We should grab a drink sometime….
I think we all know the universal meaning of this phrase lives somewhere between I’d prefer not to and I don’t care if I ever see you again. It’s a vague offering reserved for acquaintances and people that don’t fit into your life anymore. If I catch myself saying it out of instinct or obligation, I stop.
Maintaining real friendships in your 30s (and beyond) is about prioritizing your time and energy on relationships that fulfill you. A friend of mine a few years ago made it a point to spend time with friends over a workout. I still love this but there’s less time to chat and catch up.
Me, I like to self-care with friends. And there’s the absolutely perfect spot for that in Chicago. A place where the pothos are flowing in addition to the drinks (if you BYO): Scratch Goods, a DIY mask bar, Chicago’s first, in the West Loop. I booked a chair with a dear friend for a mask bar session on a Saturday and we enjoyed an hour of cleansing, masking and moisturizing. I think we both even squeezed in between all of that! Seriously, this place is self-care heaven. There’s spoolies to groom your lashes and brows with serum, hot towels that appear magically and even a jade rolling portion on the agenda.
Scratch Goods can be a dangerous place to go to because you enter such a zen state that you immediately want to buy everything you can to recreate it at home. And, you can, since they sell everything they use in the mask bar. We both snatched up the Dark Matter coffee-infused Eye Butter and the Jasmine Rose Skin Drink, which I flew through in record time because I was addicted to the smell but also the feeling of peace it brought to my atmosphere. Now that I’m out, I think it’s time to schedule another date, aka, let’s grab a mask sometime…