It’s time to runaway

The word escape has a bad rap.

Most self-help gurus and life coaches online will tell you:

“Build a life you don’t want to escape from.”

You know what I say:

Fuck off. 

There’s a reason every winter for 40 years Salvador Dali hid away at the St. Regis in New York. 

He escaped to reimagine the world. 

How else do you think he came up with melting clocks? I can tell you this, it wasn’t while he was at home writing in his gratitude journal or folding his underwear into perfect Marie Kondo squares. 

In other words, escaping your life occasionally isn’t irresponsible.

It’s not a sign that you are unhappy, reckless, unproductive, or a perpetual Peter Pan.

Since I’ve been trying to write again, I’ve planned regular escapes.

I try at least once a year to escape to an Airbnb by myself so I can write from sunup to sundown, take 3 baths in one day, and eat Doordash-ed Olive Garden. 

If you feel like you need to runaway and be a creative animal, here are some of my favorite spots in Kansas and Missouri.

My top spot for a quick creative getaway.

This little farmhouse in Kansas is so sweet. It’s on land so you feel free. (But the owner also lives next door so you don’t have to be afraid that you’re in the middle of nowhere, ripe to be murdered and become the star of a new true crime podcast.) My favorite part – the bathtub. I started going here during the pandemic. The owner, Andrea, is lovely and helpful. Sometimes she has fresh eggs from her chickens. 

(It was also in the Jen Shah documentary if you are a Real Housewives fan.) 

What more do I need to say!?

You can check it out here. 

Prairieside Cottage in the Flint Hills 

This artist-owned home is a retreat sitting on about 8 acres of land in The Flint Hills. It’s close to a small creative town called Matfield Green, Kansas and The Tallgrass Prairie National Preserve. The artwork in this spot is incredible, Yoonmi Nam and Laura Berman to name a couple. The owner of this cottage, Laura, also uses it as an artist residency. 

They host a competitive artist residency program which welcomes 2 to 3 artists each year for short creative retreats. You can apply for it here. 

Here’s the Airbnb link. 

This house in the woods is unreal. 

The tree house is located in Perryville, Missouri. The frogs at night scream. The trees feel like a big green blanket. It’s got a hot tub. The feeling of seclusion really speaks to a hermit like me. Asheer and I went here for a quick weekend. I did a little writing and then we went to this fun little winery and brewery, Charleville Brewing & Winery.

You can book the Airbnb here.

Warning: This place books out REALLY far in advance. Make sure to follow on Instagram because they post when there is an earlier opening. 

No Vacancy is an artisan hotel hidden in the art district in Kansas City, Missouri. 

It’s adorable. I believe there are 7 different rooms, a bar area, and a great courtyard patio. (Here’s the artist that painted that beautiful mural, by the way.) 

Mildred’s is right by this spot and has my favorite breakfast sandwich in the city. Their eggs are the fluffiest thing I’ve ever put in my mouth. 

You can book this place here.

AIDA is a little boutique hotel by the Kansas City Art Institute. 

I was a little nervous to stay here because I worried it would feel small like a bed and breakfast spot. And let’s cut to it. I’ve never been a bed-and-breakfast gal… Bed and breakfast spots feel like more quaint hostels. And after backpacking through Europe and Southeast Asia as a gal in my 20s, I think I’ve had my fill of sharing awkward sleeping arrangements. (There was one time I had a roommate that looked like Beetlejuice. But that’s a story for another day.)

You can book it here.

Even though AIDA is a boutique hotel, it didn’t feel like a weird bed and breakfast at all. The room I rented was shockingly big. There was a bedroom, a living room, a closet, and a giant bathroom. It was beautifully designed down to the books on the shelves. 

I felt like I truly wasn’t in Kansas (City) anymore. 

Which is what I need from time to time to keep making art.

Because if I've learned anything about creativity (thanks, Elizabeth Gilbert’s book Big Magic), it's that you can’t neglect your creative gifts.

In fact, you need to create a relationship with your creativity. Take it on dates. Block time in your calendar during the week. Make it fun and exciting. Give it the time and space it needs to play and grow.

And if that's not in your backyard, maybe it's in someone else's.

P.S. Do you have a favorite get-a-way? A hotel or airbnb!? Hit reply and share! I’m planning my next escape ;) 

P.P.S. Did you know Salvador Dali also has a cook book? This shit is nuts. And I love it. I am manifesting the original or maybe a signed copy… (Asheer or the universe please take note.)