Confessions of a Homebody
Truth time! I love being at home. While travel is a love of mine, and I promote that lifestyle often, the plain truth is: I. Am. A. Homebody.
To me, there’s nothing better than coming home after a day at the office and either getting to work on “Zabette things” or curling up on the couch with a cup of tea and turning on Netflix. Like most mid-westerners, winter is my prime-time for not wanting to leave my cozy home.
Sometimes being a homebody has a negative connotation, but I don’t think there’s anything wrong with enjoying the space you get to call your own. When I’m not getting ready for, or on an epic adventure, I enjoy being my very introverted self. It’s not to say I don’t enjoy going out with my friends or meeting new people, but I recharge best when I’m able to dive deep into my own head in a comfortable setting. (Just as I am while writing this.)
An unfortunate side-effect of being a natural homebody, is often homesickness. I have a few ways that I combat these feelings of loneliness while i’m on the road:
Have a an hour or two to yourself and watch a couple pre-downloaded shows on Netflix or another streaming app to give yourself time to relax or get your mind off things. Keeping a limit to only pre-downloaded episodes will limit your time on the app and giving yourself a time limit of say - an hour - should be long enough to reset, and if it’s not and you’re having a bad day, it’s okay to stay in too. don’t let other people make you feel guilty about how you want to spend your time.
Download Headspace App. I recently started using this app and it’s guided meditations have been a great help to me when I feel anxious or any other range of emotions.
Take yourself on a date. When you’re on the road alone, sometimes the best cure is to take a walk by yourself and find a little cafe or restaurant you can take a book in, or listen to a podcast on your headphones.
So, while you may feel both equal parts ‘at home’ in a new place as well as in your own home, know that no matter where you are, if you start to feel homesick, it’s natural, and you’re not the only one feeling that way.