2014-12-28

Glad to be home

Well, I have been away for a few days and glad to be back.

But that kind of got me thinking - why am I glad to be home - what is so special and different here?

Where I was staying was nice. I have stayed in a nice B&B before and this time stayed at a relative's house, but nice none the less. There was nice food. Even the Internet connections were good, in spite of being Welsh, as they were A&A FTTC lines :-)

I think it is just a lot of little things that make a difference.
  • At home I know what food, snacks, and drinks are in the cupboards and which cupboards and where the plates and glasses and cutlery are, and so on - it seems no hassle at home to make a coffee, but when away it is that tiny bit more annoying. Breakfast can be annoying as it is never what I would have had at home in some subtle way - this time it was a low fat not-quite-butter than made the toast soggy, and hassle to find a shop that sells butter. Little things, as I say!
  • I'm on my own timetable at home - I can go to bed when I want, get up when I want, etc. When away it was not quite like that - we were round someone else's house, and to go back to where we were staying I have to wait for Sandra or someone else to be ready to run me back there. Of course I don't want to impose, so I just wait. At home, it is up to me.
  • Something is never the same with someone else bathroom, shower, toilet, is it? It is not better or worse, but different, and that never seems quite right. I am sure someone would say the same about our bathrooms staying here. In general hotels are OK, to be honest, but the quality of showers can vary a lot.
  • If we get take-away, at home I know which sell good things and what items I like. When away it is much more pot-luck and even a well known dish will be different from a different Indian, or Chinese. So I ended up getting McDonald's - not because it is good, but because it is predictable.
  • Other people's heating! The B&B was just too hot and no sensible way to control it. Figuring out how to get a comfortable temperature in a bedroom can be tricky. At home I have an air-con unit that sets exactly a temperature with which I am happy and I know how to work it.
  • Beds are different. Again, not a better/worse thing in most cases, but different. It can take me days to get used to a different mattress and lose me a lot of sleep. At home I have a tempur mattress, and am used to that. At least I take my own pillow when I go away as I would never get any sleep!
I think a hell of a lot of it is a matter of what you are used to, and change is hard. Temporary change is even harder. As two of my staff (one of my step daughters) have moved there, I may end up visiting a lot more, and I am sure I will get more and more used to it.

I suspect I am getting to be "set in my ways" somewhat. I am not sure it is a bad thing :-)

P.S. Sharon, you made us both very welcome, and thank you - I am not having a go, honest.

9 comments:

  1. I always dread ending up with a soft or saggy mattress when i'm away from home. I have a latex mattress at home which is probably firmer than a typical sprung or foam mattress and they are quite pricey but ideal for good combination of comfort and firmness.

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  2. There's no place quite like home. I would rather drive somewhere and drive back in the wee hours than crash somewhere (even if a proper bed is offered).

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    Replies
    1. Quite, for me Uber is great. I would rather taxi home from London than stay in a hotel, even if it means train back in next day. Ironically at Uber/Hotel rates in London, that is also cheapest option.

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    2. Yep, though you enjoy a drink, while I rarely bother with alcohol (my driving licence being crucial for what I do). Also public transport in and around London is far better than out here in the sticks. I'd invite you to stay here in the Cotswolds, but i gather you're not a fan of dogs, and TJ can be annoying, and sods law would have my mum dropping Tyler off to stay at the same time (who is also incredibly needy and very thick!). Still, the offer is open if you're ever in a pickle. No FTTC yet, but the cabinet outside goes live real soon now!

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  3. I stay at my parents quite a lot, and I bought the same mattress to go on the spare bed there as I have at home (a Vi-Spring firm pocket sprung mattress made of all natural materials). It does make a difference, I sleep as well there as I do at home but hotels are terrible for getting some sleep.

    Which explains why elite sports teams take their own mattresses with them to competitions these days.

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  4. Ha, yes, well hotels can be nice. TBH, the cruise we took was nice, but again, the bed took some days to get used to. Change is always hard. I bet some people are used to being on the move all the time and would find it odd to be in one place for a long time.

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  5. Just to add, a hotel or cruise where people are paid to be at your beck and call and look after you is one matter - it is not the same when at a friends or a relatives where they will want to be hospitable, but you will also not want to impose.

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  6. You are years younger than me, but sound like you are becoming my dad! Put a rucksack on and go walking around a far-off country for a few weeks a year like I do in NZ, travel by public transport with only a skeleton itinerary. You may well find a different you in the process. Those mild "out of comfort zone" annoyances will seem like they belonged to someone else. I'll enjoy reading your entertaining posts as always.

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    Replies
    1. Well, maybe :-) I have to say I am impressed with one of my colleagues that has just taken a trip with his wife on an antarctic expedition. He is finally back on dry land and heading home now, and it will be interesting to hear his experiences. I image "comfort" was way down on the list, but what an awesome thing to do.

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