Houseguests!

We've recently had people staying at our house-- a couple of friends who were heading out for a long camping trip stayed a few days "on their way out" and a few days again "on their way back in." 

Don't get me wrong, I do enjoy having friends come to visit as much as the next person, but there is something "disturbing" about having someone else living in the house, no matter how temporary, or how unobtrusive the guests may be. I don't mean "disturbing" in a distressful way... just in the way it causes our typical daily routine to go out the window.

Sensitivity... and Visitors

My wife and I are both highly sensitive people ( I previously wrote an article about it here on Steemit ) and we are both very tuned in to the energy of other people. Having someone else in the house isn't exactly a problem, but we're both constantly "aware" that someone else is here.

I once ran across a saying that went something like "House guests are a bit like fish-- they start smelling bad after three days."

Maybe that doesn't sound very kind or hospitable, but I can totally understand why someone would have coined that phrase. And I say this, even while I can also say that the guys who was staying with us are very nice and not particularly demanding.

Maybe it's also an extension of getting older; now we are in our 50s we seem to have grown more attached to having things our way, and we like to follow our routines as we've learned they fit us best. I say this... but yet I also remember quickly growing tired of having friends stay, even when I was in my 20's.

Peace, Again...

I took our friends to the bus station, yesterday, after they'd spent their last three days with us. Even though there was a slight sadness at the time of departure, my wife and I looked at each other once I was back home and agreed that we were very relieved to see our visitors leave, and happy to "have our house back."

I suppose there are ultimately upsides and downsides to having house guests-- just like there are to most things in life. 

We did have some fun times, and we went out and "did things" far more than we usually do. It was a chance to "play tourists" in our own town-- something we (and most people) rarely do. We got to have interesting conversations and discussions we wouldn't otherwise have had (our friends are basically "Eco-Anarchists"), and we got to swap stories from the last few years. On the other hand, we're tired, and in need of actually having a good night's sleep. And now there's a HUGE backlog of work we both need to catch up with-- we both work (mostly) from home. 

How about YOU? How do you feel about having house guests? Does it wear thin quickly, or do you enjoy the change of having someone new around? Does it depend on the person, or persons? If someone is visiting, would you prefer they stay at a nearby hotel or inn? Do houseguests sound fun "in theory" but turn out to be a pain "in reality?" Leave a comment-- share your experiences-- start the conversation!

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