A couple weeks ago, my cousin, aunt and I went to Baltimore, Maryland, for a relaxing spa getaway as an early celebration for my cousin’s birthday. We stayed at Four Seasons Baltimore, which had amazing views of the harbor and surrounding areas.

My cousin and I left after work on a Wednesday and got to the hotel around 7:30 p.m.; once we got there, we settled into our room and headed to one of the restaurants, Loch Bar. The restaurant was crowded, but we were able to get seated right away. Since I was in Maryland, I felt the need to enjoy an Orange Crush — one of the state’s signature drinks. I love a good Orange Crush, and this one was delicious. We also ordered some crab dip as an appetizer, and I got crab grilled cheese for dinner — so yummy!

After dinner it was late, so we went back to our rooms to relax and get a good night’s sleep before our spa appointments the next day.

Since our first spa appointment was at 11 a.m., we ordered breakfast to our room so we didn’t have to rush. When we arrived at the spa, we were greeted by friendly staff and immediately taken to the locker rooms to change and start our relaxation. Once we were ready, we were handed a glass of Champagne and led to the relaxation room to hang out before our treatment.

My first treatment was a two-hour, full-body massage. The two hours went by super quick, and I didn’t want it to end! I had so many knots and pains in my back, it felt amazing having them all worked out. After the massage I went back to the relaxation room with a glass of water and a second glass of Champagne. My aunt and cousin came back, and we waited for our next treatments.

My next one was a facial. The first facial I got was October 2021, and now I am obsessed with getting them! This was a total detox facial and one of the most relaxing experiences of my life — except for the extraction part, which hurt a little bit. But otherwise it was hard not to fall asleep.

I am so glad I was able to take time off work to have a little self-care getaway and spend quality time with my aunt and cousin.

— Mary Melnick, social media and editorial coordinator