Home away from home might be a stretch

I have been called a hotel snob.  This is partly my dad’s fault.  I remember in my youth when we were travelling, he would pull up and have my mom go in and check out the room.  Her mission was to see if the sheets were clean, eyeball the bathroom, sniff around for cigarette smoke and check the floors.  The three of us would wait in the back seat as patiently as we could.  All we cared about at that point was whether or not there was a pool.  Needless to say, sometimes we didn’t end up staying, pool or not.  As I grew older, one of the key components to a successful trip was in procuring the right hotel to stay in.  If I’m going to spend several hours a day there, it has to be as decent as I can afford.

Whatever you spend, it seems inevitable that you have some kind of trouble.  My current dilemma is how I will stir my coffee in the morning.  When I get back in my room after it’s been cleaned, one of the first things I check out is the coffee supplies.  They get an A+ today for plenty of Starbucks coffee packets and adequate sugar and creamers.  This is good and a rarity for more than 3 days in a row!  However, I suppose I will be swirling my coffee around to mix in the morning or maybe I could use my toothbrush?

At least this trip I haven’t had some of the more common issues.  My room is nowhere near the elevator, so I have been spared the 2 a.m. party crowd in all their drunken splendor;  there are several pillows on each bed so even though a couple of them sink immediately when I lay my head down, I do have choices; and either I have no neighbors or they are very quiet.  The wireless works wonderfully, the room service is excellent and the AC is easy to adjust and doesn’t make strange noises all night.

Although this trip has been a pleasant one as far as hotel stays go, I am ready to go home to my own bed.  As I was lamenting having to wait another day, a family from NJ came on t.v.  Their home has been declared unfit for occupancy after Hurricane Sandy and they are going on their 5th or 6th week of living in a hotel.  The grandmother was crying because she had hoped to be home in time for Christmas.  Once again, as I watch them decorate a tiny tabletop tree and make the best of their situation, I am reminded of how blessed I am.  So, I will enjoy this comfy bed, and say a prayer for all of the displaced families, and the homeless and give thanks for all that I have.  Blessings!