Homebodies Revealed

“It’s good to be home, you’re never alone, it’s always a day of Christmas.”

Now that is an original song by yours truly, created at the age of seven. That song deems interesting for a variety of reasons, but mostly because it was not in fact Christmas at the time the song was self-produced. There is a point in sharing that extremely embarrassing tune with the public, but right now I’m simply thankful I didn’t pursue a music career instead of attending college.

As long as I can remember, I’ve been an extreme homebody. What is a homebody? According to Urban Dictionary, an extremely reliable and scholarly source for my research—“Homebody (n): A person who enjoys the warmth and simple pleasures of being at home. I’m a homebody, I don’t want to go out; just come over and I’ll make you dinner.” And while I’m not a huge fan of the whole cooking idea quite yet, I assume some homebodies would enjoy the act.

It’s not that I don’t want to go out. And it’s not that I’d rather have individuals come over to my house so that I do not have to expose my face to the sunlight as if I’m hiding a secret vampire double life.

I just love being home.

I love my family, lying in sweats and watching movies, simply relaxing, and having no place to be. Of course, a life of that would most definitely become extremely boring and monotonous, so it’s always great to have those nights of fun and craziness with your friends.

But honestly, how great is Netflix? And your bed? Really having separation anxiety at the library right now.

But this is college, so these homebody tendencies frequently must be hidden and internally shamed. Is it really that bad to be looking forward to the summer? Sleeping in your own bed, having meals cooked for you, and not having to beg friends for quarters in order to do your laundry? No, not bad at all. Sounds more like a luxury than a burden, quite honestly. Yet as the summer approaches, so does sadness on the university campuses. Heaven forbid a few months where blurred memories and the constant chugging of water doesn’t consume lives! The change of scenery is definitely an adjustment, but also one that should be enjoyed.

Independence is a necessity in life, yet it’s always great to be a little pampered, right? Too often at school do individuals sacrifice their own wants due to the desires of others. There’s always those nights when your friend is dying to go out and you stand in as the wingman, or the times you’re just too tired but also too easily convinced to go out. Sometimes those end up being the best nights, no doubt. But when you’re sacrificing your own sanity to take some pictures and act like you’re “so fun” at school on social media sites, it may be that time . . . that time to embrace your homebody nature once in a while.

With a short checklist, I’ve provided some key signs of homebodies below. If you’re still on the edge about your current identity, the checklist may come in handy.

1. You get separation anxiety from your bed.
2. You keep up with your television shows unlike any other college student.
3. You enjoy being pampered on a daily basis, and most importantly, not moving.
4. Food delivery is one of the best creations you’ve experienced.
5. You’ve answered, “I just can’t” too many times when asked about nightly plans.
6. “Lazy” is a common adjective when others describe you.
7. You have prematurely contemplated reasons to why you can’t leave the house tonight.
8. You imagine yourself to be Olivia Pope—her wine nights seem classy.
9. If you don’t have a significant amount of time to put together an outfit, you give up.
10. You’ve cried alone to way too many movies while, and not while going through a breakup.

If more than three apply to you, and that’s a completely random number I’m just throwing out there, then you definitely obtain some homebody symptoms. Don’t let your face turn flush red; this isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Maybe it’s time to take advantage of the homebody ways. Free food, anyone? And next time your friends start complaining about going home for the summer, maybe sing them that little tune. Or don’t if you want any type of social life. Maybe it could be sort of an internal chant.