DH away for a week. Dismayed by how little I miss him.

A break from someone is never a bad thing. There's every chance he's feeling the same

Being on your own for a short while is lovely. You won’t miss him because you know he is coming back. The novelty of being alone would wear off in a while. Then you’d miss him.

As much as I love my partner, I also love time to myself to do what I want when I want. That's perfectly normal and ok.
Relationships require alot of compromising on both sides to make it work so it's nice now and again not to worry about it.

Can I borrow your DH too? My DH is like the Tasmanian Devil going through my house making total mess and chaos! He does try hard to be tidier but it’s not his natural default!! 25+ years in and I don’t think he’ll change now! 😂

I think its the sign of a pretty healthy relationship to be honest. You don't need to pine and miss someone to love them and be happy with them.

My DH and I have always enjoyed and thrived on time away from one another. There is nothing wrong with that at all. Enjoy your last day on your own and encourage him to go away again soon (or go away yourself) 😂

We have been happily married for almost 30 years.

Both regularly travel for work, and both take vacations with other friends for our specific hobbies.

We don't miss each other when doing these things/the other is off. A break is nice.

Sounds like you should take some more time to yourself.

We’re similiar. There are only a handful of meals that DH and I enjoy together.

He prefers mostly convenience food but he works out a lot so he can handle the heavier calories that come with it while I can’t and prefer to cook, make my own sauces, etc..

I love when I get time to myself because it is so rare. Being at home is not that relaxing to me and it’s even more rare that I get the whole house to myself. Can’t even say I get it once a year.

It’s still different doing it for two, at the table, with someone hanging around going “Do you want red or white wine? Shall I make a pudding?” Sometimes you want the silence and solace of girl dinner: my mum used to wax lyrical about my dad going away occasionally, so she’d be able to eat things alone without fuss – a boiled egg and soldiers eaten standing at the counter, leaving the plate and crumbs til evening when she’d have a fridge forage, and only then clear up. It’s a different vibe and I suspect for OP it’s not about pasta and sauce, it’s about the vibe of the pasta and sauce. Book and bowl of pasta for one is different to conversation and pasta for two, that’s all.

It's funny how I read the comments in the op thinking it's sad that op can't serve that as a meal for two and you've read it as being sad that she doesn't cook herself a proper meal. Surely he can put up with an easy meal every now and then (or do his own cooking).

I find it good to embrace the bits you can indulge in, claim it as positive.
DH has been away for a few days which happens from time to time. My adult children and I view it as Pasta Fest.

DH likes pasta maybe once a fortnight whereas whenever he's away we eat a different pasta meal every night until he gets home. We also watch the dirt of sci-fi and fantasy series he can't be doing with.

When I am away it's Carnivore Carnival, where they have lamb and all the stinky meat dishes I don't like because the stink out the kitchen, and watch horror movies or testosterone bollocks like Jason Statham films, because I am not keen on those.

Having the space to relax completely and please only yourself is a good thing to appreciate. It doesn't mean there's anything wrong in the relationship.

We all need space ( well some don’t I know) but I know I certainly do and when retired a lot of people don’t get nearly enough in my opinion - and that’s either way not just women . Create some for yourself OP , go on holiday with a friend maybe too and if he follows you round like a sheep then suggest he develops some interests that get him out

“Big Job” 🙄

Totally normal, I love my husband to death, he still makes me a bit giddy, but I still revel in it when he goes away for a few days for almost the exact same reasons as you 😂

If he was gone for good, you'd be looking at the iron knowing no one is going to put it away but you 💜 it's good to keep those things in mind. Keeps you in the present.

Isn’t this normal? I love my DH, I love my DC, I love my family, I love my friends and when I’m with them all I’m very happy. But when I’m left alone? Oh, I am so content. I can be me, do whatever I want, have my own headspace and relax in a way I don’t when anyone else is around. DC are little but I still have the ‘what would I do if they all went away for a week?’ fantasies. I like time by myself to reset. I thought this was quite normal and healthy. DH is going on a night out soon and I’m excited that after DC go to sleep I get the place to myself!

I think not pining for DH when he’s away for the week is healthy. I love my DH very much and we do lovely things together, but if he’s away for a few days, it gives me time to be me. I can watch things he might not like, yes there’s less mess, and I can enjoy doing my own thing. Just because we couple up, we shouldn’t lose our own identity. Living with anyone, even when we love them is a daily compromise. When we’re on our own, we totally relax.

I totally get it, I am 64 married 35 years, very happy, but it’s nice having the house to myself. My go to food is also pasta and sauce, DH hates pasta. I can watch whatever rubbish on tv without feeling like I shouldn’t, although he never says anything, the longest I have with DH is about 7 hours when he goes to football, we do miss each other but I get so much done when he’s not here.

Do you know if he is missing you? Is he glad to be having a break from having to put the ironing board away.

This is my life, and I would find it very hard to give it up even for love.

My clean washing has been sitting on the end of the dining table since Sunday because I didn't get around to it at the weekend, and I had a picnic team of fun finger food that didn't require cooking. My life is very zen. I have a big job and I like the quiet time to recharge.

So let him cook for himself and sort yourself a simple meal if that's what you fancy.

We're "odd" by MN standards but DH and I never eat the same meal for dinner.

Could he not make himself a sandwich?

Honestly, OP, it's fine. You're just enjoying having some space to yourself for a change. It doesn't make you a bad person.

I've had the kids at home most of the holiday and in a week and a half, I'll be pushing them out the door to nursery and school and enjoying the blessed silence.

If my DH suddenly announced that he was going to start working from home, he'd find himself in mortal danger. I think when we retire we're going to have to live separately (maybe next door?) otherwise I'll go mad 😂.

What you need is the equivalent of a man-cave.

Yes, I feel exactly the same as you, OP. DH goes to visit his DPs for a few days every couple of months. I get to move around the house without someone getting in the way. If I want to read a book or laze in bed I can, without feeling I should be looking as though I'm doing something more productive. It's a lot easier to get the place clean and tidy with only one person here. I have friends round for dinner too, without feeling I'm excluding him. Enjoy your free time! I actually look forward to him going, but always appreciate him that little bit more when he comes back.