Picture this. You’ve spent six consecutive months in New York City– your brain burnt out by the noises of your daily life. You’re waking up to the honking horns in the Lower East Side, trying to drown out the MTA with your headphones, grabbing drinks with friends in a crowded wine bar after work, then falling asleep to the same city chaos that you woke up to nearly fifteen hours ago. Six. Consecutive. Months. Don’t get me wrong, I love NYC. I paved my way here years ago and it’s one of the best decisions I’ve ever made. However, everyone knows that you’re not a true New Yorker unless you’re looking for an escape away from the city every couple of months. And if you’re reading this right now raising your eyebrows thinking to yourself “she clearly doesn’t appreciate NYC!” well then, maybe you should go touch grass.
It’s funny, I grew up in Connecticut but never fully appreciated the beauty of New England until adulthood. I discovered my intense passion for nature a few years back, so after 20-something years of underappreciating it I leap at every opportunity to immerse myself in Mother Earth’s warm embrace. Getaway House was one of those opportunities. A short 2.5 hour drive outside of the city and nestled away in the Eastern Catskills, my partner Mike, his energetic pup Eddie, and I had the most restorative weekend getaway. Here’s how it all went down.
First off, let’s talk about the cabin.
We were blown away with how thoughtfully designed the space was. From intentional design decisions, such as the mini library of relaxation literature and the cell phone lockbox, to the smallest details, like the neatly folded toilet paper stamped with a bear sticker and the retro-style Tivoli bluetooth radio speakers, we noticed every single element and could not have been more impressed with how the team executed the space. Most importantly, it was immaculately clean and highly functional. The water pressure was heavenly, the bed was comfortable, and the AC was a life-saver during the steamier days of our stay. It exceeded our expectations– no detail was left untouched by the team and it showed.
The cabin was also stocked with everything we needed to cook and build a campfire. We gladly helped ourselves to the onsite firewood to grill hot dogs, roasted veggies, and smores. At night we would wash up in our en-suite bathroom after a long day outdoors, then happily drift off to sleep knowing we were refreshed for the next day.The cabin allowed us to embrace the fun and magic of the outdoors, while providing us a clean and restorative space to relax in the evenings.
Let’s not forget about the focal point of the cabin– the iconic window. There are no words to describe the feeling of waking up in the mornings and being greeted by a sea of lush green. To our delight, we were even awoken by the sound of rain on Sunday morning and watched it from the window in the comfort of our cabin. The whole experience was so dreamy, I wouldn’t have changed a thing.
Unexpectedly, one of our favorite parts of the whole experience was the Outpost location itself. We typically go hiking and rent Airbnbs upstate a few times a year, but something about this experience felt different. We couldn’t believe how beautiful the location was. Much to our surprise, we ended up walking the loop around the Outpost 3-4 times a day. The sun illuminated lush greenery everywhere we turned and the air was fresh and dewy. We felt so small walking amongst the towering trees and we savored every last bit of it (talk about main character energy!?). At night we loved falling asleep listening to the crickets and frogs, and we even heard owls hooting at night. Safe to say we had a really magical experience.
Apart from relaxation, another big goal for the weekend was for Mike and I to reconnect with each other. Given that we serendipitously met on top of a mountain 2.5 years ago, we always look forward to our weekends away from the city, and so our time together at Getaway was savored. The surroundings fostered the perfect space for us to reconnect and catch up on what was going on in each other’s lives. We took strolls around the Outpost hand-in-hand, explored nearby hiking trails, and talked aimlessly about everything, anything, and nothing. By the end of the weekend, after endless fits of late-night giggles and stolen glances while cooking over the campfire, we came to the unanimous decision that he would come live with me in San Francisco during my upcoming work rotation. I know we would have come to the conclusion to take our relationship to the next level regardless, but having our Getaway experience as the backdrop to our decision-making process made it even more memorable.
I truly believe that nature holds restorative properties that can help recenter yourself. For example, while living in New York the last few years, Mike was struggling to rekindle his love for photography. Watching him pick up his camera and spend time getting the perfect shot of Kaaterskill Falls was awe-inspiring to say the least. As for me, I spent time reading by the fire and eliminating my relocation anxiety by journaling about all the exciting possibilities I could encounter during my next chapter in San Francisco. Getaway provided us with the much-needed interlude to refill our own cups before hitting unpause on our lives in New York.
Book that Getaway and go touch some grass. You won’t regret it, I promise.
