I’d love to introduce a new series where I ask readers to join the conversation. Today’s question:
Do you go out or stay in?
Say you realize Friday night is coming up quickly and you have no plans. Do you scramble to make plans with friends, or do you look forward to a cozy night at home, maybe reading a good book or catching up on your favorite blogs?
My tendency is to stay in. But I have to fight it because I almost always am glad when I decide to get together with friends, and I’m often bummed when I stay in.
So I chose to actively seek out activities out of our apartment when my husband was recently out of town for a week —
- I went for a swim at the local university
- I made brunch plans with a friend in the neighborhood
- I took a day trip to Santa Cruz to catch up with an old friend
- I had dinner with my husband’s cousin’s family; they are our age and good friends
But, true to my nature, I also stuck to home some days, but this time I focused on staying busy —
- I cleaned out some bookshelves and drawers and got things ready for donation
- I worked on this blog 🙂
- I watched Mad Men (which I am still not quite caught up on!) since my husband doesn’t care for it
The balance proved to be a good one for me, and although it didn’t always sound appealing in the moment, I was always so, so glad when I got together with other people. So the lesson for me was this:
Seek out time with friends, even when you may be feeling lazy. You will almost always be glad you did.
I’d love to hear you weigh in: If you have a weekend home alone, or a quickly approaching Friday night with no plans, do you lie low at home? Or do you immediately pick up the phone to make plans? How does it work for you?
(Photo credit: Mazzali, Flickr)
operation happier 