After going on two trips together this year (Cooperstown and Maine), Josh and I decided to do one final trip for the year this month. We really enjoyed both of those trips together, and aside from building furniture together (which we did one week into officially dating), I think being able to take a vacation together is a way to test your relationship.

I was nervous for our Cooperstown trip, but it was a lot of fun, and I loved going to Maine, so I’m not nervous at all for our next trip—I’m actually really excited. We’re going to a Getaway House in Connecticut, something I first came across on Instagram. Someone I follow on my blog Instagram had gone to a Getaway House and posted about her experience; it looked really cool and kept it in the back of my mind.

I brought it up to Josh over the summer after our two trips together, and he was on board. Growing up, he was in the Boy Scouts and ultimately became an Eagle Scout, so he’s one with nature. I am not. I’m still convinced you can get eaten by a bear out in the woods, although Josh keeps telling me that’s unlikely to happen. In the Getaway cabin, there’s heat/AC, a toilet, running water, and a shower inside, along with a queen size bed and a small kitchenette. I can’t do the “roughing it” camping, so this is the closest I’ll get to camping; I still need some modern amenities.

We decided to book the trip for October in hopes of seeing the foliage and also have cooler temps than in the summer. Weekend pricing was more than during the week, and since Josh has Thursdays and Fridays off, we decided to book from Wednesday to Friday. When we booked, there was a 25% off code, so it saved us about $90; we also added on a Sustenance Box that includes soups, oatmeal, pasta, sauce, and a few snacks that we’ll use while we’re there.

Similar to how we planned our other trips, we put together a shared Google Doc with a rundown of the days with check-in/check-out times, local attractions in the area, meals, and other things we want to do while we’re there. We’ll check in Wednesday after 3:00 p.m. and check out Friday at 11:00 a.m. Our main plan is to spend time at the cabin, hang out, and just enjoy our time together, but we’ll also explore the surrounding town area by going for a hike, going out to dinner, and going to a local brewery.

Of course, I’m bringing books with me, and I’ve also been working on little activities for Josh and I to do, like asking each other those life-pondering questions as well as trying to guess each other’s favorite things. One of the things we’re really looking forward to is building a fire at night—there’s a little fire pit and chairs outside each cabin—and having s’mores at night. It was something we did in Maine, and it was really great to just sit out by the fire and talk.

My plan is to bring comfy clothes and not worry about getting ready or getting dressed up. I’ll bring a pair of jeans and a sweater for when we go out for dinner, but I’m looking forward to just relaxing and hanging out. I’m using a copy of my Maine packing list, mostly modifying the clothing section; everything else like bathroom, health/beauty, and bed items are pretty much the same.

I’ll pack Wednesday morning before we leave, since I’m taking the full day off from work. Josh switched his work shift to 6:00 a.m.–2:00 p.m., so once he gets out, he’ll come pick me up and we’ll head to the outpost. It’s a little less than an hour from my condo, so we’ll get there after check-in time. I’ll get a code sent to me a few days prior for the cabin door lock and which cabin we’ll be in, since we’ll check-in ourselves.

I’m going to take a bunch of pictures for a post-trip blog post, and I’m not sure how good cell reception will be there, so it’ll give me an excuse to stay off my phone. Josh and I are usually good about not being on our phones all the time when we’re together, but it’ll be nice to be off the grid work-wise. I’ll make sure everything is set before I leave, but then it’s ✌🏻 out to go camping.