Have you ever had to leave your youngest child at his or her first day of kindergarten, and returned to your empty home, wondering what to do to fill the void that is now evident in your life?

I imagine this feeling is somewhat similar to what I am feeling at the moment – I left my home 2 weeks, 6 days and 14 hours ago, and I miss my children – that is, my clothes, shoes, accessories, bags and bed – more than I could possibly have imagined.

My careful planning of clothes and accessories I could mix and match three weeks ago have now been worn multiple times and I’m bored. I packed mostly blacks, browns and greys so everything would work together – now I fear I am just coming across as dreary and lifeless, not to mention boring and blah.

I packed 8 pairs of shoes – all black – but have ended up being so over having so little to choose from that I have gone with the faithful standard work stiletto nearly every day. I only bought one handbag (ironically packed two evening bags, no idea why) and the thing is actually starting to fall apart from 3 weeks of continual use. Yesterday I tied a scarf to it in the hope that it might look new and exciting, but alas, still the same standard, falling apart, black bag.

As for jewellery – pearls just don’t go with everything and I am done wearing the same earrings every day. My sparkle and shine seems to have been left behind with my cocktail rings and oversized beads.

Should I even get started on my hair? I usually have three different shampoo/conditioner combinations in my shower. I am a firm believer that your hair gets used to one type, so I like to mix it up. 3 weeks of one kind of shampoo = flat, lifeless, dull. And what about hair tools? My straightener came along for the trip, but curling wands and crimpers were left behind in a baggage limit frenzy. Then there are hair clips, alice bands and floral corsages that I look in the mirror and say ‘oh, that would look great’ before realising the item is 50km away on my dressing table waiting patiently for my return.

I miss cooking in my kitchen with my own pots and pans. I miss my couch, as dodgy as it is. I miss getting the paper delivered on a Sunday morning, and reading in bed til lunchtime. I miss my bathroom and all the space it has. I miss having my books and magazines on hand when I think of an article I want to read again. I even miss the guy on his motorbike who does burnouts in the street at 3am.

But above all this, I miss my bed. Dorothy once said ‘there is no place like home’ and she was right. When you pick your bed and your mattress and pillows and doona – you pick those for your own comfort and no one else’s (I guess, unless you’re married in which case you would share the decision). Another person’s bed is like wearing another persons shoes, its okay for a special occasion but not to wear for an extended period.

I’m going home on Friday and I can’t wait to see all my stuff again. Unfortunately, it will be a little longer before I get to sleep in my bed – another 10 nights – but maybe if I have my shoes and the opportunity to change my handbag, I’ll be able to power through a bit longer.

Jimmy Choo’s take on Dorothy’s ruby slippers – There is definately no place like home if these babies are in your closet!