Your 20s are supposed to be ‘roaring’. You’re supposed to be wild, crazy and party all the time.

But not everyone fits this bill. Some people just prefer a red on the couch and to be asleep by 10pm, and they shouldn’t feel like they’re doing it wrong.

Signs you’re a homebody? Your UberEats app location is in your thumb’s muscle memory, your watchlist on Netflix is backed up, you know which mug is your fav, and you reckon the best thing about happy hour is that it ends at a reasonable time.

These things don’t mean you’re a nanna living in a young person’s body. These things mean you’re a super fine homemade cookie.

Pleasure Is Totally Subjective

So frequently I push myself to go out when my body is screaming at me to stay indoors. Alas, a mix of not wanting to let my friends down and the fear of FOMO pushes me out the door and to the sleazy club on the other side of town.

The common story is, “go out, get drunk, take drugs, and don’t come home till the sun starts coming in because otherwise you’re a borrrrrre.” Moves and TV shows tell us that if you’re in your 20s, you’re either a party animal or a nerd burger.

But all that stuff they tell us we should be doing is totally subjective. Some people love drugs and clubs (totally fine) and some people love blankets and naps (also totally fine).

Pop culture has us believing our 20s need to be a certain way

Pop culture has us believing our 20s need to be a certain way, but all the things we should be doing to make our 20s ‘roaring’ don’t suit everyone. The pleasure from drugs, alcohol, loud music and crowds work for some but not all. I have just as much fun making Vegemite Jatz biscuit sandwiches while watching Parks and Rec as I do spending five trillion dollars on cocktails at a fancy bar.

I’m a homebody and I’m not going to apologise for it anymore. Mainstream media can suck it. I’m spending my money on indoor plants and bottles of wine instead of shots at the club.

You Do You, Girls And Boys

You know the quotes all over Tumblr that go along the lines of “you don’t remember the nights you stayed in and ate a salad” or “you can sleep when you’re dead”?

Well I want to add, “self-care if important and going to bed early is fine” and “Uno is just as fun as loud music and huge crowds” (I might need to work on those a bit, but you get my point).

If happiness is the ultimate goal then you should do what brings you pleasure and if that means staying at home, you shouldn’t feel as if you’re doing it wrong. Your 20s are yours to do as you please.

Marnie Vinall is a Marketing and Media Communications student at Monash University. She loves reading, writing and her huge collection of plant friends.

(Lead image: Younger/TV Land)