Almost everyone has experienced what it is like to miss the place from which we came. To miss the feeling of a sibling’s embrace, the smell of your mother’s freshly baked cookies, or the sound of your dog pawing up the stairs. The warmth and familiarities of our childhood home, the people in it, and the place in which it resides serves as a guidepost from which we base so many memories of growth, childhood, and friendship off. Thus, it comes as no surprise that students living abroad will feel the ache of missing family and friends, and the so-called ‘simpler times’ – especially as the days get shorter and the work piles up.

Coping with homesickness is troublesome enough. Recently, however, it has grown in tandem with our reliance on technology. Through this entanglement with the digital world, we experience the paradoxical nature of being more connected than ever, yet at times, still feel disconnection and loneliness.

With the presence of cellphones in our daily lives, you can call home, FaceTime a friend, scroll through social media to see what people you knew in high school are up to – all within a Metro ride home from campus. Connection is immediate. At the touch of our fingertips, we can be transported. However, this instantaneous quality of technology also leads us to spend a disproportionate amount of time indulging in images on a screen, reminiscing about the past, and places we cannot physically return to at the moment. Tethering to the past restricts our ability to live in the present and furthers the loop of nostalgia that so often ensnares those who experience homesickness. But is this use of technology all bad? To what extent does it help or hinder the feeling of missing home?

Through one lens, the ability to use technology as a vessel to stay connected to home is a gift. I can’t count the number of times a random call to my sister made my day. A steady reassurance comes from the fact that no matter how far away in distance you might be, home is just one phone call away. We are also able to sustain memories and revisit moments through our camera rolls, or even indirectly check in on old friends from high school through their social media. Sometimes, that’s enough to feel close again, to feel home again, even if it’s for a fleeting moment.

However, like many things, this convenient comfort has its downsides. There is a dark side to this digital connection due to its ability to induce FOMO and create stagnation in our lives. While getting glimpses of home and reaching out to loved ones online is lovely, we might start to find ourselves becoming overconsumed by our need to feel connected. This overconsumption can prevent us from engaging in relationships and experiences the world around us has to offer. We may avoid new face-to-face interactions in favour of old ones, restrain from deepening our friendships, trying out new experiences, so much so that we miss the many opportunities in front of us. All of which further get us stuck in a loop where our coping strategy of dealing with one form of loneliness has created another. In short, the more we look back, the more we get lost.

Ultimately, in spite of the adverse implications, technology serves as a useful tool to navigate feelings of homesickness if used in a balanced and healthy manner. Rather than using homesickness as an excuse to withdraw and focus on the past, it can be used as motivation to accept and take on our future. The void we feel when we miss home can be the fuel that drives us to make new friends, establish new routines, and create new memories. These actions are not about replacing the old life with a new one; they are about growing to create your own sense of belonging and security wherever you go. Reframing our perspective to view the grief of letting go as an inherent part of growth can further aid us in this journey. The experience of homesickness, after all, is rooted in love. When we let go of things we love, grief inevitably follows. This is a simple truth: love and grief are two sides of the same coin. To be able to know the warmth of your grandmother’s hug, you must know the absence of her arms. To be able to know the sanctuary of your childhood bedroom, you must experience what it is like to be miles from it. Instead of letting ourselves sit in this longing, we can consider it a privilege; a privilege to have such fond memories, relationships, and places to cherish.

No matter the physical distance that may separate you from your home, the people and places you love will always be with you in some form. Experiencing homesickness is not a sign to cling to the past but to move forward with the understanding that your memories are always yours to hold. You can move through your world with the motivation to create new people and places to love whilst treasuring the old ones, knowing that nothing is ever really gone.

The post Reframing Homesickness appeared first on The McGill Daily.

Powerful words from a powerful artist.

Attention all McGillian music lovers – Mohawk singer-songwriter Shawnee Kish has released her latest single “Reclaim.” This empowering anthem details Kish’s journey of resilience and healing in reclaiming her sense of self, and has yet again served as a demonstration of why her work deserves a spot on your current playlist. “Reclaim” is a window into Kish’s personal experience with embracing her heritage. Her journey in transforming suffering into strength is embedded within the song’s powerful lyricism. “Reclaim”  highlights the intricacies of the Indigenous experience in contemporary society and serves as a rallying call for the reclamation of Indigenous stories. Kish’s moving and soulful voice commands for past narratives to be redefined into stories of pride and perseverance that must be listened to. 

