# The opposite of homesickness? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 24, 2010, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-homesickness/533683 "2010-03-24T23:13:16Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-homesickness/533683/1 "2010-03-24T23:13:16Z")
Homesickness is the feeling you have when you’re away from home and miss being there. What is it called when you are home, and miss someplace you’ve been to, e.g. when I miss being in Paris? ---
**Author:** ![Markxxx](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/5daacb/32.png) [@Markxxx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Markxxx)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-homesickness/533683/2 "2010-03-24T23:56:33Z")
How about [ul] [li]Longing?[/li][li]Pining?[/li][li]Yearning?[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![cardinal\_fang](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cardinal_fang/32/15316_2.png) [@cardinal\_fang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cardinal_fang)\ **Post date:** [March 24, 2010, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-homesickness/533683/3 "2010-03-24T23:59:44Z")
[Farsickness](http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/Fernweh)? ---
**Author:** ![AdmiralCrunch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/6f9a4e/32.png) [@AdmiralCrunch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AdmiralCrunch)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 12:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-homesickness/533683/4 "2010-03-25T00:05:26Z")
Wanderlust? ---
**Author:** ![SmartAlecCat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/67e7ee/32.png) [@SmartAlecCat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SmartAlecCat)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-homesickness/533683/5 "2010-03-25T00:28:47Z")
Not quite what you’re looking for, but the opposite of homesickness is cabin fever. ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [March 25, 2010, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-homesickness/533683/6 "2010-03-25T00:39:42Z")
I dunno what it’s called, but I live it every single day. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![JoelUpchurch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f05b48/32.png) [@JoelUpchurch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JoelUpchurch)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-homesickness/533683/7 "2010-03-26T00:15:55Z")
I’m reminded of George Clooney’s character, Ryan Bingham, in “Up In The Air”. He defined “Home” as where he was most comfortable, so that he defined traveling as his “home”. The Airports, Airplanes and hotels were his home. When he had to go back to Omaha, was when he was homesick. If you define home as where you are most comfortable, then there should no opposite of homesick. ---
**Author:** ![DesertDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/desertdog/32/11503_2.png) [@DesertDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DesertDog)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 5:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-homesickness/533683/8 "2010-03-26T05:40:40Z")
> [@JoelUpchurch](#): > > If you define home as where you are most comfortable, then there should no opposite of homesick. It’s still homesick. “Boy, am I homesick!” “But you _live_ at home.” “Yeah, and I’m sick of it!” ---
**Author:** ![jackdavinci](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackdavinci/32/3259_2.png) [@jackdavinci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackdavinci)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 7:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-homesickness/533683/9 "2010-03-26T07:29:33Z")
2nd vote for wanderlust! ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 7:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-homesickness/533683/10 "2010-03-26T07:50:55Z")
Hmmm…cabin fever means you just want to get out of where you are. Wanderlust is a desire to travel and explore, but isn’t specific to a particular location. What about pining, as in ‘pining for the fjords’? ---
**Author:** ![matt\_mcl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/7ab992/32.png) [@matt\_mcl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/matt_mcl)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-homesickness/533683/11 "2010-03-26T08:05:13Z")
\*Why is it, when I am in Rome, I’d give an eye to be at home, But when on native soil I be My soul is sick for Italy? And why with you, my love, my lord, Am I spectacularly bored, But do you up and leave me, then I scream to have you back again?\* - Dorothy Parker ---
**Author:** ![enipla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/54ee81/32.png) [@enipla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/enipla)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-homesickness/533683/12 "2010-03-26T12:54:30Z")
Cabin fever sort of works. ---
**Author:** ![panache45](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/panache45/32/64_2.png) [@panache45](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panache45)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 1:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-homesickness/533683/13 "2010-03-26T13:22:48Z")
No, cabin fever and wanderlust don’t refer to missing a particular place. I think “nostalgic” is the closest, as long as it can apply to places as well as times. ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-homesickness/533683/14 "2010-03-26T13:27:33Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > Hmmm…cabin fever means you just want to get out of where you are. Wanderlust is a desire to travel and explore, but isn’t specific to a particular location. What about pining, as in ‘pining for the fjords’? But the Norwegian Blue Parrot allegedly came from the fjords, so if it was “pining for the fjords”, it was homesick. My vote is for “wanderlust” (an interesting example of a word taken directly from another language, but which looks like native English). But “cabin fever” is another kind of antonym which works in a way too. ---
**Author:** ![elbows](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/b3f665/32.png) [@elbows](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elbows)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-homesickness/533683/15 "2010-03-26T13:37:07Z")
I vote for wanderlust too! Homesick mightn’t mean your actual home, it might mean your hometown or homeland. Wanderlust might mean Paris, or Rome, or some other spot. ---
**Author:** ![campp](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/c5a1d2/32.png) [@campp](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/campp)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-homesickness/533683/16 "2010-03-26T13:38:38Z")
Cabin fever means “I gotta get out of here”. Particularly if others are at the core of the unhappiness. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 2:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-homesickness/533683/17 "2010-03-26T14:05:38Z")
Camp fever is about needing to get to deer camp. Cabin fever is about needing to get out of the isolation of the cabin. I’ve heard stories linking cabin fever and becoming a Wendigo. I believe Wanderlust is the closest phrase to what you want. ---
**Author:** ![Bytegeist](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/9dc877/32.png) [@Bytegeist](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bytegeist)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-homesickness/533683/18 "2010-03-26T14:35:56Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > But the Norwegian Blue Parrot allegedly came from the fjords, so if it was “pining for the fjords”, it was homesick. _It’s **not** pining, it’s **passed on**!_ ---
**Author:** ![tdn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/94ad74/32.png) [@tdn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tdn)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-homesickness/533683/19 "2010-03-26T14:41:04Z")
> [@Harmonious\_Discord](#): > > Camp fever is about needing to get to deer camp. > > Cabin fever is about needing to get out of the isolation of the cabin. So what’s dance fever? ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [March 26, 2010, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-homesickness/533683/20 "2010-03-26T21:04:42Z")
> [@tdn](#): > > So what’s dance fever? A movie silly. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-opposite-of-homesickness/533683.md?page=2)