It finally happened y’all. Six years after our first child was born, my husband and I took our first getaway from our children. We had been away together once, for one evening, to attend his residency completion dinner, but I honestly don’t count that. I was pumping every three hours … like set an alarm to wake up throughout the night pumping every three hours to protect my precarious milk supply.
Our youngest is nearly two, and my youngest sister / summertime nanny was available, so we said LET’S DO IT! Because God only knows if we’ll ever be able to getaway again.
My husband loves planning trips. Loves it. So when it was time for our getaway, we brainstormed on some ideas we had, and I giggled at the stark contrast that came up between what he wanted out of a trip for two NOW versus our last trip for two: our honeymoon. No Sandals or Atlantis resort for him 9 years ago. No lounging on the beach 9 years ago. That was BORING *eyeroll* 9 years ago. He wanted to start our life together with an adventure: so we traveled to Ireland for 12 days and it was gloriously adventurous … but sooo exhausting.
I believe his exact words this time around were “I want to get there and not do anything. I want to sleep. I want massages.” And a few other things we aren’t going to discuss here *winkwink* We wanted all inclusive and in the U.S., that’s pricey stuff: an all-inclusive spa vacation.
But we FOUND one that fit our budget! Like independently of each other, we both found this place and were like “this is intriguing.” After further research and recommendations from two personal friends, we booked our stay at 10,000 Waves Japanese Resort and Spa in Santa Fe, New Mexico.
It. Was. Amazing.
My husband is a HUGE admirer of Asian cultures, especially Japanese culture, so this was a taste of Japan for him! We stayed on property at Houses of the Moon, in Moonlet. Doesn’t “Houses of the Moon” just sound romantic and relaxing? It was a free-standing private adobe cottage, and the pictures online do not do it justice. My poor phone pics do it even LESS! The bed was clean and comfy, the bathroom was pretty with a Toto-fancy-“wash yo booty”-toilet! It was cozy and romantic and had its own patio. We brewed French-pressed coffee in our room every morning and enjoyed house-made granola and fresh fruit for our breakfast. It even had a little fireplace that would have really upped the romance factor … but Santa Fe was in the middle of a drought and burn-ban. C’est la vie.
We woke up each morning to the sounds of birds tweeting outside. Although we were just off the highway, we never heard traffic noise. It was calm, beautifully landscaped, and peaceful. The air smelled like evergreens. There were walking paths throughout the property, all of which could lead to …
The Spa
We spa-ed our hearts out. We each had three treatments each day #YOLO and not-a-one disappointed. We both had a hot stone massage upon arrival, and it blissfully melted away all our tension in flying out of Lafayette. *grrrrr* The shiatsu massage was like no massage I had ever had before.
But y’all.
They have a Four Hands massage that surpassed any/all expectations I had. I may have cried during the massage because it was so beautiful. You really feel connected to your masseuses, because there are TWO working simultaneously in long, fluid strokes that are synchronized to music. It was a beautiful and special experience I won’t forget.
The spa is inspired by the hot spring resorts in the mountains of Japan. There are two large, landscaped hot tubs for communal use and one for women only. These both have saunas and cold plunges. Then there are spa suites that contain private tubs with varying amenities including showers, saunas, meditation rooms, potties, and porches. We booked one one evening, and it was insanely relaxing.
The Food
The restaurant on grounds is Izanami. It’s upscale izakaya dining featuring plates that are meant to be shared. Fish is not available regularly on the menu because they are so far inland, but they do fly in fish to feature one night per week. We chose the Omikase Chef’s choice tasting menu with sake flights on our first night and were seated in the tatami room, where we dined on the floor on tatami mats! All of the food here was ah-MAY-zing, and my husband really enjoyed the sakes. On our last night there, there was a special pop up Nikkei dinner featuring a blend of Peruvian and Japanese cuisine with sake pairings. But what they say about alcohol and high altitudes is true. It hits you HARD.
There was not one thing that did not exceed our expectations. We have fond memories of this beautiful place!
While leaving the kids took a lot of work on our end, and even MORE by the caregivers who stepped in for a few days/nights, it was totally worth it. Time away from the kids was not something available to us for 6 years. And we were fine with that and honestly did not feel comfortable leaving our kiddos until now. But once we arrived at our destination, we were able to reconnect in such an intense way. We discussed upcoming family vacations, long-term and short-term goals for ourselves and family, both financially and spiritually. We prayed together and for each other. And most importantly, we RESTED.
Our brains were quiet.
