Chris has status with several hotel groups, which means that we oftentimes either get free nights at hotels or room upgrade perks. This afternoon when we checked into our hotel just outside Banff, we found out we got a room upgrade for a “loft-style” room complete with two full bathrooms. Two full bathrooms for the two of us? I immediately decided we were going to take advantage of this and use our own bathrooms. I set up all my stuff downstairs, while he has the upstairs bathroom where the bedroom is. He thought I was being silly, but why not embrace it for the short time we have it?

Because we have both lived in New York for eight to nine years, while he’s lived in Manhattan the entire time and I’ve lived in Manhattan for the last four years, space is something that we don’t take for granted. We have so little of it in our own apartment, so it makes sense. When we are traveling and staying at hotels, we relish the space in our temporary rooms because many times, the entire square footage is larger than our entire apartment back in New York. In a seemingly funny way, that “extra” space we get takes some getting used to. The idea that I could have my own bathroom, if even just for two nights, was exciting to me. The large counter space, the full bath and extended shower rod — these are little luxuries. It’s the little things when you are traveling that make it fun and enjoyable, and ultimately an escape from real life.