New York has such a special place in my heart. This will only be the second time I have been. Each time has separately been such a a unique and absolutely adorable experience. Every time is so different and still new…and will be for some time to come. Each time I am getting to know the lay of the land that much better. The last time I was here I stayed in the West Vilage area…darling. This time I was in the Midtown East area. A very rich area. I didn’t mind. 😉

So as for the photos from this part of my trip will go…well it’s just photos from the freakishly awesome rooftop my 4 friends in this area had to themselves. Unbelievable. I kept saying what a treasure this was. Like, think if you added up all the rooftops in New York and divided by how many people actually got to enjoy one to themselves.

Side note: The one thing that has been on my mind most while traveling is….the population of each city and then the world’s population….BLOWING MY MIND. Always has. Always will. There are people on the streets. In cars. In buildings. In their homes. In businesses. Underground in the metro system. So many people! Scary almost. Makes me understand why some of these other cities I am going to make sense with their markets on every other corner and bike/moped traffic lanes; small living, if you will.

I think the biggest perk of New York would be that I am American and I speak the language here. I got lost and turned around a few times and asked for help, mostly from females, and found my way. With that said, here are pictures I shot from the rooftop and other spots I popped into or by within my 4 day stay. In the colors I see them! Enjoy 🙂

The only way to describe my experience at Aire Ancient Baths in New York City is, surreal.

My stay in New York was hosted by my good friend of 6 years, Mikey, whom I worked at a set of venues in Sacramento with when I lived there. He lives in the Midtown East area of New York. You’ll be seeing pictures of his rad spot soon enough (think, rooftop!).

I booked my visit at the Aire Baths for a Monday morning at 9am. Today’s chosen experience was 60 minutes of private yoga (with one other person) and access to the baths. I woke around 7am in order to get to the Tribeca area of town where Aire Ancient Baths is located. It was funny being the girl with a yoga mat on her shoulder walking amongst all these snazzy city slickers on their way to work. Where were all my fellow yogis? I made a turn onto Franklin Street and it was like stepping into a portal. Think like Harry Potter when they jump through a brick wall into a different world. There were still people walking, but it was all very quiet. And being so early in the morning, the lighting was almost ghostly. I was so excited.

I walked into the lobby, quite big and welcoming if you ask me, and was kindly greeted by the lone receptionist. That was nice… sometimes you can feel slightly confused about who to talk to when going into these kinds of places. Not the feel you want for your client. She asked me my name, what time my appointment was and if I’d been there before. Shortly there after I was pointed in the direction of the women’s locker room where I was greeted by a woman who showed me to my locker and how to use the really cool locker key/bracelet. It was a rubber band that went around your wrist and you just tapped it on your locker’s handle to lock and unlock it. It was waterproof too so you could wear it while using the facilities.

After I put my things into my locker I made my journey to the area of the baths that I would be enjoying my 60 minutes of a somewhat Vinyasa flow styled yoga. Vinyasa is just a regulated flow of stretching in accordance to and with focus on the breath. It was just what I needed after a weeks worth of new beds and late nights (Miami & New York).

I walk through the women’s locker room sink area, past the toilet rooms, and through a door that leads me into this supernatural little world. I descend the stairwell, glass and steel banisters and all, and am gracefully greeted by little flickering lights all over this brick clad sanctuary. Blue pools are lighting up my eyes and my way was lead by another woman who showed me to my yoga teacher. We wrapped up our session and my teacher gave me some pointers and I made my way back to the locker room to change into my bathing suit in order to start my bathing experience.

Sidetone: Lucky for me the whole place was empty for that hour, seeing as we performed our session down in the baths area…I wonder where we would have done it had there been multiple people there?

With the help and ideal-use-instruction of the baths by my yoga teacher Ana, I started my experience in the warm pool in the back. I waded in there just long enough to think about how seriously cool this was, and what my next move would be. From there I went into the hot pool. It was kind of like a jacuzzi but without all the jets (we’re getting there). After walking around this pool and admiring and digesting all of the materials used in this facility to make it so dreamlike, I made my way to the “frigidarium” – a 50 degrees small pool of water. It only accommodated 4 people max. So the sign said. I stepped in, plunged under very quickly and was out. WAY cold. But felt amazing.

