The Deliciously Luxurious Treat I Give Myself When I Need to Unwind

Not too long ago, I found myself in a familiar pattern: unconsciously grinding my teeth, fidgeting excessively, and just generally feeling tense. At the same time, I was staring down the barrel of a completely free weekend — the kind of thing that makes an already anxious me more anxious. Having no plans should feel chill, but dear reader, I am not chill.

I knew I didn’t want to attempt to relax at home, since I was already feeling pretty jittery. My friends were out of town, so a last-minute get-together wasn’t in the cards. In a fit of desperation, I texted my best friend — the person who knows me best — and asked her for ideas about what to do with my nervous self.

Luckily for me, she identified the one activity that relaxes me no matter what: a warm bubble bath. And if I was itching to get out of the house, why not try a mini-getaway and book a night at a hotel with a nice tub? I have no idea why this had never occurred to me on my own, but I’m grateful for the genius outside perspective. 

Booking a 24-hour staycation is exactly what I did. On a Friday afternoon after work, I strolled into the Kimpton Marlowe Hotel in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where a king-sized bed and a soaking tub with jets awaited me. I enjoyed a lovely dinner, then spent the rest of my night luxuriating in the bath with a glass of chardonnay. 

Aside from the sheer size of the tub — it was much larger than my bathroom’s setup, which I juuuust fit into — and its fancy jets, it was a huge bonus not having to clean the tub before hopping in. (I prefer to give the tub a good scrub before taking a bath at home.) I also didn’t have to gaze around my tiny bathroom, noticing the spots I needed to clean better. Instead, I could take in the surroundings of the lovely marble finishes at the hotel — all in blissful solitude. 

The whole experience was an instantly soothing relief for my nerves — and something I’ll likely continue to do when a fit of anxiety rears its head. Will I always have room in my budget for a luxe night away from home? No. Is booking a night in a hotel a revolutionary idea? No. Is taking a bath a miracle cure for anxiety? Also no. 

But this tub-cation, if you will, was just what I needed to snap out of my funk. The real miracle cure is probably having a friend who knows me so well. A deliciously luxurious bath is a close second.