My Best Friend Got Married!

Sep 15

Outdoor therapeutics pools and baths in main outdoor area

Something old, something borrowed, and something so special as the days get closer and closer to my best friend Kelly’s wedding date. It was the bride’s bachelorette party, and fitting to her it would be a day of peace, relaxation, and reflecting at the spa with all the girls. New York City has many options in terms of spas, but we chose to venture across state lines at New Jersey’s SoJo Spa Club. SoJo Spa Club is a multi-level Korean spa and bath house featuring saunas and pools, massages, and a very solid dining hall. We first met up at a deli across the street, where we relished over seeing each other and how excited we were to go inside. Although we went as a group and had an amazing time, I can also see this experience being an excellent solo date or even something to enjoy with just a couple of friends or one other person. But heads up, if your group is co-ed the facility’s locker rooms are separated, and include their own baths in each so you may find yourselves split up for some time.

As soon as you arrive, you are led to a first locker room for shoes, since you will be barefoot the entire time you’re there. This took some getting used to for me but once you’ve gone to the second locker room, given your towel and bathrobe to change into and start trying out the pools, it was remarkably relaxing. It could be because we were celebrating the bride and spectacularly good friend taking a big step forward in her relationship, but something felt particularly serene and warm that day. Admittedly, my favorite pools were in fact in the secluded, separate gender baths both indoors, and outside featuring hot baths, warm baths as well as my favorite — the cold plunge. The cold plunge wasn’t for everyone (in fact there was usually no one in it) but my body loved it and I kept going back.

After checking out the indoor pools we went outside to the main pool area, where we walked along the excruciatingly painful foot massage path I immediately abandoned, and soaked in the carbon-rich bath, hydrotherapy pool, silk bath, and a cedar wood Hinoki Bath that smelled unbelievable. The cedar wood provided a smooth surface and exuded a unique and natural lemony fragrance known as “hinoki thiol,” a natural antibacterial oil that helps tranquilize the body and mind. If I close my eyes I can still remember how this bath smelled and if you can’t tell, it was my favorite outdoor pool. This area was a bit more crowded than expected, considering it was a holiday weekend but we still managed to try out every single pool and sauna (and even signed up for last minute massages) despite the crowds.

We eventually wandered over to the dining hall, where we refueled with water, smoothies, caffeine, and of course, actual lunch. I ordered a Berry Delicious and grilled chicken salad, as well as a coffee for after. My friends ordered sandwiches, ramen, a Margherita pizza, a beef bulgogi that smelled divine, as well as various other smoothies and even soft serve ice cream cones. The dining hall far exceeded our expectations, but most importantly revived us to continue exploring. I knew the spa was multi-level but nothing could have prepared me for the sheer massive size of this facility. This is of course why even though it was an extremely busy day, it never felt crowded.

We continued on to the highly anticipated infinity pool with views of the New York City skyline while we talked about 90 Day Fiancé and realized we didn’t bring nearly enough sun protection. After some swimming, the bride and other girls went for private massages, while the rest of us continued exploring.

In the relaxation lounge, I rested on hot stone beds facing floor to ceiling windows so you feel the sunlight on your skin while you lay your body on stone beds, traditional Japanese “bedrock bathing.” The white clay sauna, red clay sauna, and charcoal sauna were each completely different, offering various benefits from releasing negative ions, detoxifies, and overall relaxes. The Himalayan salt sauna was easily my favorite, as it was completely constructed with salt bricks that purify the air and refreshes the body’s energetic biorhythms.

We continued going back and forth to different pools and saunas, until later that afternoon when we decided to head out. On our drive back we sang together to songs on the radio, my friend Amanda reminding all of us that although everyone is playing Escape (The Piña Colada Song) to honor Jimmy Buffet, the song is in fact not by him at all.

Five days later, the wedding day was here. We drove to Mt. Kisco, where they would have an intimate ceremony and joyous reception surrounded by friends and family in New York, before getting ready for a second ceremony in New Mexico where more of the groom’s family could be present. Watching friends you love say their vows and commit to each other in front of you is so moving and gratifying. They deserve a life full of joy, happiness and comfort in one another, and I felt so honored to be in the space they chose to welcome all of these things into their future life together. There was a mobile pizza truck serving all kinds of pizza, as well as an array of finger foods, bites and snacks, and a generous self-serve bar. Weddings are always fun but especially so when you love the bride like a sister. To Kelly and Jake, may your love continue to grow stronger with every passing year. Congratulations to two beautiful souls.