Alone in a Fancy Hotel Bathroom |
 | | Tiago Majuelos |
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When I’m having trouble falling asleep, I think about a paddle boat ride I took in 2010. My husband and I were on our honeymoon, staying at a hotel in Portugal that was right on the bay. I have a visceral memory of raising my face to the sun, lazily paddling around while the sea breeze gently flowed around me. I recall that moment when I’m tossing and turning in these pandemic times; I felt so relaxed and free then … because I didn’t have kids. |
I had this reverie in mind (and also this viral tweet about the desire to open a bed-and-breakfast for burned-out women with an unprintable yet irresistible name) when I asked readers for their fantasy child-free solo trips. These are the kinds of vacations you would take if money and child care were no object, and the coronavirus miraculously disappeared tomorrow. |
Here’s a sampling of the most hilarious and relatable responses. I hope that you all get to do these things in 2021, or at least find some time for yourself, even if it’s hiding in your bathroom. |
The All-Inclusive Experience |
“My fantasy solo vacation would be at an all-inclusive resort in Cancun, Mexico. I would revel in not having to cook, clean, do laundry or pay for anything on the spot. I would take naps on the beach beds while listening to the ocean and let my mind empty. I would have a frozen drink at a swim-up bar, that intoxicating sensory overload of the water, sun and diluted sugary frozen cocktail. I would read whole pages of books without interruption. I would be away long enough to miss my kids, which I am guessing would be about two full weeks.” — Valerie Sprout, Shawnee, Kan. |
Please Just Leave Me Alone in This Bathroom |
“I will travel across an ocean for a good bath soak. Specifically, I would go back to the Dunstane Houses in Edinburgh, Scotland, and soak in one of their gorgeous, metallic claw-foot tubs in the bay window of a hotel suite overlooking the city. The bubbly bath soak would last for an entire morning while I sip an espresso and munch on treats from their curated mini bar, all while reading. Then I would spend the day taking in the gorgeous architecture of Edinburgh and wandering in and out of the city’s best bookstores and museums, and of course grab high tea. I would then cap the day off with a room service dinner and another leisurely bath soak.” — Zahra Nawaz Curtin, Manhattan, N.Y. |
I Want to Do All the Things |
“I would travel to a perfect combination of a place to visit and learn new things (like museums/ruins or just lovely towns to walk and explore), and a retreat spa where I could enjoy hot tubs and cold immersion pools, practice yoga and also drink a nice cup of coffee whilst catching up on the 2,347 books I desperately want to read! Athens in Greece, Nusa Dua in Bali, Oaxaca in Mexico … I am flexible with location!” — Mariana Delgado, Cambridge, England. |
“I’d go to Europe and hit every art museum possible. Here’s the fantasy part: I’d stand in front of the pieces I found intriguing for as long as I wanted, without having to rush on to the next thing because I was ‘taking too long’ or because ‘this is SO boring.’ I would revel in just standing still and looking. For hours and hours.” — Krista Harmon, Portland, Ore. |
“I would go to Barnes & Noble. Sitting in one of the Barnes & Noble chairs with a coffee from Starbucks and getting some me-and-books time was something I would promise myself to mark milestones: landing that very first gig, wrapping up an important project, seeking comfort from the low of missing loved ones back home and so on. My Barnes & Noble therapy worked each time, and I can see no other way to commemorate an event such as the end of a once-in-a-lifetime pandemic than by transporting myself to my once favorite comfort place.” — Shruta Satam, Sydney, Australia. |
“My fantasy solo vacation is actually a week alone in my house without my kids and husband. I can eat when I want to, go to sleep as early as I want to and eat bagels with cream cheese for dinner. Alone. In silence.” — Jessica Hajee, Nairobi, Kenya |
“Is it terrible if my fantasy is just ‘anywhere my kids aren’t’?” — Sarah Maniscalco, Brampton, Ontario |
| Parenting can be a grind. Let’s celebrate the tiny victories. |
My 14-month-old is a wriggling escape artist during diaper changes, so now we ask Google Home to make different animal sounds, “Hey, Google, what does a dolphin say?” He’ll stop moving to listen, we get to finish the diaper change drama-free and sometimes even get a good chuckle from him on a particularly funny animal. — Tina Groff, San Francisco |
If you want a chance to get your Tiny Victory published, find us on Instagram @NYTparenting and use the hashtag #tinyvictories; email us; or enter your Tiny Victory at the bottom of this page. Include your full name and location. Tiny Victories may be edited for clarity and style. Your name, location and comments may be published, but your contact information will not. By submitting to us, you agree that you have read, understand and accept the Reader Submission Terms in relation to all of the content and other information you send to us. |
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