Little pieces of home

Leaving your home and your country for the first time can be both scary and really, really, exciting. A whole new world, filled with opportunities and lots of interesting people to meet will be waiting for you when the plane lands.

From my own experience, I can assure you that there’s nothing more mind boggling and heartwarming than getting to know a different culture and people from different places.

But what about your family? And your friends? How do you deal with the distance and being on your own on a completely different environment?

Sometimes an object (or objects) from home can help with that feeling of homesickness. A few exchange students currently studying at Mount Royal University agreed to share the lucky amulets they brought to avoid that homesick feeling.

Bjarni Guðmundsson, 21, Iceland, studying Computer Science: “I used to have oatmeal every morning with my dad, and we used that pot to cook. When I came here, I brought it with me.” —Does it help when you are homesick? “It helps me when I’m hungry!”

Daniel Toscano, 23, Colombia, studying Economics: “This ‘escapulario’ was gift from my mom. She really believes in this stuff. So she gave it to me for protection. She went to the church and got the priest’s blessing. She wants me to wear it all the time, so I’ll be safe. She gets mad when she sees that I am not wearing it.”

Becky Cortéz, 21, Mexico, studying International Business: “I look at this band every morning and I remind myself that I am Mexican and that I need to be a good ambassador for my country. I want that people get to know me and think good things of my country, because I am very proud of it. The keychain, it was a gift from my brother, after a year in Germany. The sentence means ‘Nothing makes sense without you’ and I know that he really meant it. The picture… well, my grandfather is like a father to me. He was the one who insisted that I take English classes when I was only four. He insisted that I should never stop studying in my life. I just love him to death and if I am in Canada, it’s because of him.”

Camille Loiseau, 21, France, studying Marketing: “This is a Kokeshi Doll, it was a gift from my boyfriend when he came back from Japan. It is from a temple and they say that it keeps bad spirits away. It also makes me want to go to Japan. As we are not living together anymore, I look at this doll and it’s like he is here with me.”

Photo Illustrations: Michael Ximenes