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Teaching Balance in the Modern Age

By Postcard Cabins -

Teaching is considered by some to be a thankless profession: though the hours seem short compared to other jobs, the reality is that it’s a tough gig to balance work and life with all the prep work: answering emails, updating the classroom website, entering data, lesson planning, preparing for meetings, and more.

Recently, one of our guests, Liz Orlando, an elementary school teacher and yoga instructor who lives just outside Boston, MA, wrote to us recounting her reflections on her trip. She told us about how teachers often feel the need “to disconnect from the world from time to time.”

Which makes sense as teaching in the digital age is tricky; technology has dominated our lives and now is an integral part of the classroom. There are technology specialists now – gone are the days of card catalogs –  and “it is remarkable how technology savvy a seven year old can be… it can be really difficult to capture students’ attention when you are competing with technology,” according to Liz.

Here are Liz’s top three lessons to teach kids about balance:

Slow down to speed up. By slowing down, you can do things once and do them correctly. By going too fast, we can make mistakes and then have to re-do work, which ultimately slows us down. We said that in our classroom all the time this year. So much so that a student brought in pencils with that phrase on them!

Slow down to speed up

Make decisions for what is best for you. With so much stimulation everywhere, it can be tough to prioritize what works for you. I’ve also been practicing saying “no,” meaning if it isn’t going to serve me, I let it pass. However, I’m also being mindful of saying “yes” when I think it might be a good opportunity for me to grow and try something new.

To have good friends, you must be a good friend. Practice kindness.  There are so many digital friends one can have, and technology allows us to connect in so many ways, but there is something about being in front of the people you love.  Carve out the time to really relish those moments, and set plans to do it again then and there.

Find balance in your own life

As the saying goes, it’s never too late to learn. After all, you don’t need to be a student to take a page out of Miss Orlando’s lesson plan and start learning about how to create balance in your own life. If you’re looking to slow down, prioritize yourself, and be a good friend, we know the perfect place to start.

Artist Fellowship | Features

Getaway Artist Fellow Profile: Forage Paper Co.’s Christina Chun

By Postcard Cabins -

Meet Christina Chun. Christina is a talented illustrator-turned-entrepreneur, running her very own stationery business called Forage Paper Co.

Christina is also one of our recent Artist Fellows in New York. You may have caught some of her work if you purchased our Black Friday deal; she designed beautiful postcards below inspired by her Getaway stay. We loved the postcards so much, we printed them up and sent them along to our guests who booked on Black Friday. Take a look at the design below.

We sat down with Christina to talk about her stationery work, what inspires her, and how she gets away.

Let’s start off by introducing yourself.
Hello! My name is Christina Chun. I currently live and work in New York City with my husband and my studio-mate German Shepherd. After graduating from college with a degree in illustration, I worked as a freelance illustrator for many years until Forage Paper Co. came into the picture.

How did you start Forage Paper Co.?
Several years ago, I started creating my own stationery and sharing them with everyone–friends, family, my local community, and the internet. To my pleasant surprise, people began purchasing them and retailers started carrying my cards in their shops! It was then when I realized that merging my love for illustrations and my passion for stationery was the perfect marriage. After mustering up enough courage, I started my very own business: Forage Paper Co. officially opened in 2015 in Oakland, California.

Where do you go for inspiration?
I forage for inspiration and ideas wherever I go. It can be as grand as my travels around the globe or quotidian as a walk through Central Park with my dog. From there, it all gets recorded in my sketchbook, and then I take it to the literal drawing board.

Forage Paper

How do you recharge?
I recharge by either reading, cooking new recipes, exploring a new part of the city, or spending time with friends.

Where do you go to get away?
Living in New York City, Central Park is my get-away. Thankfully, I live close by and can enjoy it whenever I please.

What sound do you find most relaxing?
There’s nothing like the sound of a heavy downpour with a chorus of thunder. It can put me right to sleep!

Let’s talk analog in a digital world. What does making stationery mean to you in 2018?
Nowadays, everything we do is quick and on-the-go. We microwave our food; we send emails from our phones; we snap, click, and go. In this hyper digitized climate, nothing beats receiving a handwritten letter in the mail. Why? Because it’s saturated with purpose and thoughtfulness.

When I see someone smiling as they pick up my products, I know they intend to share a slice of that joy with pen on paper. Seeing it truly affirms my belief that people desire to be connected to others. There is nothing more poignant and meaningful than a handwritten note. Knowing that my stationery can be the sweet medium makes me happy.

What’s your dream illustration and/or stationery project?
The beauty of my job is that I get to illustrate my dreams anytime I want–and I have. I pour myself into my illustrations, and I think others get a glimpse of it in my work. In terms of projects, I am always cooking up ideas in my studio. I recently launched a series of notepads, and I have plans to expand my line even more!

