The May Tension
It is mid-May, 2026. On campus, the atmosphere is a thick mix of caffeine-fueled exhaustion and electric anticipation. We are currently in the depths of final exams week the final hurdle before the semester closes and the gates to summer vacation swing open. For the majority of the student body, the first week of June represents a mass exodus: a time of packing suitcases, booking airport shuttles, and counting the minutes until they are reunited with their families. However, this year, the calendar brings a specific emotional challenge. As students prepare to head home, the holy season of Eid al-Adha approaches. For many, it is a time of sacrifice, reflection, and massive family gatherings. But for the international student who cannot afford the ticket home, or whose circumstances keep them anchored in a foreign land, the joy of Eid and the arrival of summer only serve to highlight their isolation.
I sat down with a student from Nigeria to discuss this specific burden. As her peers post countdowns to their June flights on social media, she sits in the quiet center of a storm of homesickness. This conversation is a window into the heart of a young woman standing at the crossroads of her future and her past during one of the most emotional months of the academic year.
Interviewer : I am so incredibly grateful you’re sitting down with me today, especially during the chaos of finals week! Everyone is so focused on finishing exams and catching those early June flights. I want to start at the very beginning of this journey. Tell me, what was your very first holiday that you celebrated far from home? How did that feel in those first moments?
Student: The first holiday I celebrated here was the summer holiday. Back home, we do not really celebrate summer holidays the way people here celebrate it. However, I would say that my first summer here was very difficult. Especially when everyone is traveling back home, the town becomes quiet and feels empty. At that point, I realized how much I needed my family, I just wanted to be close to them, but I could not. It was the first major holiday I spent without them and I felt deeply sad. I wasn’t able to enjoy anything the intense summer heat made everything worse. Spending such a lonely summer in a foreign country was emotionally overwhelming. At that moment, nothing else mattered to me; all I wanted was to be home with my family.
Interviewer : That transition sounds so heavy, especially when you see the campus empty out in June. To cope with that silence, have you been able to create any new traditions with friends or other international students here to fill that void?
Student: I have not.
Interviewer : I appreciate your honesty. It’s hard to build “new” when the “old” is what you crave. Does the longing for home fade through time? As more holidays pass ,like the upcoming Eid do you find you get used to this new life?
Student: The longing for home has not disappeared even now, that feeling still lingers. Whenever I hear friends say they have booked their flights home for early June, I feel a deep sadness. I always wish I was the one preparing to go home. I really haven’t gotten used to any new life yet; I am still trying and working on that, but it will take time.
Interviewer: Watching people pack their bags while you’re studying for finals must be so tough. Have you ever felt particularly lonely during a holiday abroad? What was the moment that made it feel most difficult for you?
Student: Last New Year’s holiday was especially difficult. Back home, New Year is always a lively and joyful experience it is one of the few times I get to see my extended relatives. Spending Christmas here was completely different. I realized I was alone; I did not really have close friends, and my family was far away. I was unable to return home to celebrate with them. That day I did not want to do anything. I stayed home in my room and cried. I went online and posted a few things to distract myself, but deep down, I knew the real reason was that I missed home.
Interviewer: That’s so brave to admit. Sometimes the screen is the only company we have. Do you try to recreate your family’s holiday traditions here, or do you find yourself celebrating completely differently now?
Student: I have not created any family holiday traditions here. In my family, we do not have elaborate traditions, we usually travel to our hometown and spend the holiday with relatives. Since I do not have the same resources or close family here, I have not been able to recreate that experience.
Interviewer: Without the “village,” the tradition can feel empty. What about the local culture? Have you participated in or learned about any holidays, perhaps the local Eid celebrations? since moving abroad?
Student: I have not also participated in holidays from other cultures, although I would love to if given the opportunity. I am not usually the type to join many activities, but I would be open to experiencing something new.
Interviewer: If you could spend one holiday anywhere this year, maybe this upcoming Eid or the summer break, where would it be and who would be by your side?
Student: If I had the opportunity, I would spend every holiday back home in Nigeria with my family and friends. I would not trade that for anything.
Interviewer : Nigeria sounds so vibrant. When you compare the two environments, what are the biggest differences in how joy is expressed during the holidays?
Student: Back home, holidays truly felt like holidays. Even though I don’t celebrate Christmas, I would usually hear music everywhere; people celebrating and the atmosphere is always full of joy. It gives me a feeling I really can’t explain. Here, however, it feels very different. Since the majority of the people here are Muslim, Christmas is not widely celebrated in the same way. There are no decorations or music to remind you. It often feels like just another ordinary day.
Interviewer: Is there a specific family tradition you realized you took for granted before you moved away? Maybe those trips to your hometown?
Student: Yes, the one where we travel to our hometown. Sometimes I didn’t always want to go, even when my parents forced me. I didn’t usually take anything seriously. I just realized now how much I missed those times and should have treasured them. Now I will not get to see them for at least a year or thereabout.
Interviewer : If you had to pick one smell, food, or activity that instantly transports you back home, what would it be?
Student: When I see students on campus with their luggage, about to take the bus to the airport during summer, it instantly reminds me of home. Just watching them alone remind me of how much I miss traveling with my family.
Interviewer: Finally, for the students currently finishing high school and getting ready to travel abroad , if you could give them a piece of advice what would it be?
Student: My advice to anyone planning to travel abroad is simple: spend as much time as possible with your family and friends before you leave. I didn’t have that opportunity; in fact, I did not even see my parents and siblings during the week before I traveled. Take photographs, create memories,
go out together, and enjoy meaningful moments with people you love. When you move abroad, you will miss them more than you can ever imagine. Those pictures will become priceless. If possible, always visit home at least once a year during the summer. Summer can be one of the loneliest and most challenging times for international students. No matter how exciting studying abroad may seem, being separated from your family during holidays can be one of the hardest parts of the experience.
Interviwer: Thank you so much for coming here and sharing your thoughts on what every International student feels when holiday seasons arrive and thank you for your time.
Student: You’re welcome i’m glad to be sharing these ideas it reminds me i’m not alone and we all (international students) are going through the same thing.
In conclusion
As we concluded our talk, the sounds of students outside the window discussing exam answers and June flight times seemed louder than before. There is a specific kind of bravery required to admit that you are struggling when everyone around you is celebrating a “break.” As the interviewer, I walked away from this conversation deeply changed. As I prepare for my own summer travel in a couple of weeks, I realized I had been overlooking the simple, profound gift of a return ticket. I was stressing about exams, while the woman sitting across from me was stressing about the silence that follows them.
This interview is a reminder to treasure the “forced” family trips and the chaos of a hometown holiday. To those of us heading to the airport in June: hold your loved ones closer. To those staying behind for the long, hot summer and the quiet Eid: your strength is recognized, and your memories are the bridge that will eventually carry you home.
