A guide to hotel living

Having lived in a military community, which I have now left, I know how to travel, I have been to over a dozen countries and stayed in countless hotels. However when moving to and from a location, as my family is doing with Germany, you stay at a hotel for a very long period of time, months in some cases. Living in a hotel is not an easy task, but I think I have a few tips that have helped me along the way.

Mind over matter

Do not think of hotel living as hotel living, the hotel is a temporary place, until you get to bigger and better things (like an apartment or a house). I have found that being in a hotel can be depressing in some cases because it ends up being “home”, if you think temporary your stay will be more pleasant.

When I stay in hotels I try to stay out of them as much as possible. I think of it as my place to sleep, no more than that.

Do not clean your room either; in making sure your hotel room does not become your temporary home do not clean it. When I travel I try not to even unpack my bag and put clothes in the dresser. By not putting my clothes away I feel that it is not my home.

Take what you get

You get a lot in hotels, shampoo, conditioner, lotion, shower caps, sowing kits, etc. The way I see it is that when you go to a hotel you pay for all of this stuff. So even though you do not think you will need it take it anyway. The other day I wished I had a button for one of my shirts, and would have had a button, but decided not to take my sowing kit, take everything you get from your hotel room.

Provide your own form of entertainment

You know yourself best, will the regular hotel TV be fitting for you, or will you need some DVD’s, your laptop, Gameboy; what ever it is bring it. Personally I am not a big fan of what is on TV, so bringing a computer, using wifi, watching movies and playing video games is what keeps me entertained.
Living in a hotel does not have to be all bad, you just have to know how to think, hotel get what you pay for and how to occupy time.