Home Away From Home
Posted on 09. Nov, 2008 by Deb in Just.....Me, Just...Traveling
I am all checked into my hotel in DC. There are times when a hotel – especially this hotel I am in now – feels more like home than home does. A part of that, I think, has to do with how comfortable it feels here. But the other part is the “comfort rituals” that I perform.
When I can, I unpack. Being able to hang my suits and dresses, place underwear and shorts in a bureau and my toiletries in the bathroom is important for me to feel settled. I write about the gypsy part of my soul, but the “nester” in me wants to not dig in a suitcase. So, now I’m all unpacked, housekeeping has brought me my pet for the week – a teeny – and active – goldfish they have named Nemo. I have a book on my nightstand and my room smells like cinnamon.
That’s one of my personal travel hints, by the way, small air freshener sprays or air fresheners placed in your room can make you more relaxed, if you are a “scent” person. When I began bringing either an air freshener gel things – or a room spray – I began sleeping better in hotels.
Years ago, back when I was living that “white picket fence” life, I always burned candles and had fresh potpourri. Fall and the Holiday season always meant the smell of cinnamon and spice. It’s one of the rituals I miss, but I’m not home enough to buy candles, let alone enjoy burning them. Last month, I was in Bath and Body Works and smelled this amazing smell and it was a Cinnamon and Clove Bud candle. When I told the salesperson I loved it, but it just wasn’t practical for me, she found this wonderful travel sized spray. It’s really yummy and so wonderful. It’s also very potent, so two or three little sprays makes a 400 square foot room smell all warm and inviting for twelve hours or so. Pretty nifty, huh?
One of the other things I do is bring liquid hand soap. I guess it’s a little OCD of me, but I can’t stand to wash my hands with a bar of soap and then reuse it again, especially if I am washing make-up off my hands. Cause then the soap would be DIRTY. I watch sales and when either Softsoap or Dial goes on sale, I stock up. Because, trust me, it’s next to impossible to “re-seal” and keep it from oozing out all into your suitcase if you try to take it back home with you.
I’m worried about next week, though, because I am in 4 hotels over 5 nights as we travel across New Mexico for the public meetings on “the document” I have spent the last six months working on. That’s way too many bottles of soap for me to have to bring along. I will just pack in-expensive travel sized face wash, I guess. I guess those of us that travel a fair amount all have our little travel rituals…..
Now that I’m all checked in, I am going to run across the street and go see a couple of exhibits. I honestly didn’t travel in early to see an exhibit – I traveled in on Sunday because I have to be at the office for a 9 AM meeting and the first flight on Monday doesn’t arrive until 10:30, so it was today. But I have missed “seeing” DC so I am going to take advantage of my time. Besides, it’s an absolutely beautiful day out there and I want to enjoy it.
It’s fall. And I love fall – even more, I think, than I love spring.