Halloween has always been one of my favorite holidays, and it is undeniably one of my favorite things about Autumn. I honestly can't even imagine someone not liking Halloween, as it's a holiday that can be fun for people of all ages, and for both introverts and extraverts. Seriously, it's not just a children's holiday, nor is it just a partiers holiday. Halloween is a fun holiday for anyone who likes to have a little bit of fun, get creative, and who appreciate a good scare every now and then. Although, as someone who has a slightly "emo" or "gothic" side, and who happens to have an October birthday, I may be a little bit biased. I suppose there are some people out there who wouldn't take any pleasure in the festivities of Halloween and don't find it fun, but I am most certainly not one of those people. I absolutely love Halloween, and I always like to do at least a little something to celebrate it every year, even if I'll be celebrating it entirely on my own. That being said, as an introverted homebody, I often do end up celebrating it on my own at home, so I know quite a few ways to enjoy Halloween to it's fullest potential right from home.

Although I may have some mixed feelings about Autumn, it is a beautiful and wonderful season, and I certainly look forward to it. But honestly, who doesn't (at least somewhat) look forward to the Fall time? Even as a Summertime girl, I look forward to all of the marvelous things that Autumn has to offer; the aesthetic, the sweaters, the food, the hot drinks, the festivities, just to name a few things. Summer might be my favorite season, but I love Autumn too, especially as an introvert who (mostly) prefers to stay home, even under normal, non-2020, types of circumstances. It seems to be a lot more socially acceptable to stay in during the Fall than it is during the Summer. Or at least, it seems that way to me. I don't even know how many times I've heard some version of "get outside and enjoy the lovely weather" during the Summertime in pre-2020 years. Plus, many people tend to associate Summer with going to theme parks, beaches, festivals, parties, or purely getting out of the house more, in general. Autumn, however, typically offers a lot for both introverts and extroverts alike.

I'm not going to lie to you; I was looking forward to stepping outside of my comfort zone partaking in some Autumnal activities outside the house this year. I sincerely wanted to visit my local apple orchard and check out their Autumnal festival, as I have never really checked it out, even though it's within easy walking distance of where I live, but 2020 is proving to not be the year for that. Even if the government does give the thumbs up for Autumnal festivals to go on, I wouldn't feel great about going this year, even though Fall festivals are primarily outdoor events. It just doesn't seem necessary (or responsible) to go to any type of event this year, indoor or outdoor, even if I wore a mask. So needless to say, I'll once again be enjoying the Fall time from home this year.

I'm just going to come right out and say it, I was not popular when I was in school, at all. I'm sure many people can relate to that, but I wasn't just unpopular, I was an outcast. I was never invited to anything outside of school, or even in school for the matter. Honestly, I could go on and on about the things I dealt with as an outcast, especially in late elementary and middle school, when I was dealing with the worst of what I went through. I'm not going to lie to you and say that it wasn't a lonely and isolating feeling to be sitting alone at lunch almost every day and to feel like I had no friends. Like most young teens, I just wanted to fit in somewhere. All through middle school, I tried and tried to fit in, but none of my efforts worked. As a matter of fact, it seemed that the harder I tried to fit in, the worse the bullying and teasing got. I knew that I wasn't going to fit in, and I had to accept that fact.

So at some point, I decided to say "fuck this shit" and stop trying to be cool, because clearly, it wasn't working. Besides, I was beginning to realize that being "popular" really wasn't what it was hyped up to be, so I decided to just embrace being an outcast. And let me tell you, embracing being an outcast may be one of the best decisions I made in my young life. Not only did I no longer feel that I had to pretend to be something that I wasn't, which was a truly liberating feeling, but once I decided to embrace being an outcast, it no longer felt like a curse. I also have to say that, the more I embraced being an outcast, and the less I gave a shit what other people thought about me, the more the bullies backed away. Honestly, there are so many positive ways that embracing the fact that I didn't fit in, rather than beating myself up over it, impacted my life. So with that said, I am actually grateful that I decided to embrace being an outcast, rather than view not fitting in as a bad thing.

Without any hesitation, when asked what my favorite season was, I would always say Summer, as I'm sure many people would say. Summertime is often an exciting time of the year for a lot of people, especially those who frequently visit theme parks, festivals, beaches, pools, or other places that are often associated with summer. When you're a child or teen, Summer means school is out, and you're free to do what you want without worrying about homework. For many people, Summer means spending extra time and making memories with friends and family. Although for me, as an introverted homebody, my enjoyment of Summer has always come more from the season itself, and the fact that the weather is usually pleasant, it's the exact opposite of Winter. 

That being said, more often than not, I'd find myself spending almost the entirety of the summertime at home. And while there are a few summer activities I'm more than happy to venture away from home for, I can't say that I haven't found ways to make the most of my summers right from home. And it looks like this year, we're all going to have to try to find ways to make the most of this summer at home. Sure, things are starting to open up again, but I don't particularly feel great about going into potentially crowded places in the name of Summer fun. Even though 2020 was supposed to be the year I got out more, I'm okay with having my Summer fun at home for another year if it means staying safe and keeping others safe. I certainly know how to enjoy the lovely weather from home, so this year I'll do just that once again.

Photo courtesy of Dominika Roseclay on Pexels

It has come to my attention that, suddenly, in the year 2020, people are genuinely curious as to what introverts do for fun. It seems that they sincerely want to know what we do with all of the time we spend at home, and how we don't get bored on the weekends when we opt to stay home instead of going out. It is no longer a rhetorical question when we get asked what we do for fun, everyone actually wants to listen. Interesting. But you know what? As someone who has been an introvert for as long as I could remember, I'm happy to share some insider information with those who are genuinely curious.

Listen, despite my sass, I'm nervous about the current situation going on around the world too, so I know you need a distraction. I know you need something to keep your mind occupied. So if you can find even a little bit of joy in any of my favorite at-home activities, then it's worth it to share them. And if you're reading this in the future when the craziness has all blown over, and you just happen to be stuck at home for some reason, or you're just curious, then I still hope you find something that you might enjoy!