After feeling a bit numb, I walked toward the steam room, but not before I served myself some chilled tea that was sitting on a low table, waiting to be drank. These facilities can be quite dehydrating and they encourage the consumption of water and tea always whenever I go.  Onto the steam room I went. Ana suggested I do this before the salt pool so that my pores would open up and I would float better and absorb the salt. Walled in entirely glass, and centered in the facility it was a pleasurable experience to sit on the cedar wood of the steam room and feel drops of water drop down on you as you just breathed in the lush moisture of the air….again, thinking about what an amazing and relaxing experience I was going through. I felt so good.

After hanging out in there for a good 7ish minutes probably, I made the few steps it was over to the salt pool. This was probably my favorite part only because I’ve never experienced floating like this. It was extremely serene, to just float, spin, and practically feel nothing. My thoughts practically escaped me. And that’s rare. I enjoyed this for a good few minutes and then walked over to the jacuzzi. Roaring with jets, and also glassed in, I descended into it’s bubbly depths and pretty much just floated from jet to jet playing around. I was so happy about this purchase. This experience.

At this point I’d used all the pools and amenities in the room, so I appropriately showered off in one of the small open shower rooms they had down there, grabbed my robe, some more tea and headed back into the women’s locker room. I took another longer shower in there, and readied myself for the day. It was quite nice of them to supply a hair dryer and straightener. The woman who had originally greeted me in the locker room, offered to dry my bathing suit for me which was great. They even had a little machine and bags to put your wet one in.

I made my way back to the front to check out, where it was still quiet as ever, but a little bit sunnier than before. The woman was short and sweet, and I was on my way. I sat in the lobby for a bit, to enjoy that part of the building and to of course, post something on my Instagram. (@sablethena). & then I hit the pavement back to Midtown East to run some errands, feeling more zen than I have in a very long time.

There truly aren’t words for how cool this was and how amazing this felt. It was extraordinary. Extraordinary that the combination of materials, the construction of zones and spaces and the professional abilities of some can bring together such an otherworldly experience for the human race. That is what I love about interior design, and that is why I am so passionate about the spa industry. I believe in treating yourself and rather than always exerting yourself to “stay fit” I believe there is a need to satisfy our centered-ness in the way of enjoying our being in such sensational ways.

The AIRE Ancient Baths is based out of Spain, with locations in 5 cities. I’ll be headed to Barcelona in a week or so, and I’m debating if I’d like to experience the same thing but in a different area. We will see won’t we!

I would like to thank the New York City AIRE Ancient Baths PR department for providing me with the photos you see here on my blog. Thank you for being so accommodating all the way around!

With gratitude,
Sable

A huge ambition of mine for this global trip is to visit a spa in each city. Not because I’m a pampering princess but because for about 10 years now my interest with my interior design education has lied within the pampering industry. If you read my bio you’ll see that I talk about how I believe in and am “fascinated by the things that make us feel beautiful and pampered while remaining as natural and creative as possible.” The ambiance and experience that is given through the actual space and procedures of a spa are beautiful thing to me. (I hope to one day make that a more affordable thing for all.) Just as I find yoga hugely beneficial to ones demeanor and overall longevity, I find allowing yourself to be pampered by another, a beautiful treasure. And enjoying such a zen-filled space and experience is a beautifully manipulated thing of this world.

My first stop along my one month journey is in Miami. I asked my girlfriend Amanda, whom I am staying with, where she recommended (being a local) and she said The Standard Hotel & Spa. I looked it up and was smitten.

I flew in on the evening of Saturday July 4th and 9am Monday morning I made my way to my first spa visit of this trip. Upon arriving to the picturesque hotel, I was welcomed inside by the concierge who opened the doors with a gracious smile. The sweet girls at the front desk, made of driftwood, in the very casual – and large – lobby, pointed me to the elevator that would lead me to the spa on the third floor.

