10 Signs That You Might Be a Homebody

I have a confession that will make me look supremely uncool. I’m a homebody. It’s not an easy thing to admit in a go-go society where “more is more” and social media favors movers and shakers.

But it’s true, and I was probably born this way. Even as a kid, I’d go on sleepovers at a friend’s house and almost always come down with some kind of virus the second I got back home – as if my body was rebelling against the separation from my own bed.

One time in middle school, I went on a church youth group mission trip to Mexico, but the bus broke down on the side of the interstate on the way there – proof that even the universe conspires to keep me close to home.

And my guess is that there are plenty of people out there who are a lot like me. Here are 10 signs you might be a homebody:

1. Having no plans for the weekend is your favorite kind of plan. Our more adventurous friends probably feel sorry for us when we say we don’t have plans for the weekend. But on the rare times when we don’t have an extracurricular event, kid birthday party, or tournament to attend, we’re more than happy to stay home and only venture out for restaurant food and a movie.
2. You like nature but in small doses and preferably from a safe distance. Camping is not on the list of things I do. I tried it a few times in high school and always had the distinct feeling I was doing something ridiculous – sleeping in a bag on the ground, listening to some random woodland creature scratch against the side of our tent. My philosophy is this: If living in tents in the woods was so great, we’d all still be living there. Houses are better.
3. You might be a homebody if you don’t need to sail around the world to appreciate the ocean. You also don’t need to climb a mountain to appreciate the view. We homebodies feel like we can marvel at the wonders of the world, just from looking at photos of them on our screensavers. (We do, however, appreciate the adventurers who go shoot those pictures.)
4. You unpack in hotel rooms. My husband thinks it’s silly – the way I take almost everything out of my suitcase and put it away in hotel room drawers, if only for a couple of nights. But I think it makes a nondescript hotel room feel more like home.
5. Hotels don’t feel like a luxurious experience. Perhaps I’m not staying in the right places, but I rarely find a hotel to be more comfortable than my own bed and bathroom at home. Plus, is it just me or does anyone else find it disturbing that someone has folded the hotel’s toilet paper into a perfect point? Generally speaking, I don’t want strangers practicing origami on my toilet paper.
6. You order the same thing in restaurants. The tendency to have a favorite dish at a handful of favorite restaurants doesn’t automatically mean you’re a homebody. But I’ve seen a connection between those of us who have a few “go-to” menu selections and those of who appreciate a smaller serving of faraway adventure.
7. You really miss your dog when you’re gone. Sure, some people may accuse you of having a co-dependent relationship with your dog, but that’s okay. They don’t understand you the way the dog does – and the dog fully supports your love of home.
8. You root for the chance to be snowed in for a few days. When the kids watch the forecast in hopes for a chance of snow, I’m wishing nearly as hard as they are. There’s something supremely peaceful about being in a cozy, warm house while the outside world quiets down under a blanket of white.
9. You have a collection of pajama pants. If you don’t have a collection, you have at least one pair you look forward to putting on when you get home. (Please note, however, that I would never wear my beloved pajama pants to Wal-Mart. Even homebodies have standards.)
10. You secretly like the trip back home. You know how most people find that, after a vacation, the car ride or the flight back home is a real drag? We homebodies are always a little bit thrilled to be heading back to our favorite place.

Gwen Rockwood is a mom to three great kids, wife to one exceptionally good man, a newspaper columnist and co-owner of nwaMotherlode.com.