An Escape From Everything — Getaway House

I didn’t know where we were going for my birthday. Tyler had planned it all. It was amazing. Not only because it’s really nice to have someone else take on logistics, but because I am huge on birthdays (big days in general) and adding thoughtfulness to make a moment out of them.

A month ahead of my birthday, all I knew were the dates I had to block off on my calendar, that we were going somewhere where I probably wouldn’t have phone service, and that it was COVID-safe.

As the day got closer, Tyler started sharing some hints about what I should be packing, how long we would be in the car for, and that I should definitely pack books. None of his hints could have prepared me for what was by far the best birthday of my life.

Our drive in to Getaway House was snow-covered and beautiful, like out of a snowglobe. At first sight our cabin was tiny and when you walk in it was even tinier. We had everything we needed and nothing more — a bed, a bathroom, a stovetop, a sink, and a table.

There was also this small lock box where you placed your phones. This is when Tyler’s real gift kicked in. He was giving us both 48 hours away from the world as we knew it. No cell phones, no wifi, no TVs. The only form of sound in the cabin was an FM radio. You could hear any rustle of the leaves. It was so dark out at night that Chauncey would be scared by his reflection in the window.

I got to welcome my 28th year of life with a blanket full of stars outside of our window. Most importantly with all I needed and nothing more — my two guys, some books, and a cozy sweater.

I want to write more about how the experience of unplugging in this way felt and how I’m still shuffling through its ripple effects, but for now know that it was everything I could have wanted in a year that’s felt so all-consuming.

We had the privilege of being in a cabin so remote that we also didn’t have to think of COVID for a bit. We didn’t have to wear our masks because we didn’t come in to contact with other humans. It felt freeing.

Getaway House does an amazing job of also creating the kind of storybook escape. All of the cabins were named after staff members’ grandparents. There are no mirrors in the cabin so you’re not distracted by the external during a time when you have the chance to be more focused on the internal.

I would 10/10 go back and maybe even for longer.