Life on the Road

Siva McAteer • February 11, 2024

Homes2 Suites by Hilton, Portland, TX

In September of 2019, Brian was sent to Corpus Christi for work and we’ve been back and forth from here ever since. For the last two years, he’s been at the Homes2 Suites by Hilton in Portland, TX. In May 2023 we decided to have me on the road with Brian full-time so I could focus on building my graphic design businesses, Siva McAteer Design Group LLC, Hmong Book Publishing, and Claddagh House Publishing, remotely on the road. I think this is the best decision we’ve ever made. With both my daughters done with college and doing their own thing it did not make sense for me to be alone at home when I could easily be anywhere in the world doing what I love and having it all. Now, every morning I wake up to the most beautiful sunrises. 

Making a Hotel Room a Home

As a graphic designer, I can work from anywhere in the world and the Homes2 Suites by Hilton has been a wonderful base to do my work. The rooms are spacious, they have a full kitchen that is fully furnished and plenty of storage. I like that you can ask for a portable stove with pots and pans to cook with so being away from home is not so hard. We also travel with a few big boxes of necessities that we can’t live without such as spices, our Keurig coffee maker, our Ninja Blender, our Ninja air fryer, and my Meta Quest 2 — All-in-One Wireless VR Headset. I have a full list of my travel must-haves in our SHOP. Since we are also Affiliate marketers if you like our recommendations please make your purchases via our links so we can make a small profit on what we truly love, use, and can’t live without.

Working Remotely

In general, I can work anywhere, but when I’m outside the hotel room I tend to be more productive and am less likely to be snacking when I shouldn’t. I normally take the elevator down to the lobby and have a seat at my favorite chair in the corner by the window. It’s nice that Homes2 has complimentary breakfast and when you’ve been here as long as we have everyone knows your name. Humans are social creatures and the more you engage with others the happier you are. I like to grab a hot drink, sit down with my laptop, and get my work done.

Taking Care of Yourself

One of the best things at Homes2 is a great 24/7 gym where you can exercise and do your laundry while you work out for free. Yes, I just said FREE. No hassles of having money, change, or paying period. Just remember to bring your detergent and dryer sheets. The gym is where I like to gather my thoughts and listen to some inspiring audible books with my Apple AirPods. If my AirPods are not charged I’ve always got my backup Sport Wireless Bluetooth Earbuds. If you need some inspiration I have a list of some of the audiobooks that I have listened to and highly recommend. I will also list these audiobooks in my SHOP if you would like to give them a try. As a child who grew up with narcolepsy, audiobooks are a lifesaver and so enjoyable.

Location, Location, Location

Portland is an ideal location if you want to check out the sights like the USS Lexington in Corpus Christi. The USS Lexington is, I believe, the largest attraction in Corpus Christi. I have been to this attraction two times and have done a 5-part series on this massive aircraft carrier. Keep an eye out for it to come out very soon. This along with downtown Corpus Christi is just 10 minutes away. With all the time that I’ve spent in the Corpus Christi area, I have been able to find amazing restaurants, attractions, and fun free things to do. I will be adding all of these things to my website very shortly. This is my real passion, finding and discovering new places and sharing them with all of you.


Next to the USS Lexington, another big draw to Corpus Christi is that it is the home to the legendary Selena Quintanilla-Pérez. Selena is immortalized at the South Texas Music Walk of Fame and the Selena Statue. I have yet to visit the Selena Museum and other Selena attractions, but am excited to show you when I do finally go and see them. 


Downtown Corpus Christi and the North Beach area have a lot of very cool gift shops and photo opportunities like the giant shark located outside the Palace Beachware and Gifts store. I especially love all the colorful murals that are scattered everywhere in the city. These three murals are specifically located at Dokyo Dauntaun. Anywhere you go in Corpus Christi you will find cool creative wall art that will catch your eye.

The Homes2 Suites by Hilton have been the best home away from home we could have for many reasons, but the one major one is the people. The people at this location are the kindest, most thoughtful, and down-to-earth people we have ever met. They have come to be friends and treat us like family. Pam is the most amazing manager, Kimberly is a quirky spirited kind soul, Ken is a sweet teddy bear and Victoria is as cool as they get. Everyone is amazing and I truly appreciate everything that everyone has done to make us feel at home.


#SivaTheDiva #TravelBlogger #Travel #Hmong #Scottish #Portland #Texas #CorpusChristi #FortMyers #FL #Homes2Suite #Hilton #DigitalNomad #GraphicDesigner #Inspiration #AudioBooks #Audible #USSLexington #DowntownCorpusChristi #VisitCC #CorpusChristiVisitorInformationCenter #CorpusChristiMural #SouthTexasMusicWalkofFame #Selena #SelenaQuintanilla-Pérez #SelenaStatue #PalaceBeachwareandGifts #GiantShark #DokyoDauntaun #DokyoDauntaunMurals

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