This past weekend, Tess and I took a short, one-night staycation in San Francisco’s Japantown. With all the flurry of things happening in our lives, it was so great to get away from home for a short time and relax.

We stayed at the Hotel Kabuki, a historic hotel in Japantown, and booked time at the Kabuki Springs bath on Sunday afternoon. We sat in the warm bath, dunked in the freezing cold pool, sat in the sauna and steam room, and lounged on the beds around the pools. The lights were low, the music was chill, and it was so good to disconnect. This was my first experience in a communal bath, and I left feeling like I wanted to go every weekend. (Tess and I are now considering memberships.)

One of the wonderful things about a clothing-optional communal bath is the wide variety of bodies you see. It was a great reminder of how diverse we are, and how broad the definition of “woman’s body” can be. I can’t say for sure if Tess and I were the only trans women there, but I think both of us came to feeling like just one of the women there to enjoy the baths – not out of place or strange at all. It was a really great feeling.

We spent the rest of our time in 日本町 wandering the shops in Japan Center, walking around the neighborhood, eating, and relaxing. For only being just over 24 hours away from home, I was impressed how much it felt like a real vacation.

Tess also wrote about our trip.