Look, we’re all about transforming your home to make this virtual vacation thing work. A fabulous weekend away from home, in some marvelous location—it’s a little more than just having high thread count sheets on a bed you don’t have to make. If you want to stay the Head Roam way, you’ll need to do a little prep. Which is, by the way, a huge part of the fun.
BTW, if you’re in the Head Roam mindset yet, please see our Get Started page.
As recommended on Eat the Head Roam Way, a 7-10 day lead allows you to do a little research on your destination and then pick up what you need. We do NOT advocate spending a ton of money. Economy is awesome, as is living within your means.
If you’d like to do a Head Roam weekend frequently—once a quarter, or even once a month—this is a great, minimalist kit that you can return to again and again:
- FOR THE BEDROOM: A special set of sheets: White, high thread-count sheets are probably the number one signifier that you’re in a fancy hotel. We recommend one special set that you reserve for your weekends. Here, we don’t go crazy; I found a king set at Costco for 70 bucks. Overstock is also a great source. You may, of course, love the feel of high thread-count sheets so much that you just keep them on all the time. That’s ok, too. It’s up to you if you change them out. I’m just saying, having a special set of sheets just for your Head Roam weekends can help mark the occasion and make it extra special.
- A vase for flowers.
- A special water container and/or glass. You may have something in your kitchen that will work fine; just having a water pitcher and glass for your nighttime water makes the experience feel special.
- A container for all your normal nightstand stuff: Take EVERYTHING off your night stand except for a lamp (if you use one; I know some folks rely on the light from their e-reader). Leave room for a vase for flowers and/or a special container for water overnight if you like that. And a scented candle. Candles rock.
- FOR THE BATHROOM: Thick white towels and a white terrycloth robe: These are extras, but they can make you feel very pampered. One note: Hotels routinely have to throw out white towels that people use to remove make-up. Don’t do that to yourself. (And if you ever stay in a hotel again, don’t do it to them, either.) If you wear make-up, use a make-up remover towel.
- A container for all your bathroom stuff: The same principle applies to your bathroom. I love being in a hotel and not having to look at all my normal stuff that’s all around the sink. Just for the weekend, put everything in your bathroom container and store it someplace you won’t have to deal with it.
- FOR YOUR CLOTHES: Somewhere to keep your weekend clothes. This may seem bizarre. But one of the joys of traveling is paring down your wardrobe, planning exactly what you’ll wear, dressing for dinner, having special jammies. You don’t need a massive closet. Just kind of squish everything together on the hanging rod so that your clothes for the weekend have a little room. For folded things, you can get a little basket. And for which clothes to take, sign up for our newsletter and we’ll let you know when our Pack page is live.
- FOR YOUR KITCHEN: Simple dishes always work with everything. It’s amazing how festive you can get with all white dishes, clear glass, and some flowers. This is the one area where you really don’t need to buy a thing unless you want to.
Make this virtual travel luxury stay real.
TRANSFORMING YOUR HOME: THE VIRTUAL TRAVEL BEDROOM PREP
- The afternoon before your virtual travel weekend, take the sheets of the bed. Put all the nightstand stuff in the container. It can be a cardboard box that you stash in the closet; it really doesn’t have to be anything fancy.
- Make the bed with your fancy sheets. If you like, put some rose petals on the bed (but be forewarned: they can leave stains). If you have a pillow or throw from someplace else in your home that seems to scream your destination, add them.
- Add flowers, a candle, and your water pitcher—whatever you’ve decided to have handy—to your nightstand. If you use a diffuser, you can run it with some not-overwhelming scent to get the room ready.
TRANSFORMING YOUR HOME: THE VIRTUAL TRAVEL BATHROOM PREP
- Clean your tub/shower/sink. Remove all the stuff around them into your bathroom container.
- Stack your fresh towels. Once again, add flowers, a candle, etc. If you’re adding a spa component, put your spa stuff in a little basket. Or a big basket, if you’re really going crazy.
TRANSFORMING YOUR HOME: THE VIRTUAL TRAVEL CLOSET PREP
- Clear a space for your weekend clothes.
- Hang them up.
TRANSFORMING YOUR HOME: THE VIRTUAL TRAVEL KITCHEN AND DINING ROOM
- Clear your table.
- Add some flowers.
- Depending on how many meals you plan on, you may want to leave the table clear. If you’re only doing one big meal, feel free to set the table. Otherwise, just make sure you have small plates for your board, breakfast, and easy lunch.
- If you have a dishwasher, it’s nice to have it empty, then just fill it as the weekend goes on. Look, you can’t really get around clean-up. So you may want to make a schedule so that no single person gets stuck with being the dishwasher for every meal. But a little pre-planning can help you keep your clean-up time minimal.
TRANSFORMING YOUR HOME: WHERE YOU WATCH STUFF
- As long as it’s clean, clutter-free, and, preferably, a bit snuggly, you’re all set.
