Heimweh and the dreaded “W-Curve”

I realised today that I’ve been here in Germany for more than a month. I flew here on the 31st August and it is now the 1st October. That in itself is a huge achievement. However this has been one of the hardest weeks for me so far.
Before we all departed on our year abroads, our university subjected us to a series of monotonous lectures in hope of preparing us for the positive and negative experiences which were to follow. In one lecture they introduced us to the “W-curve”, a representation of how our emotions would fluctuate during our time away from home. At the beginning we are happy and excited because everything is new, but then we crash down to reality as we realise that this is not a holiday and struggle to adapt to our new surroundings (i.e. culture shock). Then we settle in and enjoy ourselves, thus our emotions become more positive. Then we get home sick and then finally we except everything and are forever happy and content.
Now I like to refer to it as the “M-curve”. My first days in Germany were far from joyous. I spent all of my free time crying and contemplating giving up and returning to the UK.After the first week my perspective changed. I calmed down and I was able to take in the beauty of Marburg. I made amazing friends who kept me busy and I began to think of what a shame it was that I would only be here for 6 months.
So why the sudden change of heart? Why has this week been so hard?
Last week an amazing person from home visited me. Someone very close to my heart and I think it was waving goodbye to him at the departure gate that triggered off the negative perspective on being abroad. Ever since Saturday night I’ve wanted to go home. I want my mum and my dad. I want my siblings. Basically I’m homesick or as they say here “Ich habe Heimweh”. Being ill this week hasn’t helped either, nor has the absence of my closest friend here (she's off visiting family up north for 5 days). i know that things will get better, I know that these feelings will pass. I just don’t have anything to keep me busy at the moment and that is what is killing me.
God damn you year abroad, GOD DAMN YOU!