My quarter-life crisis cast its dark cloud upon me at the tender age of 22; and I became used to getting by (read: roughing it) until my first-gen migrant parents forgave me for quitting my master’s degree 3/4 of the way through. Having finally pulled my shit together some years later and travelling a lot, I’m often faced with long-haul flights, questionable accommodation and lack of time. The thing is, I now find myself in an altogether different position- realising I’m no longer in the mood to suck it up and slum it. Whether that means giving up my home comforts in favour of a quicker taxi home, or schlepping it while travelling, it’s a no from me. I’m not as willing to venture outside of my comfort zone now that I’ve learned what I love, and I’m okay with that. here’s a list of a few things I’m just not willing to give up.
Home, sweet home
When in London, the only viable option for a place to crash is my own pad. Nothing and no-one can stop me. Journeying home to shower in my own bathroom, put my feet up on my own coffee table, and crawl into my own bed- no matter how late or how high surge pricing is. If you used to be able to fall asleep anywhere, anytime but now make an excuse and/or pay whatever the cost to escape to your own sanctuary, I feel you.
A clean environment
Dirt and mess are two different entities. When travelling, no-frills accommodation is all well and good but dirt and mess need not be present. Don’t get me wrong, a barebones service for the independently minded traveller is welcome but when it comes to cleanliness, I’ve met habitants of mud huts and decrepit apartment blocks who take more pride in keeping their homes neat and tidy than some Airbnb landlords.
Space to stick to personal rituals (i.e. cleansing my face)
I get that no matter how great my Flexiroam package is, there are some places I simply won’t be able to get online from. What I’m not willing to accept, however, are things within my control like whether or not I go to bed with a clean face to avoid a breakout (enter travel size micellar water). What I’m really trying to say is, there are personal rituals that are easier to keep to depending on my accommodation and when faced with the option of sticking to them, I’d much rather do that than forgo them even temporarily!