When I first went off to college, I went down to Oklahoma City. It was one of the happiest moments of my life. I was finally free from the ever-watchful eyes of my parents and could do what I wanted, when I wanted.

A few weeks passed by, and the feeling grew stale. I began missing home cooked meals, cable TV and having a place to just sit without my roommates bugging me. But above all that, I missed my girlfriend.

This may sound corny, but when I moved out I left behind a serious two-year relationship. Because I didn’t want the relationship dictate where I went to school, I left home.

For me, dealing with homesickness was easy. I just drove the two hours back home almost every weekend. Although it’s a workable solution, there are some negative side effects. Spending tons of money on gas and missing out on fun weekend activities hit me hard.

After awhile, I came to understand that I would have to move away from family some time. This realization helped my situation, but I still missed my girlfriend.

Instead of denying myself the trip home nearly every weekend, I went in a totally different direction: I transferred after the spring semester.

This was a risky move, even for having been dating the same person for three years. If things didn’t work out, I would have transferred for nothing and probably would have even transferred back to Oklahoma to get away from home again.

Luckily, it all worked out. We are living in Wichita and still dating two years later. My homesickness was cured, and I’m now brewing up a new sense of adventure to move far away from home without looking back.

When you’re dealing with homesickness, there are really only two permanent solutions: either get over it or move back home. Both have their pros and cons, but keep in mind that everyone moves out eventually.