What’s up with the ‘out and about’ brigade?

[Nayouknow]

You know the ones. ‘I like to be out and about’ brigade. The ‘I’d be climbing the walls if I didn’t leave the house every day’ crew. The people who view time spent in their homes to be ‘wasted’ and time spent outside it to somehow automatically be more rewarding/interesting/energising/virtuous/insert positive.

I’ve only really come across this sort of mentality on MN and I find it fascinating. What’s their deal? Do they not like their homes? Do they have no indoor pursuits that they enjoy enough to be occupied for one day? Is it the actual outside air (not to be confused with the air in their gardens, as those of them who have gardens are generally very clear that hanging out in the garden isn’t sufficient)? Are they hardcore extroverts?

Like everyone else I know, I like to go out and I like to stay in. Walks are nice. Activities are nice. Spending a weekend at home cooking/reading/watching box sets/playing with DS is also nice. Based on their comments, the aforementioned crew would consider the latter a ‘wasted weekend’.

I find I feel much happier and more energised if I go out in the fresh air every day.
Horses for courses and all thst...

I hear you, @TootyFlutey It’s so frustrating, for us and those that have to live with us. I love visiting friends who have more relaxed homes. I envy them, and am a bit sad I can’t be the same. It is EXHAUSTING.

I lived in a one bed flat with 2 kids. I was totally out & about.

Now I have a house and I love it. I like to stop in more.

I think I'm part of the 'out and about' crew 😬

My reasoning is spending all day inside with 2 toddlers is hard.

I personally love being in my house, doing house stuff but the children most definitely aren't on the same wavelength with regards to that.

I can assure you that it is not just a MN thing. I know a lot of people who belong to the "out and about" brigade, including myself. I go stir crazy if I have to stay at home all day and only do it if I am so ill I'm in bed, or it's pouring with rain. Otherwise I go for one long walk a day, usually a second shorter one, and in between I go out for various reasons. I like being out in the fresh air, exercising, and seeing what is happening around town.

My exDH would only leave the house for food if he wasn't working - I really don't understand it, I would be bored silly.

For me it's part of London living. We're very central so can get to lots of venues easily, and have a comfortable budget for events like trips out, exhibitions, plays and concerts for kids (which the dcs always enjoy). DCs are at school in the week, and often at camps or we're away during school holidays, so we go out every weekend to manage to see all the things we want before they stop being shown, or the dcs outgrow them. Plus I feel obligated to make the most of events and activities in London, because we've paid a premium to live here and life is relatively disadvantaged in some ways, so if we just spend our time doing stuff we could be doing in a cheaper town (indoors at home or just doing simple things that could be done in a small town), then it feels like we're wasting the extra money we paid for living here.

I'm an introvert and don't socialise with anyone else but my family when we go out. I'm not bothered about fresh air either, lots of our trips are spent on the tube to an indoor theatre or museum. We tend to be home by dinner time and dcs don't have early bedtimes, so they still have plenty of time for playing at home or in the garden.

I have been on the go since I had my DD 27 years ago and even before then but not as much. After running my DD around for her sports and other activities for 15 years I’m worn out. Then I dated someone who could not sit still and had to be out multiple times during the week and all day during the weekends I am now beat down TIRED.

I don’t ever get bored staying in and I’m a low energy type of person so I can not go out for days on end and it doesn’t bother me one bit. And if it’s hot out then I “hibernate “ as much as possible as I hate the heat.

i did all the out and about up until I was late 40s and now I’m happy I don’t have to do it or feel pressured to do it as if I’m missing out on something. I love being in my lovely house with my pups.☺️

I might stay in maybe 2 days out of 7 (usually that’s weekday evenings after work) but I’m much happier going out. I get a bit sad/ depressed if I lounge around at home and don’t get some physical movement in. I feel it the next day almost like a hangover and it took me a while to figure out I just needed to get out and do stuff, have a social life and see nature/ daylight.

I feel like I miss out on life otherwise. I live near a lot of natural beauty so I like to make the most of it. Also, I need things like museums, ballet, live sports, cultural events etc in my life, they make me much happier. As well as hugs from friends and beautiful food.

