I’m sure that many of you will agree that getting to a travel destination doesn’t have the glamour it once had. Being at the airport two hours before your plane leaves just to make sure you get through security in time to board your plane on time usually means getting up in the middle of the night! Not fun so far… but once you walk through the lobby of a truly beautiful hotel all is forgotten (at least until departure time).
Recently I spent a night away from home with my daughter… not in a faraway, exotic place but in her hometown. Although she has a family, two dogs (one is a puppy) and a job, she spent the day with me, shopping, going out for dinner and then came back to the hotel for the night.
Upon registering on our arrival, the front desk staff surprised us with a room upgrade. The next 24 hours were off to a great start.
All the rooms on our floor had recently undergone a renovation. Our room was large, the beds comfy, the linens soft and cozy, a stack of fluffy, white bath towels and pampering products galore! We even had a view of one of the city’s attractions. Topping all that off, we were greeted with a chilled bottle of champagne!
I daydreamed as the miles passed by on the trip home, reflecting on the past day and night I wondered, “Why am I not doing this more often?” New ideas and possibilities become clearer when I’m away from my regular routine. More importantly, my time is flexible now, and it’s so much easier for me to travel to see my daughter than the other way around. Juggling her families schedules and work schedule can be challenging.
Taking the opportunity to relax over a leisurely dinner (which we were also treated to!) and then going back to the hotel and watching movies late into the night is like those MasterCard commercials that run on TV, “priceless“. Time, in my opinion, the most valuable commodity should not be wasted and what could be better than leaving a hectic lifestyle behind and playing hooky with someone special surrounded by beauty and luxury?
So true Judy, being away from your usual surroundings can be rejuvenating! Even if the hotel’s are not luxurious the fact that there’s nothing that needs to be done, you’re allowed to just relax! I’ve had my best ideas when I’m on the road. It’s somewhat freeing and enables me to think outside the box and more creatively.
Lovely that you had such a nice weekend with your daughter and yes you must do it more often!!
Hi Catherine, I couldn’t agree more and, yes it is important to make time for the important things in life. I, too, came up with the best ideas when I was on the road buying for the store. I don’t think we realize how much toll the daily routine takes on the creative process!
My daughter and I recently treated ourselves to a couple of days at the Banff Springs Hotel. It was so relaxing and fun. We plan to make it a regular thing.
Hi Eva, I can’t think of a more magical place to treat yourselves. It must be beautiful there at this time of the year!