residence inn - apartment away from home

i am attending a small conference of types tomorrow for work so tonight i am at a residence inn in Washington DC. It's an interesting experience being at a hotel not for a taekwondo tournament or for a job interview. I guess it's kind of like a vacation - i don't have to worry about work, per se, and i get to enjoy a nice breakfast buffet tomorrow. I just can't eat too much because it is that time of year again - taekwondo season - and i am cutting weight to feather this time, yet still kind of sucking at it.

there was one other time when i was at a hotel - was it for oracle interview? vision robotics? where it was like 1 am and i decided that i needed to cut weight for some upcoming tournament, and went running for 20 minutes at that ungodly hour. being alone in a hotel exercise room at that late is almost a magical experience. and coming back to your room and being able to enjoy the luxurious shower and sheets is really what makes cutting weight at a hotel bearable.

staying at a hotel and being in a foreign city makes me really nostalgic. i remember all the times when we'd be at hotels and not be able to enjoy the food there. it's almost become part of the experience - always having some sort of tournament hanging over you, not really being able to enjoy the continental breakfast, but that makes the bagels and muffins you can take with you all that much more valuable - knowing that you should go sleep early but kind of wanting to stay up and explore, needing to use the exercise room but more interested in whether there's a pool or a jacuzzi - looking for late night food in the nearest convenience store to possibly go with some late night alcohol.

one day i will take a real vacation and stay at a hotel or resort with no burden on my shoulders. but then, that always makes me wonder if i will enjoy the experience as much, or will everything just become less appreciated when there's no hardship to get through first?

edit - btw, if you forget toothpaste, use the face cream. it isn't that bad, and actually tastes kind of buttery and isn't harsh.