There is always going to be a party somewhere, especially in college. There are those people in life who love going to all of the parties, there are those who will occasionally go out and then there are people like me. The ones who would much rather stay home on the couch in sweatpants and a sweatshirt over going out to a party and have to actually get dressed. These people rarely go to parties because going to parties isn't an ideal way to spend their time but, when they do, it's usually for a special occasion. More often than not, these homebodies are made to feel like they should be ashamed of their decision to stay in or made to feel bad that they won't join their friends, thinking that what they were choosing to do with their lives was the wrong decision.
I am a homebody, and I am not ashamed to admit that. It's just a lifestyle that I happen to enjoy quite a lot. And I've come to realize that it is completely OK to be a homebody, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that. Ever since I got to high school, I started to hear about parties or just "get togethers" almost every weekend. I'll be the first to admit that I didn't get invited to most, and that was alright with me. But, it's that part of my life that I think started to develop my homebody lifestyle. I would stay at home cuddled up on the couch watching movies while my friends were out partying with a bunch of people. And that's just how I liked it.
But, when I got to college, I realized that there was almost always a party somewhere, in the dorms, an apartment, a house, everywhere. It dawned on me that my homebody lifestyle might not work in college and had the potential to drive some of my friends away. So, during my freshman year, I kind of tried to hide my love of being a homebody by going out in the beginning of the year and partying like anyone else would. But after going out only a few times, I realized that doing this and being at a party just wasn't me and I wasn't ever enjoying myself, even with all of my friends surrounding me. So I slowly began to decline going out and I would stay in my dorm room where I felt "at home" and more myself. After a few times, I started to feel bad for turning down social time with my friends and I felt like it seemed that I never wanted to spend time with them. But, with all of that making me feel ashamed for being a homebody, I didn't want to have to pretend that going out was something that I enjoyed; it just wasn't who I was.
I realized that it was, and is, OK to be a homebody. You can't make everyone happy, but it is your job to make yourself happy. If being at parties makes you happy, continue to do that. But, if being a homebody makes you happy, do that. Don't be ashamed of wanting to stay home when everyone else wants to party. Don't pretend to be someone you aren't for fear of being pressured into going or made to feel bad or ashamed.
It's OK to be a homebody.
