A Necessary Escape: My Stay in a Getaway Cabin
Ever since the coronavirus pandemic hit, I’ve been obsessed with cabins. Naturally socially distant, tucked away in nature, quiet enough to hear yourself think.
I’ve hung out in nearby Amish country, in a nearby state park and now, in a Getaway cabin.
You’ve seen the ads. The tiny, perfectly appointed cabins with the huge windows, promising a screen-free time in nature to replenish your mental health reserves.
I’ve long wanted to drive to one of those little cabins, put my phone on do-not-disturb and take a few deep breaths among the trees.
A few weeks ago, I was able to make that happen on a quiet Thursday evening, the Getaway cabin a little over an hour from my house. I packed a bag, put on a podcast episode roughly the length of the drive and headed to find some peace and quiet.
My thoughts:
The view from my bed was beautiful. The bed with the big window is absolutely the biggest selling feature of the cabin. You can absolutely pull down the shades for a little more privacy, but the full view of the trees, especially in fall, is part of the charm. It’s what you’re paying for. If sharing with someone else, the bed (and cabin) might feel a little small but for one person it’s absolutely perfect. The mattress was comfortable, the bedding was nice and the whole cabin was very clean and minimalistic.
There is, of course, no wifi. I don’t know how I missed this in all the ads, on the website and in the booking information. I assumed it would have wifi because literally everywhere you look there it is. There is, however, a Bluetooth speaker. I connected my phone and journaled for a while to the sounds of my teen years. I had Aaliyah’s “One in a Million” going all night and it set the mood perfectly.
There is no microwave. When I’m traveling anywhere, food is my main concern. When and where and how soon I’m eating is one of the first things I plan before any type of itinerary. So once I booked my cabin, I noticed the small kitchenette had a refrigerator and a stove, but no microwave. The reason? When you’re here, you’re meant to slow down. There is no rush. Why do you need to speed through the heating of your food? Savor the whole process. I bought some takeout with me and it worked out fine.
The cabins are closer together than you might think, which was a plus. This was comforting to me because as a woman traveling alone, being isolated in the woods definitely kept me from booking this trip earlier. But it feels like a cozy campsite, with just enough space (maybe 30 feet or so) between each cabin to give you privacy but also a feeling of connectedness. Could I hear my neighbors? Outside, yes. Inside the cabin, no. And there was a family with three loud kids next door so I got to test the soundproofness (is that a word?) extensively. Plus, there’s staff on site at a building at the end of our campsite so you don’t feel like you’re out there alone.
Figure out what you want to eat and plan accordingly. Takeout might be the easiest option (you’re there to rest, after all) but a few quick meals, like pasta or sandwiches wouldn’t be bad either. Most outposts are within 20-30 minutes of a store, but I packed all my food (because I’m me) and had a great time.
Plan to be bored. I read books, I journaled, I danced (do y’all still know the choreography to “Are You That Somebody?”), I brainstormed, I hiked. I spread out in the middle of the bed on my back and meditated by listening to Sade and crying about how beautiful the lyrics were. I built my first fire and ate 5 gooey marshmallows. I did what I needed to do. A glorious time.
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