Is it normal to not miss home while studying abroad?
I’m an ME undergrad studying abroad in the US on a government scholarship from my home country, incredibly grateful for it, especially after seeing what tuition actually costs here.
Since arriving, I’ve been genuinely blown away by the opportunities available: research programs, faculty who actually seem to love what they do, and access to tools and technologies for my hobbies that I couldn’t have imagined back home. It’s been eye-opening in the best way.
Here’s the thing though; I notice a lot of fellow international students missing home, and honestly? I mostly just miss my family and my cat.
I used to have this idealistic mindset of going back and “fixing things.” But the more I reflect, the more clearly I see how deeply rooted nepotism is back home and I mean severe, systemic nepotism, not the occasional unfairness you see anywhere. My family members have had real opportunities taken from them because of it. I personally lost out on things simply because my last name didn’t carry the right connections. It’s something that genuinely shaped how I see my future.
So I guess my question is: is it normal to not really miss where you came from? Not trying to be ungrateful for my roots, I’m just being honest with myself. Has anyone else felt this way studying abroad?