Every time I book a cabin getaway it feels as if I am switching out the playlist that helps colour my big city life. Instead of cars, trains, chatter and shouting, I hit play on this new selection, where I find the silence of the first few seconds before a song begins. With reverence I soak in the sounds of humming bugs, the odd crackle of a branch – but mostly, and most deliciously – silence.
Work and life has been hectic recently. Describing how I feel in this period I often refer to a cup that is always filled to the brim with water. Small things allow you to tip some water out from time to time – a funny series, a good glass of wine with friends, a small cry – but the volume of water emptied out through these things is minuscule; and by the morning, or two days tops – you find yourself bubbling near the surface once more. That’s why – when I saw an email from a company that specializes in Cabin retreats just outside of Berlin to say that they had just launched a new location – I barely contemplated before booking two nights away over my birthday.
A cabin stay just outside of Berlin: Raus Life
I have had my eye on Raus Life for a while, a friend had forwarded me an ad knowing I love tiny homes / various cabin structures enveloped in nature. But apparently so did many others, making it booked up consistently for the summer. But due to this unveiling of a new location, I was one of the lucky ones that got to stay at one of these havens this summer, after all.
Words that come to mind about my previous stays in nature are cozy, rustic, minimal. But Raus Life was unique in its offering of a touch of modern luxury: beautiful decor, great books, games, high spec kitchen and bathroom – professionally packed up in lush greenery. We get to feel the benefits of sleeping in the heart of nature’s healing gardens, but we don’t miss any of our comforts as a trade off. I’m now in my thirties, so I appreciate this grace even more.
Arriving at the location, the cabin was a meager three-minute walk from the car park, it felt too easy for what I was used to in the city. I waited for the catch, the thing to go wrong. But alas, we sauntered up to the standalone rental home and it was just as pictured.
Thankfully too, its effectiveness in calming the mind was immediate, there wasn’t a long waiting time where you still feel the tension of the big city for a few days, before you can relax into it. My bubbling cup of water emptied completely. Within an hour I couldn’t remember anything about work, or Slack, or deadlines, or who I owed work to, or who I needed to call back, or really any responsibility that I had. I just felt incredibly present, and as if the whole escape was wiping the slate clean for me, and letting the spirit of this pace of life sink into my limbs.
The bathroom and kitchens are akin to the setup of a modern flat, and uniquely to these types of places: balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, pepper and sugar are all staples if you want to cook something. Tea and coffee is included and you can drink water from the tap. Additionally a small farm next to the cabin offers a basket of vegetables from their farm to people talking by, which you can dip into for your food during your stay.
The paired back decor runs like a vast sea throughout the whole structure, smoothing out the mind and its contents at the same time. The wall by the bed is completely glass, making the gap between yourself and nature that bit closer.
How to pass the time
A bit differently on this cabin escape, I wasn’t alone. So how did we spend our days? Talking about life, music, card games, painting, cooking, and visiting an Alpaca farm. Eight-minutes drive from the cabin is an Alpaca farm where I spent the morning of my birthday. And if you fancy doing this yourself and their tours are booked out (as was the case for me) for 10 euros you can talk to Jörg about the farm, feed, hug and hang with these beautiful creatures. He wants his farm to stay independent so isn’t keen to partner with larger corporations so you can contact them directly.
Away from the cabin, you can get local baked goods, honey and ginger bread, or spend your time lazing by a lake, in true Berlin-summer style. The truth is, there is a lot you can do, and a lot we could have done, but soaking in the slow life of Raus Life meant a loose and relaxed agenda. A trip that doesn’t measure itself by how much you did, but rather how present you were and lastly how you felt.
Details: I stayed at Eichenhöhe with Raus Life for two days, travelling by car. This was not comped.
Feeling the need to getaway after reading this or found this useful? Let me know on my socials @kyomiwade or in the comments below. Until next time!
The post A birthday cabin getaway: slow life in Saxony, Germany and a Raus Life review appeared first on Wading Wade.
