just finished my two night hotel stay ALL by myself and man i am so glad i did it! having zero agenda and nothing to do besides relax is something i guess i haven’t experienced since becoming a mom. not having to worry about feeding anyone, bedtimes, schedules, emails, anything– it was REJUVENATING! 

what i looked for in the hotel

i actually was planning on staying in a cute boutique hotel two hours away where i had my own little backyard, but realized right before the trip that they didn’t have a restaurant and i was worried about being able to order food, so i cancelled and booked a hotel on the beach in santa monica instead. 

i just wanted a hotel where i could :
see the ocean, sit on a balcony, order room service, watch tv, have a mini fridge, get a massage and not spend $800 a night. i opted for those amenities over a more stylish boutique hotel, but everyone is different! the hotel i chose was perfect. i stayed at the fairmont miramar.

what i did for my staycation

NOTHING. i brought books i didn’t read, i sat and spaced out looking at the ocean for a good portion of my time. i ate lots of delicious food. i drank rosé. i binge watched two tv shows i loved. i got a massage. i ate chips in my bed. i walked down to the ocean and collected some seashells and drank a latte. i made a list of things i’m grateful for and goals of mine. i stayed in bed in the mornings. i sat on my balcony and ate some more.

i made a big point to stay mostly off my phone. here and there i’d post an update or read a couple DMs but i find myself endlessly scrolling once i start and i just thought it was way more important to be thinking of nothing staring at the beach versus my phone. stay off them!!

staying one night versus two

gid advised me to do two nights so that i could actually unwind and have one full day and i absolutely agree now. waking up in the hotel, and having no agenda for an entire day was so chill. the problem with one is that if you check in at 3pm and then out at 11am, you’re really in and out– but if you can only do one, by all means — still do it.

going alone versus with a friend

while i think it would be so fun to go away with my bff (and we plan to), thats a different trip in my opinion. i spend all day talking, this trip was special because i was quiet, finally. i spent most of my time there just delightfully silent and alone, and i think thats a big part of why it felt so relaxing (versus fun).

what i watched

i bought two books, neither of which i opened. i actually thought i didn’t want to watch any shows because then time would go so much faster but it didn’t and i had a blast. 

i watched “never have i ever” and “dash and lily” and i loved them both! they were perfect solo shows i didn’t think gid would be nearly as invested in as i was. i’d already seen it but “ginny and georgia” would have been a good show to watch too.

what i packed (because i didn’t need anymore than this!)

two books i didn’t read and a magazine (as we know)
our roku (CLUTCH, will never travel without it)
chips
topo chico
rosé
lounge clothes! 

some people may have enjoyed going and having a meal out of the room or sit by the pool, i did neither of those and was blissfully isolated most of the trip! and i stupidly forgot to bring some sheet masks which would have been ideal. put together a few items for you 🙂

normalizing taking breaks

i got a few DMs thanking me for normalizing this kind of thing– which is so sad! why do we face judgement at all times for anything we do when it comes to being a mom? of course we need breaks. of course it’s ok to leave our kids and worry about ourselves. of course we need to prioritize our mental health!!!!! if you are freaking exhausted after a year of being home with your kids, then you’re the normal ones. 

anyway, i heard from a lot of moms who were inspired or had been wanting to do something like this, so i hope that i helped push you to just book it already. promise you’ll be glad you did.