How to Pretend You've Got your Life Together When your House Guests Arrive
Hosting overnight guests when you're in your mid-late 20's is stressful. Some of your friends have the dedication to make their apartment look like a magazine spread, some are married and their house truly feels like a home, some have a SPARE BEDROOM. The bar has been raised since the carefree "yea, you can crash here" college days.
In an apartment where the only spare room is in the corner behind the cat toys, my guests are treated to a magical night on an air mattress poorly blown up with a mismatched pump, or my parent's old couch. I make this very clear to them before they visit and they say "it's cool" but it's really just depressing for everyone.
I recently spent a night at my sister's apartment and, although her accommodations on a whole were more than anything I could offer, I realized that it's the little touches that make the biggest impact. Here are some tips to make you feel less like a poor 26 year old (me) and more like like a real grown up (my big sister):
Set out an assortment of toiletries. This single-handedly inspired the post. My sister set out travel shampoo/conditioner, toothpaste, Say Yes to Cucumber face wipes (I would die without these), and travel toothbrushes! As a constant forgetter of the essentials, this made me feel as comfortable as I do at a hotel when I know there's another shower cap just a phone call away.
Set out some new magazines or a book of short stories. I think I might have stolen this from another blog, but it is something I always try to do for my guests. I have this problem of sleeping in later than everyone else in the house, and this allows my guests to quietly entertain themselves with fresh reading material while I am waking up.
If you are responsible for plans and entertainment, print out a list of the plans you have (leave some room for notes), and give it to your guest as a memento. I got this idea from a cheese tasting class I took. I always forget the names of restaurants, neighborhoods, shows, bars, cheeses, etc. that I've been to, seen, or eaten. This way your guest won't be left wondering what that awesome Tapas place was for the rest of his/her life. Additionally, if you don't get to do something your guest can circle it to remember for next time.
If you are not going to be hanging with your house guest during their entire stay, give them a map of where things are - pharmacy, grocery store, museum, junk shop, bus stop, subway stop, pizza place, etc. Include your cell phone number in case theirs dies and they need to reach you. Tell them to keep the map on them at all times.
Use this visit as a good excuse to purchase something that everyone has but you've been putting off (for instance, throw pillows). Your guest won't notice but it's one more step on the long road to becoming a real adult.
If you do all of these things you're going to seem pretty thoughtful, considerate, and organized. Your guest may look past the air mattress pump/valve incompatibility and you may be a little less depressed about it.