Finish the sentence. At Getaway…
I took my time cooking over white-hot embers, slept without an alarm, woke up to the best view of fall foliage, and read to my heart’s content.

Forage Paper Co. can be found online, Etsy, locally, and on Instagram and Facebook at @foragepaperco.

Photo by Lindsey Swedick from Forage Paper Co.
Artist Fellowship

Meet an Artist Fellow: Musician, Nakaya

By Postcard Cabins -

Fill us in on your background—personally and in your creative practice.

I am originally from Los Angeles, but I’ve been New York based for nearly 8 years now. I come from a pretty unique background – my father was a hip-hop producer in the 90s and I attended a radically liberal (and what some might call “hippie”) school that focused deeply on thoughtful learning and I think those influences (as well as a multitude of others) have informed who I am as a person and as an artist. I want to bring different perspectives to indie music – time and time again we are presented with the same identity tropes in alternative spaces, and I want to be honest about my experiences to hopefully find connection with people who have felt different or *weird* like me. 

How does your connection to nature influence you personally, and how does it influence your art?

Nature is where I base all of my work. We are of the earth and it recharges and inspires me to bask in the joy that nature gives to us. It’s magical and I feel like there is no way to describe the feeling of forest bathing that does it justice, but I really believe it’s because we are innately connected to the universe. 

How was your Getaway? Did your time in your cabin influence your process or inspire any new ideas?

My getaway was amazing. I felt so safe and comforted by the space provided, I am mad at myself for not having booked this time sooner. I haven’t taken my acoustic guitar on a trip upstate in a very long time and as soon as I pulled it out of the case, it just felt like “I’m back.” Like it was home and it was natural. The quiet in comparison to the constant buzz of the city just gave me much-needed clarity to work through some new ideas. 

I had such an amazing time at Getaway, I cannot emphasize enough how important it is, particularly with the obstacles we’ve been facing recently, to take a break. Recharge and be gentle with yourself so later on, you have power and energy to show up for yourself and your loved ones when they most need you. <3 

You can find me on instagram HERE and on my website HERE. 🙂 

Need your own creative escape? Book your Getaway today.

Features | Reflections

Benefits of Analog Photography

By Postcard Cabins -

I was at a wedding recently where there were not only four professional photographers, but one overeager mother who, I swear, took 10,000 photographs. The device that turned us all into walking encyclopedias also turned us into walking paparazzi.

But if I were to go out on a limb, I bet that you would agree with me that the explosion in the quantity of photography has not been matched with the same increase in quality.

The device that turned us all into walking encyclopedias also turned us into walking paparazzi.

All of this has me thinking about my new year’s resolution, which was to get a hobby (any hobby!). Inspired by this wedding, I’m thinking I’ll take up analog photography. What’s to lose? Here’s the case in favor:

LEARN A NEW SKILL

Analog photography is an art—you can learn to adjust the focus, aperture and other factors, which gives you more control over the photo. It also forces you to pause and think about what you’re photographing, allowing you to savor the act of creating a memory.

MORE DIGITAL SPACE

Digital photos have turned into digital junk, taking up tons of storage space in form of thirty variations of posing with your best friend or ten iterations of your last brunch. Maybe they become one of the 1.8 billion images uploaded to the internet every day, or maybe they’ll languish forgotten in the archives. Analog photography can lighten that digital load!

DELAYED GRATIFICATION

There’s something magical about waiting for the film to develop into tangible memories you can hold in your hands.

With film, you can’t immediately look at the photo snapped, but is that so bad? There’s something magical about waiting for the film to develop into tangible memories you can hold in your hands, or laugh about how bad a particular shot came out.

If enough of us switch to analog, perhaps we can counterbalance ‘a society too busy filming childhood to enjoy it’ or correct for the loss of memory in details of something photographed instead of observed, also known as the ‘photo-taking-impairment-effect’.

To join us, you can enter to win an analog camera from our friends at Lomography and a night on us here.

If the photos turn out terribly, I’ll revert to my other favorite pastime: taking no photos at all.

Campfire Cooking

Campfire Cocktails with Maggie Mae Dale

By Postcard Cabins -

Ask Getaway friend, bartendress, and The Spritz Co.’s founder, Maggie Mae Dale, about her favorite campfire memory and she’ll tell you about her days at summer camp as a teenager, when she prepped food over an open fire and roughed it with her cohort. “Laughing with my friends and catching fireflies on that trip is something I’ll never forget.”

Raised in Minnesota and based in Williamsburg, Maggie now crafts spectacular cocktails. When she’s not bartending, you can find her unwinding with “records, rye whiskey, and being a little witchy.”

Armed with her mantra, “Spritz all day, party all night,” Maggie has designed three cocktails to warm up your getaway this holiday season. 

