Homesickness can be
By Trisha Shinsato
a positive thingAS I sit in my dorm room at Creighton University, I think about what it's been like, going away for college and being so far from home. I remember when I first arrived in Omaha, Neb. The hardest part was being away from my family, friends and boyfriend, and being totally on my own for the first time. At night, I'd lie in my bed and cry because I was so lonely.
I felt so out of place because everything I did seemed to be "weird." I learned that eating cracked seed and frying Spam causes others to look at you like you're from another planet. Giving omiyage brings a look meaning, "What is this for?" And taking off your shoes before entering someone's home produces puzzled stares.
Besides all this, suddenly I had to speak "proper English" because words like "humbug," "junk" and "da kine" were foreign to everyone else.
I dreaded going to the cafeteria and eating potatoes and Uncle Ben's rice. I found myself willing to do anything for a teriyaki cheeseburger from Likelike Drive-In, a California roll from Kozo Sushi or a meat jun plate from Yoony's.
Staring at miles of flat land and lakes didn't please me at all. Boy, did I long for warm weather, majestic mountains and beautiful beaches in Hawaii.
I moped around for the first two months here, and then one day I told myself, "Either you're going to look at this glass as being half-full or half-empty -- what is it going to be?" I decided it would be half-empty no more.
I realized that missing home is a good thing, because I've learned to appreciate everything I had taken for granted. Being away from those you love makes the days you will spend with them so much more special.
I vowed never to be ungrateful for the view of the Koolaus from my parents' back yard, and to be proud of the Aloha Spirit Hawaii. Nothing here comes close to what we have at home.
Once my attitude changed, I began making new friends from all over the world. I'm learning a lot about myself and what it's like to be independent. I have many more opportunities to travel to different states, and with more responsibilities, I've had to learn to take care of problems without Mom and Dad.
I know the next five years will be a great experience. I'll definitely live in Hawaii after I graduate, but for now, I'm enjoying my new lifestyle.
Sometimes I still get sad and long for home, but I always think about that glass being half full.
We all have to grow up sometime and learn how to survive on our own.
Trisha Shinsato is a 1997 Castle High School graduate. Rant & Rave is a Tuesday Star-Bulletin feature
allowing those 12 to 22 to serve up fresh perspectives.
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