Courtesy of Blake Turck.
- My family returns annually to the hotel my husband and I stayed at on our wedding night.
- It's just a few miles away from where we live, but our stays are always restorative.
- With travel being so chaotic, I don't think I want the stress of leaving NYC for a quick trip.
We clinked glasses atop the roof of the crowded hotel bar. Around us, the harmonious sounds of silverware and chatter felt like my own personal soundtrack. A few inches to my right, our 6-month-old baby slept, miraculously unfazed. We were surrounded by people. But inside the parameters of our little booth, I felt at home.
Later, as our daughter slept in the bassinet, we watched "Edge of Tomorrow" and dined on takeout lobster wontons and crispy orange chicken. Sitting on the white hotel bed, layered with soft pillows, it felt like a far-off adventure. Our first as a family of three. Yet, we were only a few miles from our apartment.
Our first stay at this Upper West Side hotel had been our wedding night seven years earlier. Late at night, I sat amid a pile of cream colored chiffon and stared out the window upon a sprawling Central Park. The streetlights sparkled cinematically, and I recognized the magic of the moment.
I had no idea how meaningful that view would become over the years.
Courtesy of Blake Turck.
Staycations are a low-stakes getaway that still feels like an adventure
I discovered the joys and hardships of not traveling while my husband and I were dealing with infertility. During years of IVF treatments, I was at the mercy of science, and strict, necessary timelines around each cycle. I couldn't travel.
Going to a local hotel as a pretend tourist turned into a way to romanticize our marriage, without actually leaving the city. I'd read stories from women who'd experienced a failed IVF cycle, or transfer, and left for a healing vacation. I wanted to do it, too.
At the time, I felt tethered to my commitments. Unable to permit myself a true break, however brief or beneficial. Amid a harsh reality, a staycation gave me a micro-break.
Now our daughter is enjoying our stays, too
At 45, I'm a new mom. Having a daughter activated the little girl inside me, raised in New York City by her own single mother. Giving my child an early appreciation for her hometown felt like a generational milestone. Going back to the hotel, which felt like an extension of our home, became an annual tradition.
We galavanted through Central Park early Sunday morning with our Goldendoodle, during the magical off-leash hour when dogs roamed free, and the entire park resembled a Disney movie. I ate off a silver tray in a plush robe, and tickled my baby in the soft, luxurious bed covers.
Courtesy of Blake Turck.
At almost 2, my daughter can now stand up to see the city view from our room. During our most recent stay, she peered out onto the vast sights below, pointed, and exclaimed, "parrk!" On our Sunday stroll, she ran through the field after our dog. For a moment, inside a bustling, chaotic city, I again felt that same serene sense of home.
There's a certain beauty to revisiting the same place each season
I was recently reminded why we always returned to the same spot. There was something special about staying in the same place where we'd begun our marriage. Somewhere I'd stayed while also quietly grieving. The familiarity brought me comfort. Sharing pieces of that with my daughter unlocked a whole new perspective.
Courtesy of Blake Turck.
I'm not alone in revisiting what's familiar. A survey conducted by Talker Research found that one in three people embraced repeat travel, returning to the same vacation every year. Sure, mine is likely closer than most (I live just a few neighborhoods away in the East Village), but I get the appeal.
With travel becoming more chaotic, I'm not sure I need the stress of worrying about long wait times, fuel prices, and the like. Staying in my city has kept my wallet and psyche at ease. Our repeated family staycations allowed us to explore the city in a way we normally wouldn't. Each visit becomes a task to uncover something new about the city, and each other.