Even when the events of a weekend blur together, there are moments that rise above the rest – the ones that get remembered on the Monday morning when you’re sad that it all had to end. These are just a couple of the favorite ones we had last weekend in Boston, little jewels encrusted on the time-clock of life, when we’d managed to still its ticking hand.
The first was a stop at the Avery Bar in the Ritz Carlton. JoAnn and I had been here for a cocktail on a winter night a few years ago, so I knew there was a cozy fire inside. Though technically the Avery wasn’t set to open for a few hours, the super-friendly gentleman standing at the front desk said we could grab a drink at the adjoining Artisan Bar and bring it back to the fire place area. We really just wanted to be close to the fire, so we thanked him profusely and followed through with the recommendation.
I’ve spent some of my happiest times sitting idly in a hotel bar, and this one proved no different. We dropped our things and leaned back into a leather couch. The fire flickered in front of us, and the place was gloriously empty. When the world pauses… that is the time I like best. What happens afterwards gets swept away in the usual maelstrom of motion and activity that typically characterizes a quick weekend in Boston.
The other moment that came to mind as I recollected highpoints from the visit was a much simpler one that happened on a Sunday morning. Usually we are out and about early enough to avoid any brunch lines. On this day it was too cold to find the energy to move. The sun was streaming in so gorgeously and everything was looking especially clean after clearing out the holiday decorations that I didn’t want to leave. We pulled a blanket on and watched the rest of ‘Heathers’ on TV.
The ZZ plant arched happily in the sunlight. A pile of folded towels stood neatly on a shelf. The sun crept slowly along the shiny floorboards. In the corner, a Muji air diffuser dispersed a small plume of fragrant water vapor: their ‘Winter Bouquet’ edition, weighted predominantly with the slumber-inducing scent of lavender. It was certainly seeing us through the winter.
Sometimes you don’t need to travel further than your own bed to find what you’re looking for.
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