When I left Houston and moved to Los Angeles, the newness was awesome.

There was the dry, cool breeze, fun comedy shows, and the food was stellar.

After a while though, the novelty wore off.

I started to feel resentful, cynical, and mostly, homesick.

Being in my late 20s, I was a little embarrassed to admit I was homesick.

This isnt summer camp, this is life!

And Im a full-grown adult!

Were supposed to make new friends, forge new lives.

But the truth is, even now, in my 30s, I occasionally get homesick.

But its okay, and Ive learned how to cope.

I was angry at my family for not visiting often enough.

I was judgmental of the people I met herethey were nothing like my friends back home.

So when were not feeling thisin our new environment, we might start to miss home.

When I moved here, I knew people, but they were all new to me.

Its hard to feel protected, loved, and secure with people you dont know very well.

Even if youlive for new places and experiences, the lack of familiarity can be surprisingly jarring.

Youre not used to coping with feelings of unfamiliarity.

Attitude:Sometimes homesickness can be a self-fulfilling prophecy.

If youre already prepared to feel uncomfortable in a new situation, you probably will.

Did you have to do it, or is this something you embraced?

Your homesickness depends on how your family reacts to the change, too.

When you live through it, you learn how to cope.

It was almost obsessive; it made me feel secure and safe.

But in doing this, I was prolonging my problem.

Remember,experienceis one of the four factors that impact how homesick you feel.

The more you get used tobeing away from home,the better you are at coping.

Allowing yourself to feel a little sad is a necessary part of moving forward.

Back home, people were friendlier, Id say.

Youd say hello to strangers walking down the street.

Cant do that in LA.

Which is true, but people back home had their faults, too, just like people anywhere do.

Not in my head, thoughnot while I was idealizing the past.

I came from a perfect place and this new place just wasnt as cool.

The grass is always greener on the other side of the country.

Heres an even better idea than just resisting nostalgia:try using it to your advantage.

Researchshows nostalgia can actually improve your idea of the futureand make you happier.

You just have to know how to harness in a way that it becomes productive instead of destructive.

AsPsychology Today points out, its all about how you focus your nostalgia.

Are you dwelling on the past, or are you focusing on how it can help your future?

People who see each good experience as permanently enriching are more likely to get a mood boost.

Recalled anticipation spices the moment, he says.

In short, nostalgia can be a pain, or it can make things better.

Its all about how you use it.

Whatever you might do to establish a sense of security your new home, the better.

That usually means making the new place your own.

And traditions dont have to be complicated.

But maybe your situation is temporary.

I felt this way years ago when I was in Europe by myself on Thanksgiving.

Interestingly, I also ran into other Americans doing the same thing, and that helped, too.

If youre feeling homesick, its nothing to be embarrassed about.