As I stepped off the elevator I walked into a space filled with natural sunlight and bright colors. The receptionist and my masseuse for the morning were promptly waiting for me, bathrobe in hand. I was escorted down the otherworldy hallway…where thin wood lat beams lined the left, right wall and ceiling – paired with appropriate ethereal lighting. We made a right into another hallway that led to the massage rooms. We entered the quiet space of the room where she asked me to undress and lie down and she would return shortly.

The service I chose that day was the Body Detox Scrub with massage. I had yet to have experienced an exfoliant service at a spa and considering I love any sort of exfoliating, especially since my dermatologist has told me my thick skin could always use a good, and often, rub down…I looked forward to experiencing how this was performed. Using exfoliant gloves and an oil she scrubbed/massaged my backside first, then massaged with her bare hands and then did the same to my front side. It was 60 minutes of rejuvenation.

Afterward, given my purchase of a service, I was granted access to the grounds of the hotel which included the rest of the spa, the gym room, the juice bar cafe, the lounge gardens, the pool, bar and adjoining restaurant. I first decided to walk the whole spa…checking out it’s warmed marble stair-stepped tile room that housed steel bathtubs for relaxation. Another sector of the spa included a steamy, super sunny, steam room, a shower outside of it and then a room where more messy exfoliation scrubs (think mud) could be provided. Down the opposite hall there was a really neat round room tiled in all blue tiles with an almost eerie skylight shining down from above. In that same area was the dry sauna. The layout was easy to maneuver in and very thought out when it came to intricate details, color pallets, and room layouts. I loved every bit of it.

By this point I had worked up an appetite so after walking the grounds, sitting in a hammock, swinging in a hanging chair, grabbing a picture of the awesome pool area, and seeing all the hotel had to offer, I stopped at the Juice Cafe to enjoy a little brunch-like meal. All-in-all this spa experience was worth every penny and highly recommend not only an experience here but a stay at this beautiful little oasis in Miami.

I hope you enjoy my photos!

Today not only marks Americas 239th day of freedom from Britain rule but it also marks the day I liftoff to embark on a month long globe trotting trip. And I couldn’t be more excited or feel more liberated.

I shot these photos with a friend and peer of mine from San Diego State University at the infamous Black’s Beach (an American nude beach) on one of its cliff side mountains. We set out for the short hike early one summer morning a couple weeks ago and went for it. It started out a bit misty and grey with the marine layer… and then the heavens opened up and gave us the most beautiful rich blue colors to work with.

The older I am getting (I’m 28 if you didn’t know) the more I am realizing the short amount of time we are given – and the beauty that truly lies within every little thing, experience, breath, our bodies and string of words. We humans are such creative beings. And I believe that if you let your creativity out in everything you do – you will emanate your true soul…it will be so very evident of who you really are and what you believe in. Which also means tread lightly and be aware of your thoughts and be sure your decisions are made consciously. Set yourself up for success. There is a great quote that I found in a book about spas sometime ago and it went something like, the reason we adorn ourselves is to share with others our inner beauty.

I am not what is considered a typical model but who’s to say I can’t get in front of a camera and capture the physical vessel I have been given and take care of so earnestly? So here I am, expressing myself through the media of photography with the help of my friend Marconi Torres. Take it for what you you’d like. I’m proud of and grateful for every part of my healthy body and greatly appreciate being able to express myself through these virtual mediums. Because, why not!? Documenting life through pictures, journal entries, keepsakes and more, has always meant a lot to me and with encouragement from close friends and family I am finally going to avidly produce content of my #neveradullmoment life.

So with that said, I hope you can appreciate my photos for what they are, an expression of one persons freedom, and can now look at other people and appreciate and take them for what they are trying to emanate. Have a fabulous Fourth of July! & please stay tuned because there will be lots of content happening here in the next 4 weeks. First stop Miami! After that is….well, you’ll just have to wait and see. 😉

Being a person who appreciates all things sustainable as well as a child who went through a divorce, I have always felt inquisitive about the psyche behind marriages, relationships and interdependency. I definitely feel it was the best conclusion for my parents. I felt that then and I still feel the same way. However, I do recognize how that divorce has driven my life in a direction that can probably only be related to what I went through in those detrimental developmental years as a teen; I believe in being financially independent of the person you are with (hence achieving a Bachelors Degree), I believe you should most definitely have hobbies and interests (be an independent and interesting person), and I believe taking your time to build a foundation with anything is crucial.