As we observe McGill’s 14th annual Indigenous Awareness Weeks, running from September 19 through  October 2, the significance of Kish’s message becomes even more apparent. Celebrated at McGill since 2011, Indigenous Awareness Weeks have fostered spaces to honour, celebrate, and uplift Indigenous cultures both in and outside of our school community. Through hosting events, welcoming guest speakers, and providing opportunities for engagement, these Indigenous Awareness Weeks call to mind the significance and value of recognizing Indigenous perspectives and contributions both to our school, and our community at large. I would highly recommend that you keep up with the events offered by McGill’s Office of Indigenous Initiatives. Some of these events from the past few weeks included McGill’s Annual Pow Wow, the Lacrosse Legacy Game, and a farmer’s market contributed to and presented by Indigenous artisans and artists. You can also participate by incorporating more Indigenous artists into your daily life. By spotlighting artists like Kish, who provide avenues to gain an understanding of Indigenous perspectives, we amplify voices and histories integral to our ongoing work towards understanding and reconciliation.  

Accoladed as a “Musician You Need to Know” by Billboard, it is clear that Shawnee Kish is not an artist to miss. Originally from Welland Ontario, Kish is a two-spirit singer and lyricist  now based in Alberta. Growing up, music had a great impact on Kish in providing space for emotional release and solace in times of darkness. It was through singing and songwriting that during her experience with depression, Kish was able to navigate mental health struggles and find a renewed sense of strength. Kish’s vulnerability in her lyrics, evident in her latest EP Revolution, offers a space for reflection to listeners who have gone through, or are currently going through similar experiences. I’m sure we can all attest to the fact that connecting with art – music in particular  – in times of sadness provides profound comfort. We feel listened to. We feel understood. We feel we are not alone. 

When interviewed on the intention behind sharing such personal  experiences with her listeners, Kish expressed that using her music as a vessel  is her purpose and strength. She added:

“All of the sudden I had this […] purpose […]  ‘I can share what I’ve been through, I can share what I’ve gone through’ and that is a reason to be here. That is my strength.” 

Shawnee Kish has been professionally sharing her music with the world since early 2021. In just four years time, Kish has garnered over 10,000 monthly listeners on Spotify and released a total of 13 projects encompassing everything from singles to EPs. Her debut and self-titled EP Shawnee Kish, released in 2021, contains six tracks that successfully introduce her style and sound. Kish’s music is a powerful, soulful mix of contemporary pop and rock. Her 11 singles stick true to this genre. They focus on a variety of topics from empowerment, individuality, grief, and acceptance, to love. Kish’s 2024 single “Dear Dad” pays homage to her late father, honouring him through a touching and heartfelt piece. The song opens with an overlay of an old recording of her father’s voice, setting the tone for a capsule-like composition that memorializes her father’s impact, while showing  the ongoing place he  holds in her heart. This is all followed by her most recent release “Reclaim:” an essential example of voicing  the stories of Indigenous strength and resiliency. 

Shawnee Kish’s work has caught the ears of critics and listeners worldwide, leaving her with many awards. Kish won CBC’s 2020 Searchlight talent competition and was named by MTV as one of North America’s Top Gender Bending Artists. Her critically acclaimed work led her to being nominated for the 2022 JUNO’s Contemporary Indigenous Artist of the Year, with two more JUNO nominations in the categories of  Contemporary Indigenous Artist Of The Year and Adult Alternative Album Of The Year for her 2023 EP Revolution. 

Kish’s dedication in the studio extends to her advocacy work, particularly in the sectors of mental health, Indigenous, and 2SLGBTQ+ awareness. In 2023, Kish participated in a recording of “What I Wouldn’t Do,” a charity single by Serena Ryder released to support the Kids Help Phone’s Feel Out Loud campaign for youth mental health. In addition to this, she created and performed “Music Is My Medicine,” with the National Arts Centre Orchestra for Undisrupted – a  CBC Gem series that showcases the talents, struggles, and stories of Indigenous youth.

Ultimately, I hope this quick snippet into Shawnee Kish’s brilliance has given you more than enough reason as to why she should be on your listening radar. Her passionate lyricism in partnership with her powerful voice and authentic messages deem her an accomplished artist not-to-be-missed, with a promising future ahead.

The post Shawnee Kish’s New Must-Listen Single “Reclaim” appeared first on The McGill Daily.