Recently a friend commented on a mutual friends’ ( I’ll call her Susan) FB posts. Susan had posted in the last month about her trip to Paris, a cruise to Alaska, and a trip to New York. Friend said “Don’t you just feel mad with jealousy every time Susan posts lately”. And I said “Um, no. I keep thinking ‘Wow, that seems exhausting, doesn’t Susan ever want to be home.” My friend suggested that this feeling was really prototypical sour grapes. Nope. Here’s his I know I’m a homebody:
My homebody-ness has been life long. When I was eight years old my family went to Disneyland. I liked Disneyland. It was pretty amazing. But I have a vivid memory of being in a Disney restaurant and drinking out of a typical restaurant plastic cup and thining “we have such nice glasses at home. Drinks taste so much better in them. I can’t wait to go home and get to drink out of my glasses.
I can afford to travel and enjoy planning vacations but by day 2 I’m ready to go home. I miss my home, my bed, my stuff.
When I get home from a vacation or being away for any reason I spend the whole day feeling absolutely joyful that I’m home. This “high”lasts a few days.
The thought of a vacation longer than a week makes me feel panicky.
I’m never bored at home.
I never wish my feelings were different.
How about you? Homebody are not? If you are when did you realize it?
I’m a bit of a homebody too. I love to travel, but packing for a plane trip always sends me off into a PMS-like morass the day before I leave. The longer and more elaborate the trip, the worse it is.
I know to expect that this will happen and that lessens it. It doesn’t really happen for road trips but how long could I go on one of those anyway? And I could always turn around and come back.
Of course, coming back can be bad too. After a few depressing returns to a cluttered and dirty house, I make sure to clean up so that coming home is purely enjoyable. I looooove sinking into my own comfy bed!
I guess I could call myself a homebody especially in winter time when it gets cold and darker sooner.
In recent years I haven’t gone on vacations much but I have learned to enjoy the comfort of home. Everyday when I drive into my garage in the evening there is that settling in my heart that I am where I can be myself.
I don’t like staying overnight in someone else’s home. I like the comfort of my own bedroom and bathroom. My own tea cup in the morning when I turn the kettle on. For me home is my peaceful sanctuary where I relax and my mind is clear. It is very comforting and there is no place like home. In winter I will sit with a cozy blanket and a cup of tea and read into the night. I feel very content.
I don’t like to travel more than 4-5 days. I was in Europe this summer and was fine but by the end I was itching to get home. I also have no jealousy of those who travel more. Sometimes I get panicky when I’m away. I worry about our pets, etc.
I also find parties draining, along with most social events. I used to go to glamorous events for my job, and I thought they were cool, but, exhausting.
I think I’m an introvert. Does that go with being a homebody?
However, you’d probably never know it. I can be very social. I just love to be home!
Another proud homebody here. I remember a friend years ago talking about how much she loved her home and how she had made a haven for herself from the world. She was the first person I knew that was unashamedly happy at home. Listening to her, I lost any shame I had in being a homebody myself and embraced it. And I married a guy who feels the same way, although he gets bored more easily than I do.
I do think introversion and homebody-ness are related. If you need the energy of others, you will be out in the world soaking up that energy. If others sap your energy, you are more likely to retreat as needed.
Wow, maya, I’ve never heard anyone express their homebodyness that way! You sure love your home and that’s great. I think my H is a lot like you. He has his comfy chair, his own man cave/office, adjustable bed, etc. he putters around the house and never is bored or lacks stuff to do. Me? I have wanderlust and gets worse as my kids get older. I always ask my H, do you want to go to the movies or out to eat and he offers up a movie on demand. I ask if he wants to travel to see our son in New York and he’s like, well he’s coming home in a few months, I’ll see him then. So we have a great arrangement where I travel and he pays for it :))
I’ve gone on 3 vacations so far with one more trip this year and a big one to Europe next year. He has no desire to travel overseas and just loves to stay home. I love our home too but I love to see new places and have adventures. We have one son that’s like me and another that’s just like his dad…go figure!