Sorry but life is for living and I don’t want it to pass me by and find myself an old lady with not much to show for my years. I want experiences.

My mum finally started living in her 70s and 60s and became a much happier, more fulfilled person for it, so I’ve taken a leaf out of her book sooner rather than later.

unfortunately many people seem homebodies so I often do things on my own.

I used to be this person. For 40-odd years.

I always lived in a small place, sometimes in extremely crowded rooms or shared flats. Only on moving a couple of years ago to a larger house with (crucially) a very large garden for a city house did the feeling start to dispel.

If you're mystified, it's perhaps because you've never lived somewhere shit or cramped?

I love getting out and seeing new places. I can watch box sets when I am too old to go out and about. I am happy to spend a few hours at home but after that I like to go for a walk/cycle ride/go for a swim or meet up with friends or visit an NT place. It keeps me feeling energised.

My husband stays home a lot though and after 40 years of marriage I decided I had enough of staying home to be with him because he didn't like going out and about. Now he knows if he doesn't want to stay home on his own he has to go out with me. We will stay home when our health or mobility fails us. Each to their own.

I thought this was going to be about the buggy

Not everyone had a garden....and the weather isn't always that great to be out in it.
Exercise
Getting away from seeing more household jobs
Kids fight or vegetate on screens when they are stuck in
People working from home more

If I need to rest I am happy at home. Otherwise I genuinely prefer to be out and about. If I'm feeling I'd like my own company then i will be out and about alone (or with my dog), generally in nature, walking , swimming, kayaking, reading on a nice spot, and sometimes having an adventure. If I'm feeling sociable I'll be with a friend either doing something similar or hanging out together.

I just feel more energised, stimulated and joyful when I'm out and about....

We're all different. I'm an introvert and while I can appreciate a quiet weekend in, I couldn't do it all the time. I value new experiences and changes of scenery too much

What I don't understand is why you automatically assume that a weekend 'out and about' means stressful social obligations?
It could be a walk in a nature reserve, reading a poetry anthology in a local cafe, going to a concert or the theatre, shopping, etc etc etc - none of this is inherently less 'restful' than staying in.

Honestly, it’s probably a reaction to the type that appears to frequent Mn in disproportionate numbers, the ones who whip off their bra on the doormat if they haven’t been lucky enough to WFH in perpetuity, leap into their pyjamas by 6 pm, freeze at a ring at the doorbell, and whose idea of a good weekend is one where they ‘potter’ and don’t leave the house.

The world’s a big place. It’s hardly unreasonable to want to experience it.

I had jobs before which were 'outdoorsy' and on my feet and would happily spent a whole weekend at home chilling, having some downtime etc. I then started doing office work, then largely WFH, and now find that if I didn't go out for a good chunk of the day on the weekends it would affect my mental health a bit. Occasionally I stay home, but mostly I don't... I have 5 days of the week largely spent indoors in this same space on my own, so I guess I want to 'escape'!

What I don't understand is why you automatically assume that a weekend 'out and about' means stressful social obligations?

Where has anyone said that?

I don’t fully know what to say other than I read your post and it touched me. I hope you are okay x

I doubt any of them “Can’t bear” to be in their own home. That’s needless hyperbole.

I find it bizarre that you think enjoying getting out of the house must mean you hate where you live.

Thank you. That's very kind of you.

I can do that at home though, big garden, in countryside, horse, hens, sheep. Every bird going.
I couldn’t stay inside the house all weekend but home includes my own garden.

There are definitely people who hate being at home, those are the ones the OP is talking about.

No-one, not me or the OP, are talking about someone liking to go out equating to hating where they live.

Im a mixture of both - love my home/garden but also love being out and about. Tend to spend one day at the weekend doing something/one day at home. Home for me is my sanctuary (I know that sounds cheesy) but I just love being in our home with our kids, especially after a busy week at work. I imagine not everyone has that nice feeling about home for various reasons so have the need to always be doing something out and about.

I have a nice house but yes, can’t bear to be stuck in it for more than a few hours- especially if the weather is ok

Because not everyone thinks the same?