Campfire Cocktails: Fireside Negroni

For this version of the negroni, vermouth is swapped for bergamot and cinnamon tea, bittersweet aperol, and gin. Yields three cups of tea. Maggie’s special note: My wish is that you enjoy your own taste of “aperitea-vi” as you getaway!

campfire cocktails

What you’ll need:

4 cinnamon sticks
½ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 bergamont tea bags (lady grey tea)
¼ cup turbinado sugar (raw cane sugar)
1 orange peel (with as little pith as possible)
4 cups of water
1 oz. aperol
1 oz. gin
Cinnamon sticks and orange wedge for garnish

To mix:

  1. To brew the tea, fill stove pot with cinnamon sticks, sugar, orange peel, orange juice, and water and bring to a boil.
  2. Once water is at boiling temperature, add two bags of earl grey tea and let steep for five minutes on a low simmer. Double strain tea into teapot or serving container.
  3. Add one part (1 oz.) aperol, one (1 oz.) gin, and four (4 oz.) parts orange tean in a cup. Stir. Toss in a slice of orange and cinnamon stick for garnish.
  4. Sip by a cozy fire.

Campfire Cocktails: Midnight Hot Cocoa

As a young camper, Maggie and her friends would sneak off to a hidden beach at night, build a campfire, and make “Midnight Cocoa” with melted chocolate and marshmallows. This recipe includes cayenne for a rich and spicy twist on the classic. Yields two servings. Non-alcoholic.

campfire cocktails

What you’ll need:

2 ½ cups macadamia milk
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
6 oz. semi-sweet baking chocolate
¼ tsp. ground cayenne pepper
Toasted marshmallow and Maldon salt for a garnish

To mix:

  1. Bring macadamia milk and cinnamon to a simmer in a medium saucepan over medium-low heat, whisking occasionally and ensuring milk doesn’t boil (around 10 minutes).
  2. In a double broiler, melt semi-sweet chocolate bars on low heat to avoid burning. To save time, substitute cocoa powder for melted chocolate.
  3. Whisk in chocolate, vanilla, and cayenne. Cook on low heat, whisking frequently, until mixture is smooth and creamy and chocolate is melted (about five minutes).

Campfire Cocktails: Sweater Weather

This is a take on an old-fashioned, but orange bitters are replaced with citrus- and cola-notes of Averna Amaro and Brovo Amaro. Clove, cardamon, and cinnamon finish the drink off for a hint sweetness. 

campfire cocktails

What you’ll need:

2 oz. Small batch Bourbon
0.75 Averna Amaro
0.5 Brovo Amaro No. 1
Orange peel and clove

To mix:

  1. Add ingredients to a mixing or pint glass. Add ice. Stir for 20-30 seconds and strain over fresh ice.
  2. Garnish with orange peel and clove.
  3. Wear your favorite sweater and enjoy!

You can follow Maggie and her mixology adventures at The Spritz Co. Make and drink these delicious beverages by the campfire as they were intended when you book your Getaway here.

For Your Free Time

The Rise of Female Solo Travel

By Postcard Cabins -

Thanks to our hyper-connected world, being alone is becoming increasingly difficult. This perhaps explains why solo travel is on the rise, especially among women. We want to help everyone take a real break from the busyness of day-to-day life. However, it’s an unfortunate reality that for female travelers, safety on solo trips (especially trips to the woods) is a primary concern.

While we love spending vacations with partners, friends, and family, there’s a special sense of freedom and indulgence that comes with going off the grid on your own. The time is totally yours: you can make your own plans (or make no plans at all), there’s no agenda to follow, no compromises to make, and no one else to look after or worry about. For once, you are the center of your own attention.

Venturing into the woods alone can sound nerve-wracking. We want to put the concerns we hear from you — “Uncertain about traveling to the woods alone.”; “Being in the middle of nowhere makes me have safety concerns.”; “How is the safety out there?”; “For a female who would love to go alone is there anything that can prevent crazy things from happening?”; “Is there an emergency phone?” — to bed, so you can adventure away, worry-free.

Your Getaway experience gives the benefits of camping in remote woodland, without any stress or safety concerns. To make this isolated experience possible, every cabin has:

Lockable Doors & Windows

All our cabins have customized keycode access. All doors and windows can be locked.

Landline

Most guests have no trouble getting reception at our cabins, but we want you to lock away your phone and unplug. If you put your phone away, don’t worry: each cabin is equipped with a landline so you can contact the local Getaway team or emergency services if necessary.

Local Support Team

We have a local field team available on-site during mornings and early afternoons.  They’re nearby and ready to help in case you need it: just give them a call or send them a text anytime from 7 AM – 11 PM and support will be available during on-hours .

Neighboring Cabins

While our cabins are remote, each Outpost consists of a collection of cabins. You can enjoy the feeling of being alone, but know that other people are nearby if you need them.