I am definitely a homebody and an introvert. I can only stand small doses of adventure! I, too, am never bored at home. I haven’t even gone to bed tonight and already I can’t wait til I get home from work tomorrow!
Everyone in my family has traveled quite a bit but I’m definitely a homebody now, as are some of my family members. Several years ago, my mom won a cruise and when I congratulated her, she said, “First prize, one week on a cruise ship. Second prize, two weeks on a cruise ship.” She was happy to get home.
I don’t know if I’m a homebody, but I’ve come to accept about myself that travel to a foreign country is more stressful than fun for me, especially where I don’t speak the language. I’m not proud of it, but it is a fact. I like to travel in the US & Canada, though. And I do aspire to see Paris, London, and Greece.
I’m more of a homebody while at home – don’t get out a ton. If I’m out 1 evening a week, it is the high life for me. I go to work, hike on weekends if the weather allows, and swim. But it always feels like so much work to do more.
I’m in the middle I guess. I do love travel but like to space it out. I don’t mind being away for a week or two. I do seek out nice homes or apartments to rent a lot of the time when we do travel so that I can “nest” away from home. I like the extra space and amenities that come with it. Don’t stay in hotels too often these days.
When home, I can be quite content at just being home. I’m not a big fan of large social events. Cocktail type parties just feel like too much work to me. I can work the room but just don’t get a whole lot of joy out of it. Smaller, more intimate gatherings I do enjoy.
Love exploring my destinations on foot. Hate being stuck at the airports and packing. Do not mind road trips though - in the US. Driving in a foreign country? No thanks.
In the warmer months I do enjoy the outdoors and being in the sun. I love connecting with the beauty of nature but that would be a day trip or a weekend trip. I enjoy my trip to the farmer’s market on Sundays but then I spend the rest of the day chopping up everything so it is easy meal prep during the week. I also like planting flowers. I have only a balcony but I will grow herbs, and flowers. It just brings me peace seeing beauty in my home. It is comforting to be around familiar things. I like the idea posted above of staying in a home rental vs a hotel. Maybe that would more suit my personality.
That’s what husband is for. He loves it, especially if the speed limit is higher than the USA. He’s an excellent driver plus has a naturally good sense of direction. He probably should have been a race car driver.
I don’t like flying so there’s that. I have decided I will no longer go to parties because I don’t like them. Exceptions would include family events. I’d like to go to the Shetland Islands but can’t imagine what I’d do once I got there. My husband and I were just wondering why people go to resorts like Acapulco. What do they do all day? I have zero interest in seeing churches and cathedrals as apparently people do when visiting Europe. I guess I might like to visit London but apparently not enough to actually make plans to go there. Like others above, I am never bored at home.
We’ve driven around Cancun mainly getting the heck out of Cancun which we didn’t like at all. Rented a VW Bug and drove all over the Yucatan Peninsula on day trips to add some more authenticity to our trip than Senor Frogs had to offer. Costco doesn’t feature in our vacations since we don’t have one around us so it’s not part of our habit.
Good for you, dos. I have never had anyone throw rocks at my car… from another car. That was in those residential areas… We had to find that Costco because we had a foreign friend with us who had never been to Costco, googled the Cancun one, and insisted that we visited it. I agree - Cancun is to be avoided at all costs. Riviera Maya and Yucatán peninsula are fabulous. When someone else is driving you.
Mostly yes. I have just passed up a trip to India for a nephew’s wedding. H will be gone 2.5 weeks traveling
with his siblings. I have mixed feelings as while I know this would be an amazing experience I also know
my limits. So we shall see how this turns out. It is as much being too much with others for that long as the long plane
trip and knowing that H is going to get really sick over and over (his constitution)(not mine at all).
I began hiding to read at age 7. I now know that while I am super outgoing when with people that I mostly
choose not to be with people.
H comes from a family who likes to sit in the same room with their books and now laptops and just sit…and say something every so often and so on and on. I hate it. Either I am actually with you and engaging or just give me
my own privacy and space.
