Even though my travelling has slowed down a bit in this later half of the summer, 2017-2018 has definitely been my busiest travel season ever. I visited at least 10 new countries, and returned to some old favourites again (like Berlin).
And as much as I absolutely adore traveling, I don’t ever think that I could be purely a nomad. I like having a home to come back to too much.
The Joys of Coming Home After a Trip
Family
Since I mostly solo travel, of course I’m more excited about coming home to Sam and little Harold. That first hug and lick (Harold being the licker, not Sam) are always pure, distilled joy.
When I fly in and out of either Manchester or Leeds, I usually just take the train to and from York station to either airport. But occasionally, I’ll be on a budget redeye that necessitates me not being able to catch a train. In which case, Sam always nicely volunteers to drive to get me from the airport and he usually brings Harold.
I can’t tell you how much I love seeing his little wiggle-waggle tail outside arrivals.
Less anxiety
There is also a sense of security when you come home from a trip. It’s perhaps because I’m not always staying in the most luxurious accommodation; in fact, I’m usually staying in the most budget that I can find, so I always have a small worry about the safety of my belongings. I’ve never felt unsafe, but I worry about ever leaving my camera, wallet or passport alone. It’s also a joyous feeling when you aren’t having to lock your belongings away in a locker a la a hostel.
But most of all, I worry about my passport and UK residence card. I’m terrified of either getting lost or stolen because of the absolute nightmare it would be to get them replaced.
So once I’m home and I can tuck my IDs and visas away in a safe spot and I don’t have them weighing on the back of my mind, it’s such a relief.
Maybe it’s just me, but I also get huge travel anxiety. Until I’m safely on the scheduled plane or train, I am low-level stressed that I won’t end up at my destination. Annoying travel worries for me are always: canceled planes, problems at immigration, and missed trains or buses.
Exploring new places is wonderful; but I’d prefer if there was a teleportation option.
Sleeping in your Own Bed
And last, but certainly not least, is the comfort of sleeping in your own bed. When I travel, I don’t fantasize about what I’m going to eat or the Netflix show that I’m going to binge when I get in, but about being in between my own sheets again.
There’s something about your own bed that is just peak comfort and stability. You know your pillows are going to be just the way you like them. You know the duvet and sheets are going to be perfectly soft. And you know your mattress will be just what you’re craving.
I’ve been fortunate enough to be trialing The Leesa Mattress for the past 30 days and I just adore it. My previous mattress was very old (and second-hand!) so sleeping on the Leesa is like night and day. I honestly can’t believe that I didn’t upgrade my mattress sooner. I barely ever want to leave my bed. When Sam laid down on it for the first time, he blissfully exclaimed, “it’s like being held up by 100 cloud hands”. Now I’m not exactly sure what he meant, but I agree with the sentiment entirely.
Harold gives it a big stamp of approval as well.
One of the things that makes The Leesa Mattress so special is that it has three layers of performance foam, that help provide core support, disseminate body heat and contour to relieve pressure. (The foam is also more durable than traditional memory foam.) That would be Sam’s cloud hands, I believe. With 100% honesty, I’ve had more restful sleep and less back pain since upgrading to The Leesa Mattress. The mattress is firm but comforting, which is exactly what I was looking for.
I also really love its sleek design look with the soft grey cover and the three white stripes. It actually fits into our home styling perfectly. (Our home is somewhat minimal with the main palette being white, black and grey with a few pops of colour.) In fact, if I wasn’t concerned about protecting The Leesa Mattress from the inevitable toast crumbs that I will spill all over it, I would have been tempted to not cover it with a top sheet.
And fitting in to my efforts to shop more from companies who are ethical and sustainable, Leesa Sleep donates one mattress for every ten that they sell, including considerable donations to homeless shelters. They also plant one tree for every mattress that they sell. For this work Leesa Sleep has been awarded with a with B-Corp certification – a body that recognises sustainable practices in for-profit organisations. To be awarded this prestigious title, the business needs to meet rigorous standards of social and environmental performance, accountability, and transparency. Leesa Sleep is in great company with some of my favourite brands that also meet the B-Corp criteria like Ben & Jerry’s, Reformation, The Honest Co, and Method.
Try it for yourself
But if you don’t believe me, you can try it for yourself. Leesa offers a 100 night risk-free trial. If you don’t fall in love with it (which you will) then you can request a full refund. If that happens, Leesa will arrange to have the mattress picked up from your home and try their best to locate a charity in your community to donate the mattress to, otherwise they will coordinate your mattress pick up with their recycling partner.
Just for Rhyme & Ribbons readers, if you use the code “RHYMEANDRIBBONS” then you’ll receive £100 off your mattress.
I’m absolutely adoring my Leesa mattress, and I’ll never look at another brand. How is your mattress? What makes you feel the most at home?
***This post is a collaboration with a brand, but all thoughts and opinions are forever my own.***
