About the home sickness

Se sai minut sittenkin. Koti-ikava. Tuossa pari viikkoa takaperin eraana iltana olin talo- ja lemmikkivahtina aussiperheeni talossa ja yhtena iltana mieleeni hiipi se paljon puhuttu koti-ikava. Mita se on? Itse ymmarran ja maarittelen koti-ikavan niin, etta samaan aikaan on ikava montaa ihmista kotipuolesta ja sen lisaksi asiaa tai asioita kotimaasta. Mina esimerkiksi pari viikkoa sitten ikavoin perheen ja ystavien lisaksi puuterilumessa kahlaamista ja kuulaan kirpeaa hamartyvaa talvi-iltaa. Taallahan oli tuona paivana ollut kevyet +41C.

Ikava, jota tunsin, ei kuitenkaan ollut millaan tavalla musertavaa tai raastavaa, pikemminkin haikeankaunista. Keitin itselleni kupin teeta. Sita siemaillessani mietin tata aihetta hiukan syvemmin Juha Tapion soidessa taustalla. Ymmarsin, ettei koti-ikava ole valttamatta huono asia, tai mitaan mista pitaisi yrittaa ja paasta yli mahdollisimman nopeasti. Se on paremminkin kuin hyva ystava, joka osoittaa, mika omassa kotimaassasi ja elamassasi siella on hyvaa ja arvokasta ja sitten lahtee tultuaan kuulluksi. Ensi kerrallakin, kun koti-ikava vierailee, aion toivottaa sen tervetulleeksi ja kuunnella mita silla on sanottavaa. En kuitenkaan lupaa tarjota sille teeta, vaan ehka jaakahvin. :P

This looks like the landscape I was missing

I got me after all. The home sickness. A couple of weeks ago I was a house watch and a pet sitter for my friend's family while they were over the holidays and in the one evening I started to feel slightly home sick. What actually is home sickness? What I consider as home sickness is when you're not only missing the important people of your life back home but also things or few. For example for me in that evening it meant missing my family, friends and also walking in the snow as fine as powder in the Finnish winter day just before the dawn. In here it had been +41C degrees during that day.

The feeling of home sickness wasn't the sort of tears you apart or hurts. It was more likely a bittersweet feeling. I made myself a cup of tea. Meanwhile sipping my tea and listening to Juha Tapio (a Finnish singer-songwriter) I thought more about the subject of feeling home sick. Then I realized home sickness isn't necessarily a bad thing at all or something you should try and get over it as quickly as possible. But it's rather like a good friend showing you what things in your home country and in your life back there are good and valuable and then leaves when she know she's been heard. So next time when the home sickness will visit me I'm gonna wish her (my home sickness is she, not he) welcome and listen what she has to say. I don't promise to make her some tea, I might offer her an iced coffee instead. :P