another term finished and another year almost over; oh, how the time goes by. Since the start of my newsletters, winter holidays meant looking forward to passing the time with the kiddos and the family, but this year is different. The once looked forward to the time where post finals meant playing with the kids and Papa taking us to ice skate is officially over. One has to wonder how one person's life choices changes everything for everyone. It reminds me to cherish being in the moment more when around the people we love(d). That said, old habits we once took for granted do not stop one from creating new memories with new routines.
This term was a first for me in everything as I felt like I was establishing my life in the states from scratch. My academics changed, my social life changed, and I stepped foot into a public middle school for the first time, just to name a few major things impacted. I have never felt more of a foreigner in class this term, and I question if I am having culture shock or reverse culture shock from the things I hear from my colleagues (my colleagues are a very good group). I still find it crazy that I can say that I taught 120 students this term. This term, I had no real routine. There was always something that changed, and my most memorable week is probably the week fourteen when I had three days for lectures, a history workshop, and dance rehearsal. I was supposed to go into my mentor teacher (MT)’s classroom, but had to take off, which my MT was very understanding. I also had a major history assignment due, and I am pretty sure it was the only thing I did academically that week. Between dance, holidays, and lectures being held or not held, I never realized how much that affects routines (or in my case the lack of one). I have never felt happier to end a term than this one, but I suppose we have dipped our toes in the water and have somewhat of an idea for next term.
I write this newsletter knowing I am officially on winter holiday, and as stated before, this year is a new experience. I am grateful to take the first week away from my laptop, something I hope to continue being able to do during the day. My plan for the holiday is to be productively lazy. I know I am exhausted and need rest, but I also have quite a lot of work to do, so it is nice to pass the time doing things that do not require a laptop when daylight is so little. I have a long list of things I can do, so I look forward to achieving my goal.
With the holidays in swing, I wish to close with a note that homesickness is real no matter how hard you fight it. As someone with social media, I am no foreigner to seeing all the festivities I am missing. Worse yet, the homesickness has led to nightly dreams being with the loved ones I know I will not see for possibly another year and half. I will be honest, I do not know how to make the feeling go away, but I have tried to turn that feeling into motivation to work hard so that hopefully soon, I will be able to return. Have I gone to bed crying about this, yes, but I tell myself it is part of the process. I also remind myself of how fortunate I am to have loved ones close by who I can spend my holidays with. The joys of having family in three different countries results in always missing something, but why focus on what I’m missing when there is so much happening right in front of me?
I close here to wish everyone a Happy Chanukah, a Merry Christmas, and a blessed and peaceful New Year full of cheer!
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