apartment therapy changing the world, one room at a time

The Quiet! The world seems to stand still for an afternoon, esp. if you arrive home when everyone else is at work.

Privacy - I live alone and typically enjoy way more secluded time to myself than I ever get on a trip (especially when I'm seeing/staying with friends, family or colleagues, which is most of the time).

Sleeping in. (That is, sleeping in and not feeling like I'm wasting time or missing out on something big.)

-Making space to display all the cool stuff you've collected on your travels.
-Sharing your stories with the people you come home to
-Being greeted by your cat/dog/lizard/fish

Seeing my cats!

I love coming home from a long enough trip that when I get back, it's like I'm seeing the city with fresh eyes. It's familiar and strange at the same time.

I second Jenny in DC's post, seeing my two cats when I get home from a long trip is the best part of coming home.

Nesting in your own space. Also, being able to walk to the bathroom in the middle of the night without turning the lights on because you know where everything is. And I triple Jenny in DC about the cats!

Okay, so this is not as picturesque as the other suggestions but I do a killer commute and stay in my work city 2 nights a week and it is one of my favorite things about coming home:
being able to be naked. Being able to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night and not having to put on clothing. Others:

Being in my own shower and not cutting my legs shaving because I'm not used to the geometry or lighting set up of the other shower.
Having my own shampoo and conditioner.
Being able to drink from the container with impunity.
My own bed, my own sheets, my own blankets, my own pillow and not being on the couch mattress with its interesting arc and pokey springs.

the BEST is being with my cats again!! I also like turning on my TV and knowing the channels. When I'm in a different city I can't find my favorite shows because I don't know what the channel #s are. But the first night in my own bed with my cats snuggled up with me is the ultimate feeling of "home". My favorite saying is "home is where my cats are".

For some reason I love fishing my keys out of the suitcase after many nights of using hotel key cards, and opening the door the old fashioned way. My home is so simple compared with the luxuries and complexities of travel that I find pleasure in the little familiar things.

But he best part about coming home (whether from a long trip or just a day at the office) is looking through the mail flap and seeing my doggies' noses poking through with their tails wagging vigorously, and being greeted with jumps and kisses when I open the door.

My favorite part of returning home is picking my dogs up from the kennel. There's a huge outdoor area with pools and agility equipment. When the dogs see us, they start streaking around the area either to get one last run in or to show us all the cool stuff they did. Either way, it makes me happy to be home.

The cat, of course, and all the other things mentioned. But I also love to look forward to at least one day - or two - if possible to settle in before having to go back to work, rather than having to pull it all together for the next day. Then, I can get enough sleep, reconnect with my environment, see people, go to a cafe, lay in some food... It is like being in a new place at first.

when i come home to my parents house i love looking through boxes of stuff ive saved when i was little