Homesickness

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Is anyone out there homesick? Would anyone like to share their experience, or encourage someone else who may be where you once were? I am English, but five years ago I married my American man and moved to Massachusetts, USA. I have a great life and a great husband, but the strength of homesickness was a shock to me. Of course I expected it to a certain extent, but it floored me in a way I couldn't have imagined, and lasted longer. The things you miss, moving countries, are not so much the things you would expect. Yes, you miss friends, family, places, foods....but the biggest thing is harder to explain. Its the shared culture and experience of growing up in your home country that goes unspoken because its just there - and you don't realize it is so much a part of you until it is gone. For the first year or so, I tried not to be homesick and felt guilty - I didn't want to make my husband feel bad, and I figured I chose this, so I should get on with it. Probably the biggest thing I've learned it that its ok. I will probably always be a little homesick - England will probably always be 'home'. I will probably always get defensive if someone says something bad about it (do not get me started on the healthcare debate...lol)and thats ok, as long as I am still making a life here. And on really bad days, its ok to take some time out, watch some British tv, make a cup of tea, call a friend back home, and just FEEL it for a while. Then I can get up and face the world again, knowing I am lucky to have both worlds available to me. Please share your experiences, whether its moving house in your own area, moving states, moving countries or just dealing with loss in general.