Write Spaces: Kimpton Sylvan Hotel
photography // KIAH MCBRIDE
Sometimes I take stillness for granted.
The constant noise outside of my four walls is often in competition with the noise from within. The chirp of the phone alerting me of a text message. The periodic soundtrack of rants and raves, laughter, and 15-second sound clips as I scroll through my timeline.
Even things that are meant to be silent are loud AF. A quiet prayer or moment of deep reflection turns into a rush of thoughts crescendoing to a point where I become overwhelmed. And thus, I find myself seeking to do simpler tasks— clean the dishes for the umpteenth time. Oh, it’s after twelve, time to get the mail! — in a feeble attempt to distract me from my own thoughts. And that’s just on the weekend.
During the week there’s an added layer of meetings, minute tasks, and project deadlines that pile in from my nine-to-five. And that’s in addition to the everyday burdens of life. And yet somehow, I’m still supposed to be creative after all of this. I’m supposed to sit down after a long day of pumping and dumping energy into every other facet of my life and create something brilliant that will make opening up apps worthwhile for those who choose to tune into my visual diary. Ironically, the very thing that I have the least time to focus on is what brings me the most joy. I’m not complaining though, I’m working on changing that last line. For I refuse to believe that turning CEOs into billionaires while the rest of us struggle to keep up with inflation is my destiny (seriously, the company I work for got acquired for $12 billion, of which those who toiled for years were given pennies). To do so comes with sacrifice. Saying no to things that don’t align with my future. Saying yes to opportunities that sometimes scare me.
And in the case of a day like today, it means embracing the fact that sometimes I simply need a change of environment. To leave the comfort of my home for places and spaces that inspire, but don’t distract. I’ve always found hotels to be a perfect match. So I hopped on Hotel Tonight to see if there were any deals in my area for a one-night staycation. A deal of the day for The Kimpton Sylvan Hotel had me spending $30 less than I would’ve if I had booked with the other discount brands (this isn’t an ad, but feel free to use my discount code: KMCBRIDE66 to save a little coin on your first stay). I packed just enough to feed my creativity, and committed a set time to write and work in between exploring the property.
I realize that I need more days like this. Whether it’s taking a day to play in my own backyard or hopping on a plane and wandering elsewhere, I need to leave behind the mundane and get that little taste of magic that keeps me going. Or at the very least, keeps me from falling victim to my own diversions.
Featured Location // The Kimpton Sylvan Hotel // Get $25 off when you book your stay with Hotel Tonight with code: KMCBRIDE66.
Write Spaces: The James Room
photography // Coco Dandridge
It’s interesting that the foundation of who we are remains with us even as we go to the next level.
Take my love for coffee shops, for instance. I confess that I have a slight addiction. Not even for the oat milk lattes that come in various flavors, but for the vibes that come from being in a place where coffee lovers and creatives come together. My preference is local coffee shops (no shade to the big chains). There’s a sense of community that comes from a neighborhood watering hole, and I love that when I walk in the baristas already know my name and order. And lowkey, the coffee is usually better.
But more importantly, these are the spaces where I plot and put in work for my next moves. When I lived in LA, I would trek down the hill from my tiny studio apartment to Solar de Cahuenga where I’d post up on the back patio with a goat cheese salad and a chai tea latte. I’d slip on my headphones, exhale, open my laptop and proceed to research, transcribe and pen profiles on celebrities and girl bosses, which would eventually carry me into rooms with the likes of Oprah, attend events like the BET Awards, and get me a seat at the table at Google.
Even as I went deeper into debt (my fellow freelance writers know the struggle), I found peace in operating in my purpose. And whenever I typed out the final line of an article and hit submit, I would transition my mind to planning how I, too, was one day going to be someone worthy of interviewing. I knew in my heart that I was destined for more even when I had less, and being in a beautiful environment where I never knew if I was going to run into a producer, entrepreneur, or fellow creative was just the energy that I needed to be around.
When I moved back to Atlanta, coffee shops were once again my creative safe haven. After a full day of work, I’d escape from my noisy apartment and walk the streets of Old Fourth Ward to my favorite cafés such as The James Room— a perfect European vibe for a travel lover like myself. Where the café lacks in space it makes up for in aesthetic, with delicious bites and a mean lavender sea salt oat milk latte, or a rosemary oat milk latte if you’re feeling adventurous. And on a beautiful fall day, the patio offers serene views of passersby on the beltline as you type away on your computer. Not to mention their music playlist? A1.
“I knew in my heart that I was destined for more even when I had less.”
For hours I would work on freelance projects for clients or ideas for my brand until they closed up shop. It was in these spaces that I rebirthed my blog with the help and support of my amazing photographers Coco and Shah. It was here that I’d continue to dream, even when my circumstances were depleting the desire to do more.
Since becoming debt free, that fire has been reignited. At the top of the year, I moved out of my old space and moved up into a better one— a fresh start in a sense, even though it’s just a few miles down the road. With it came new coffee shops to explore, and baristas who speak my name as soon as I walk through the door.
But this time when I open my laptop I’m not working on celebrity profiles or freelance work. I’m focused on building towards my future as an author and a storyteller. The spaces that inspire me have remained the same, but the vision has only gotten bigger. And I love that for me.
The Write Spaces series is a collection of places and destinations that inspire me to write.