The daily hustle wears us down. Quiet hours alone are the best remedy. A solo break into the wilderness can benefit your wellbeing, creativity, energy levels, and productivity. Lock your iPhone away, discover boredom (it’s good for you), and settle into the peaceful nature that surrounds you.

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If you have any feedback on how to improve our Getaway experiences for solo travelers, we’d love to hear from you: [email protected].

Campfire Cooking

Campfire Cooking: Beef Smoked Sausage and Veggies

By Postcard Cabins -

Disconnection can mean something different for everyone. Whether it’s reading in bed, walking outside, or – for Getaway guest Renee Searcy, a personal chef and food stylist – cooking.

Renee loves experimenting with new recipes, so it’s natural that when she booked her escape to Getaway Chattahoochee, she had plans for what to cook over the campfire. Enjoy this delicious recipe, ready for your next campfire cooking session.

Beef Smoked Sausage and Veggies (serves 2)

What you’ll need:

  • 8 oz beef smoked sausage, sliced on the bias
  • 1 medium potato, cut into a small dice
  • 1/2 red bell pepper, sliced
  • 1 small sweet or vidalia onion, sliced
  • Roasted tomatoes in oil
  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1 tbsp oil of choice
  • Salt and pepper to taste

What to do:

  1. Heat a large cast iron skillet on a grate over hot coals or on the grill. You can also cook on the stovetop on medium-high heat.
  2. Melt the butter and oil together.
  3. Add the potatoes and cook for 2-3 minutes, stirring often.
  4. Add the sausage, peppers, and onions. Cook until the veggies are starting to get tender (about 3-4 minutes).
  5. Add tomatoes and some of the oil from the container. Let cook for another 1-2 minutes.
  6. Serve hot and enjoy.

For more recipes from Renee, you can visit her website. To make your next favorite recipe over the campfire, make your escape here.

For Your Free Time

Wellness Tip: Make Art

By Postcard Cabins -

Art making is a regular part of our lives when many of us are growing up. But as we get older, folks who pursue careers in the arts often specialize in one form or another, and those of us who don’t consider ourselves “real artists” often fall out of the habit of making any art at all.

It’s a problem worth trying to solve, because art (both making it and consuming it) can enrich our lives in lots of ways. Art has the power to change how we see and experience the world around us. Making art allows us to explore other sides of ourselves and even surprise ourselves. It can also be an important mode of self-expression: a way of translating our thoughts, experiences, and emotions into new forms, then using those forms to connect with others.

You don’t have to possess any special talent or formal education to make art. You just have to be willing to try it out. Here are some ideas to help you start creating again.

Looking for more wellness tips? Check out  “Getting Away: 75 Everyday Practices for Finding Balance in Our Always-On World” by our founder, Jon Staff.

1. Carry a Blank Notebook

Carry a blank notebook to capture inspiration when it strikes. Make a conscious effort to notice and record the things that interest and inspire you. Use your notebook as a pressure-free space to jot down rough ideas and sketches. Or take pictures on your smartphone or with a camera to create a visual diary.

2. Carve Out Time

Developing an artistic practice is like developing any other skill: It requires dedicated time. “Step firmly in your path and dare; be wild two hours a day!” advised the Postimpressionist painter Paul Gauguin. If you can’t find two hours in your daily schedule for artistic wildness, start by reserving at least one hour a week. 

3. Be Creative Anywhere 

When it comes to making art, the sky’s the limit: You don’t need to be sitting in front of an easel, a potter’s wheel, or a grand piano. You can make art from anything you can imagine: gum wrappers, tire tracks, or the movement of your own body.

4. Take a Class 

Signing up for an art class will force you to commit to a regular artistic practice, at least for the duration of the course. Take the opportunity to improve on a skill you’ve practiced before, or try something brand new. 

5. Make Bad Art

Julia Cameron, the author of the bestselling creativity guide “The Artist’s Way,” keeps a sign in her workspace that reads: I AM WILLING TO MAKE BAD ART. She says, “We must not deny ourselves the dignity of growth… By being willing to make bad art, I am free to make any art — and often, art that is very good.” When you’re willing to make bad art, you’re actually willing to make progress.

6. Schedule a Craft Night

Instead of throwing a dinner party or meeting at the bar, invite friends over for a craft night. Get some basic supplies (like drawing and construction paper, colored pencils and pens, watercolors, glue, etc.) and encourage people to contribute their own craft materials.

7. Check Out Getaway’s Artist Fellowship Program 

We offer free overnight stays in our tiny cabins to artists looking to harness their talents in a focused environment surrounded by nature. Anyone involved in creative work is considered a good candidate for the fellowship program.

Ready to plan a creative escape? Book your Getaway today.