Compare/Contrast

One thing I really like about traveling and staying at host houses is seeing how other people live. What are the towns/cities like? How big/small are the homes? What kind of food do they eat? How does their house compare to my house?

It works like this-
1) Nice people sign up to be a "host house" for the bike race.
2) A cycling team is put in contact with these nice people.
3) The team arrives (and takes over).
4) Bags are unloaded, bikes fill the garage, food fills the fridge, the coffee maker is on double time.
5) This "host house" has now become the "team house" for the length of the race.

This morning, I am sitting in my host house's kitchen in Redlands CA. I'm not sitting IN the kitchen (as in on the floor), I'm sitting at the island bar stools looking outside and drinking coffee.
The biggest difference between this house and my house is the fact there is no snow on the ground. Instead of a foot plus of new snow outside, there is a pool surrounded by green trees and plants. The second difference between this house and my own, is the size.

My host house is GIGANTIC! I am pretty sure the garage is bigger than my house in Colorado. Another interesting thing to note, is there is at least one TV in every room here and at home, we don't even have 1 TV.

I enjoy comparing and contracting new places to my "own place" at home. And though I enjoying going new places and seeing how other people live, I always end up missing my own home.