Homesickness can happen to anyone who’s gone away to college—but at a small school like Whittier, one of my professors noticed and cared enough to do something about it.
I am a first-year international student. A few weeks into spring semester, one of my professors noticed I was unhappy. One day after class, he asked me what the matter was. I expressed to him that I was missing aspects of culture from my home country. He asked if I was missing anything specific from my home, and I began to tell him that it was mostly the food and the social gatherings, such as parties and festivals. He later suggested that I try some restaurants with food from my region here in California! He was kind enough to email me a few options with their locations and links to their websites. Luckily most of these restaurants were not too far from the college, where I live on campus.
Only two weeks later, during spring break, I decided to try one of these restaurants with one of my close friends. We both ordered cuisine made by chefs from my home country and drinks made there as well. I was excited for my friend to try the national dish of my country. We dined and she said she enjoyed every bite. The meal tasted similar to my mother’s cooking back home. After enjoying my meal, I purchased another one to-go, since I didn't know when I would return and have the opportunity to enjoy one of my favorite meals again.
I even conversed with the cashier for a bit and heard an accent that sounded very familiar. She was from the same city I was raised in! This brought me joy to say the least; I was able to connect with someone who shared the same heritage as me. We shared similar interests and grew up learning the same principles. In addition to having a delectable meal, I was able to learn aspects of my culture that I was never introduced to before. She shared with me phrases that I have never heard and ones that had multiple meanings.
This professor made a difference in my life because I would have never discovered this restaurant without him, and I would have never met this remarkable and respectable young woman. Through this experience I have learned valuable lessons about my home country and made new friends along the way.
