The Truths Returning from Vacation Reveals About Your Home

October was a month full of travel for me; I think I only spent one or two nights at home at a time. It was equal parts exciting and exhausting, but I’m happy to be back home—for good this time. Funny enough, an extended vacation away from your apartment can actually teach you a lot about how you live your life at home. Here are three things you’ll only discover once you’ve spent some time away.

Our bodies are wired to get used to familiar smells; if a particular scent doesn’t pose a threat, your brain likes to ignore it and focus on other things. This kind of “nose blindness” is in effect in your home, too. Coming back home after a long trip away gives you a chance to smell your home like a guest would, and take action against pet odors or a musty scent that you might regularly ignore.

→ A Natural Way to Make Your Home Smell Fantastic this Winter

Staying over in a new place gives you an opportunity to hit reset on your sleep habits. An unfamiliar bed or free reign over a hotel thermostat can make you more mindful of the things that make a good or bad night’s rest for you at home. When you return from your lesson, do some homework. Swap out your sheers for blackout curtains and turn the temperature way down without guilt.

→ 9 Fixes For Common Reasons Why Your Bedroom’s Not Working

As you’re packing a few days’ worth of clothes into a carry-on bag, you’ll inevitably have to make some sacrifices (especially for me; I like having options). Yet living out of a suitcase somehow makes getting dressed in the morning easier. A vacation away from home will teach you a bit about being a closet minimalist, and show you which versatile wardrobe basics are worth holding on to.

→ 10 Wardrobe Staples You Won’t Regret Splurging On (a Little)

Does your time away teach you anything about life at home? Do you have any tips or lessons you’ve learned from staying at a hotel?