Home is where…

The husband and I took a road trip from Toronto to Coralville, Iowa to spend Christmas with our favourite aunt. The drive was very uneventful, yet romantic. We listened to podcasts and our favourite music. Our holiday found us rottenly pampered – our aunt made our favourite food and we ate dessert for every meal. We spent quality time with our cousin and it was absolutely rejuvenating and idyllic.

We drove through Chicago, where we lived and loved for two years. Met old friends, went back to our favourite haunts, checked out new restaurants – basically good fun.

Yet, when we entered our little cozy condo that we rent, we were relieved. I was “happy to be home”. Throughout the day, there were little things that made me burst with little fountains of joy. I know there are millions and millions of people who do not feel the same way as they do not have the comforts I have. I am grateful beyond measure and realize that I am just plain lucky. But it sure is good to appreciate the little material comforts I enjoy.

Here is what makes my home a home:

1. The shower – I know how to run it and get it to the perfect temperature. Our shower does not have a waiting time for the water to be hot. It is always hot. This is the biggest privilege I think!’
2. The pillows and my bed – The bed is at the perfect height. The mattress is just right. The pillows are the perfect softness and the sheets smell like lavender thanks to the dryer pouches from Trader Joe’s.
3. My parking spot – I am used to backing into my spot. I can do it with my eyes closed almost. It’s always there. No hunting for parking. No paying for parking. It’s underground. Right next to the exit. It’s sweet. And it’s mine!
4. My spot on the couch – I am kinda like Sheldon from TBBT. The right hand corner of our red leather couch is mine. If you want me to be part of the conversation or be relaxed at a party that I organized, get out of my spot!
5. The spoons – I know I sound ridiculous. But hear me out. I have perfected the perfect cup of masala chai. It’s because I am used to the size of the tsp and tbsp that we have! One would think that there’d be international standards for this stuff. There is apparently for baking stuff…but not for our tableware! So when I went to my aunt’s house in Iowa, I had to struggle the first couple of days to find the balance to hit my sweet spot.
6. The TV – I know how my electronics work. Again, the companies keep changing the remotes for some reason from year to year. It’s almost like they don’t want us to to be comfortable anywhere but our own homes. Whether it was our aunt’s house or the hotel in Chicago or a friend’s place…none of the remotes seemed to make sense. I’d press a button and nothing would happen! Even the interface for Netflix on different TVs change even if it is the same company!

And lastly, yes, home is where the WiFi connects automatically. And home is where the heart is (because of all the things I just mentioned here).

Tagged: attitude, gratitude, home, humor, humour, introspection, life, self awareness, wifi

Posted in: life