What I find even more interesting are some of the things this article from The New York Times points out. To start with, The New York Times lists birth control (I am an advocate, see that link) as a reason for less divorces (the article elaborates), later divorces (Do you!), and the rise of so-called ‘love marriages’….marry for love! Marry your best friend. And how ironic that those last two points are so opposite. ‘Doing you’ and having a best friend – or are they opposite? Depends on the dynamic two people acquiesce to, I suppose.

Perhaps the articles later point about the working class having more traditional notions toward the male being the breadwinner explains why in current and past economic times, this model of marriage either leaves the man struggling to find work or never marrying because he has not achieved that level of stability. Unfortunate. Which is where I feel some of our Generation Y mentalities should change.

I am a risk taker. & I believe in love. I am an open-minded person and I do see the future of marriage looking different than it has in the past. The article makes a node toward that by pointing out how the feminist revolution has changed women’s expectations. I can only speak for myself when it comes to my expectations, so what I will say, and repeat, is that I am open-minded and try my best not to have expectations. Although, I do have a moral compass and holdfast to my values. What those are, well, that’s for the man in my life to come to know, and my readers to surmise. 🙂

The article is enlightening, and it may instill a bit of faith back in you, or help you understand your dating life a bit better. Here is the link: The Divorce Surge Is Over, but the Myth Lives On – NYTimes.com.

Here’s something close to my heart, and something I think more people should try to understand…GMOs. The scientists say that the level of chemicals that were found in these family members (pre cleanse) are “acceptable” when eating GMO food – but, my worry has always been the ‘cocktail effect’ – and whats more, there still hasn’t been a longitudinal study on GMOs being in our food/diet. Quite simply, the human body may be able to absorb, break down or process these things, but was it meant to? Noo. And what harm can it do to our reproductive health on all levels? Thought provoking. I say, when in doubt, purchase organic if you can!

Here’s the article: Swedes show how eating organic eliminates a family’s pesticide load : TreeHugger.

If you’ve been to college, or experienced an Ah-Ha! moment, then you might know how it feels to be drained of all enthusiasm after weeks of computer labor – and foot work – and then find a new muse that you can then fuse into your design.

I’m going to attach a really cool TED video that I once watched that spoke of the Greek “Genius” that would fly into your vicinity like magic, whisper you a genius idea, and off he went. Or it went something like that. Here’s a woman talking about her genius: TED TaLK

Back to my Ah-Ha! moment…check out this Wikipedia link I stumbled upon when just purely thinking about what the Japanese call their bathhouses…surely there be a name I could pronounce. And this stems from my fascination with the constructing of words: etymology. Did you know Chinese is a ‘futureless’ language when it comes to speaking of any thing? Its a rapturing idea when it comes to the power of the minds way of thinking about the future (and outcomes of things) when it relates to how you speak about it. Here’s the talk: Etymology TED TaLK. Press play and listen to all of them on the page.

The Sento was a Japanese Bathhouse. It was the type of space both male and female would walk through together. Interacting. Observing. Roaming. Being quiet. Being respectful. Enjoying beauty. Ahhhh, how much I would give to experience a true Japanese Bath house. Maybe I’ll save for a whole year 🙂 Hunker down. I’m good at that.

Anyway, my current and final project as an Interior Design undergraduate (with a Minor in Environment & Society) is to retrofit an 18,000 square foot metropolitan historic building in the heart of East Village, San Diego, California and turn it into Coastal Southern Californian metropolitan destination spa. I have my idea. Which I made into floor plans (construction documents). The renderings are currently being worked on. Toiling on them as much as I can in hopes they come to fruition with my allotted itinerary. Needless to say I have a bit of anxiety. Which is where this idea of Sento popping into my head (due to all things bouncing around in there) comes in. Thank goodness. Thank you little genius. Hope you enjoy the links I’ve provided above. They’re enlightening. That is all. Ciao!