Moving away from home is a rite of passage, and it’s completely natural to get homesick when you’re thousands of miles away. But before you commit to that $400 ticket for a weekend trip back home, ask yourself exactly what comforts of home you’re missing – the intangible love of family, or the fact that you weren’t responsible for buying your own groceries? It may be difficult to discern whether that creeping wistfulness is for your loved ones or for a time when your pantries were always readily filled without your effort or money, so take this quiz to find out!
What do you miss most from home?
- The comforting presence of my family.
- The accessibility of Costco snacks that I can eat at 2 a.m.
What are you having for dinner?
- I’m recreating a dish from my mom’s family recipe so I can have a taste of home.
- Saltine crackers and crusty peanut butter scraped from the bottom of the jar.
When’s the last time you called home?
- Just last night! I talk with my parents every day.
- I think I texted my mom a few weeks ago asking, “Can I make pasta with ketchup?”
When’s the last time you went grocery shopping?
- This week.
- Um, around the time Netflix dropped that one movie – fuck, was that a month ago?
What’s the first thing you do when you go home?
- Give my family a huge hug, of course!
- Immediately drop my bags and go through the fridge to see what new foods have been added since the last time I checked.
Results:
Mostly 1s: It’s time to visit home! You are definitely missing the warming familiarity of home and purely want to spend quality time with the family. Maybe a nice movie or board game night will scratch that homesick itch. How wholesome! Go buy that flight and sleep in your childhood bedroom!
Mostly 2s: It’s time to go to Trader Joe’s! It sounds like you’re due for a grocery haul and you’re missing home less than the idea of effortlessly stocked pantries at home. Don’t worry, home (and those stocked pantries) will always be there when you go back for the holidays. And you can always take food back with you!
