Sleeping Arrangements at Parents House

For the past ~4 years my parents decided to go down to Florida and do a 1+ month staycation. As much as they love it, to be 100% honest, I love it too.

Why? In this past February + February 2023, I had the house to myself for 1 month — which I really, really enjoyed. Look I love my parents but sometimes it’s good to get things done without permission.

In February 2023 I decided to clean the disorganized oils and spices closet and pretty much rip everything apart and organize it to perfection for me. However, upon return, with everything disheveled in my mom’s mind, she let me know that my version of neat is her version of disaster. I now know we agree to disagree with the kitchen and that’s totally fine. The only rule that still gets me is no Cumin use. I LOVE CUMIN. AHHH.

In 2023 I definitely used Cumin while she wasn’t home but was too nervous this year to execute on that risk. No more Cumin in the Grunberg household.

In 2025 my February mission was slightly different. For the past 24 years in this house, while home, I’ve been sleeping in the same exact room with a very similar setup. One thing that I wasn’t aware of then but totally aware of now is why I never slept late. I thought I was a bad sleeper, but as I’ve slept in many beds around the world and tried to prioritize my sleep, I’ve realized I am hypersensitive to light. So now you won’t find me traveling without a sleep mask.

But let’s face facts — sleep masks aren’t that great. They’re quite annoying IMO.

So in the ultimate “control your environment” mindset, I really wanted to make a change to my room that would have faced a decent amount of resistance if the parents were home: I paid $500 for blackout blinds.

Invest in yourself

The thought process I had in February was Jack, you will thank yourself in June, trust me.

Well it’s now June, and the question is — am I thanking myself?

The answer is: it’s complicated.

Tonight — yes. Absolutely not even a question.

But there is a second more significant problem in my room that has yet to be addressed. The A/C of my room is connected to the one in my parents’, but my room doesn’t cool down. When it’s hot outside, my room will sit overnight between 76-80 degrees. My mom insists I turn on the fan — but as I like to say… it doesn’t work like that. The fan doesn’t reduce temperature. In such nights I have to sleep on the couch of a better air conditioned room to get a proper nights sleep. Next Monday when it’s 95 degrees, i’m fcked lol.

I guess it’s a sign I should travel a bit this summer before I move back into the city for good. In search of better A/C!

Despite a summer underutilization for me, blackout blinds are imperative to good sleep. Can’t emphasize it enough. Highly recommend. Be sure to make the proper measurements before installation. I used Home Depot — they work like a charm.

-Jack