Happy Tuesday, everybody! I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are currently having a nice start to the week. I ended up taking a break from the hustle and bustle of city life this weekend and it was incredibly refreshing. Friday evening we packed up the car and headed to the Firefox Mountain House in the Catskills. The reason for this post is two fold: it’s to both provide you with a unique idea for a relaxing weekend getaway spot and to encourage you to do some self reflection.
I’ve wanted to give myself the opportunity to decompress and reflect on what I need more of or less of in my life, so when one of my longtime girlfriends, Michelle, suggested a girls’ weekend trip, I was all for it. Honestly, I’ve been feeling a little mentally claustrophobic lately. Yes, I know this sounds dramatic. When you think about it, though, it’s so easy to get wrapped up these days. Excelling at work, maintaining relationships, working out, going out–there are tons of elements (many of which aren’t even on this extremely trivial list) that keep our heads spinning. We’re constantly on the move and more often than not, hyper focused on what’s on our Instagram feeds and Twitter timelines than what’s in front of us. I’m definitely guilty of this, that’s for sure!
Here’s what a weekend in the mountains sitting around a fire and drinking red wine in the company of good friends taught me:
I hear things, but I don’t always listen. I have a sense of sight and I take loads of pictures, but I don’t always see what’s in front of me. I’m physically present, but not always mentally. These are things I’ve thought about this weekend and I’m sure they’re things you’ve considered at some point in your life as well. I can’t say I’m offering any solutions at this current moment, but recognizing the problem is a step towards a solution. I’m happy enough with that. I think it was just having the opportunity to take a step back and slow down for a second that got me to this point. I wasn’t completely fixated on things like what my next blog post was going to be, what picture I’d soon throw up on my Instagram, or what I could be doing better at the office. So that being said, I’m going to work towards living more in the moment and being present in both my daily activities and my relationships.
Foxfire Mountain House was the best possible place to bring me to this ‘epiphany’, if you will. If you’re looking for a weekend getaway at a place where you’ll be constantly on the go, this vintage inn in the Catskills is certainly not for you. This is the kind of place you would love if you’re in need of a relaxing weekend where you can enjoy your friends’ or significant other’s company. We spent most of our time sitting around the beautiful fireplace in the living room, surrounded much of the time by strangers. It was so peaceful to simply sit, chat and just be.  I really felt like that was the calmest I’ve been in a while! Aside from talking amongst ourselves and catching up, we made some small talk with other inn dwellers; caught up on some reading (if you were me; work/ studying if you were Michelle, Lorena or Kara); listened to some Fleetwood Mac on the old school record player; and above all, just took in the surroundings. This place is absolutely stunning. I’ve never seen any space decorated so intricately. I’ll let the pictures speak for themselves!

Luckily, the bar and restaurant at Foxfire had just opened up as well. The food was out of this world. Everything was made from scratch in the kitchen. I’m sure the menu will change as the inn develops more, but the lentil soup was to die for and you must try it if you make it up there! We also shared tons of heavenly homemade breads and some desserts. The staff was even kind enough to let us eat around the small table in front of the fire, rather than sitting at a proper table. The inn serves the most amazing, complimentary breakfast spread each morning as well! We’re definitely not talking about a continental breakfast here. We had oatmeal, maple glazed figs, homemade yogurt with granola and the likes.

We did leave the inn, though! Hiking was an option, considering we were in the mountains, but instead,  we ventured over to Woodstock. No, the actual Woodstock festival did not take place here (fun fact: it was held some 50 miles away on a dairy farm in Bethel). Anyway, the town is so quaint and as I’m sure you could imagine, decked it with tons of quirky and unique stores and restaurants. Hipster vibes radiate here! I highly suggest checking out Candlestock, which has an incredible selection and variety of candles. Music notes, animals, flowers– you name it, they’ve got it. I got Ben a scrabble board letter ‘B’ candle and I picked up a small tea light sized Buddha candle. We then made a pitstop at Shindig for lunch. So delicious! So quaint! Make sure you get the Shindig Burger. It’s awesome. Consider a side of the tater tots, too!

After opening up and getting a little more ‘raw’ in this post, I now leave you with the best part: the pictures. Michelle, Lorena, Kara and I had an awesome experience together at Firefox. Grab some friends of any and all kinds (single friends, taken friends, family friends, boyfriends, girlfriends) and head there– I assure you that you won’t regret it!