The Underrated Beauty of Staying In

Our area was recently hit with some pretty epic snowfall. The news stations were asking people to stay off the roads unless absolutely necessary, and some areas were even fining people for going out unless their vehicles were equipped with 4-wheel drive and snow tires. We’re starting to thaw out now, but things were pretty rough for a couple weeks post-Christmas.

I was pretty shocked by how many people either disregarded the warnings and went out anyway, or complained about going stir-crazy having to stay home. Me? I was perfectly happy to stay in for days on end, not because I had to, but because why risk it? 

What is it about this hustle-and-bustle world that makes people think they always have to leave their house to feel accomplished, or to cure their boredom? If anything, I feel like I should stay home more. There is always lots to do, and even if I run out of chores, I have piles of books I want to read or projects I would like to work on.

I’m sure after two or three weeks, a trip to the store might be nice, but it takes quite a while for me to feel stir-crazy.

Times like these also make me very grateful for having a well-stocked pantry. We could do better (#2018goals!), but I’m still proud that we don’t have to run to the store in a panic when a blizzard is predicted. I have the luxury of hunkering down and knowing I have supplies on hand.

Joel Salatin often talks about the normalcy of a home larder, such as in his book Folks, This Ain’t Normal:

The first supermarket supposedly appeared on the American landscape in 1946. That is not very long ago. Until then, where was all the food? Dear folks, the food was in homes, gardens, local fields, and forests. It was near kitchens, near tables, near bedsides. It was in the pantry, the cellar, the backyard.

Food security is not in the supermarket. It’s not in the government. It’s not at the emergency services division. True food security is the historical normalcy of packing it in during the abundant times, building that in-house larder, and resting easy knowing that our little ones are not dependent on next week’s farmers’ market or the electronic cashiers at the supermarket.

And he’s right. This stuff isn’t normal. So much running around. So much chaos. So much over-scheduling and under-preparing. Thoughts only of the NOW and not to the future. Maybe it’s the “new normal”? If that’s the case, I’m opting out and choosing my own path, even if the hustle and bustle world doesn’t get it.

How about you? Are you a go-go-go person, or a homebody? Somewhere in between?