In the far corner of my bathroom’s shower rack lives a 2 fl oz bottle of memories.

This nearly-finished Rose Flower Aromatherapeutic Bath Bubbles is a keepsake from my January 7, 2025 stay at the Ludlow Hotel in New York City. And for various reasons, I refuse to part with it.

Every now and then, I open the bottle, take a whiff, and I’m instantly back in a 24-hour stretch packed with happiness, spontaneity, and a slightly unhinged number of bubble baths.

Let’s recap the Manhattan sprint: excessive soaking, live music at the historic Blue Note Jazz Club, 11:00 PM ice skating at Rockefeller Center?!!, a perfect sunrise, lemon butter pancakes—and, apparently, other events I no longer remember.

Tuesday, January 7, 2025

I flew into LaGuardia at 10:04 AM via Spirit Airlines (RIP), then Ubered to the Ludlow Hotel. I chose the Ludlow for a few very specific reasons:

One — I love love love a boutique hotel.
Two — I love a bathtub. More specifically, a bathtub by a window with city views. Hello?
Three — logistics. Close enough to both the Blue Note (priority) and Rockefeller Center.

The Ludlow is super cozy, clean, and beautifully designed. I would absolutely stay there again. Lodging, for me, is one of the most important parts of any trip. If everything else goes left, I need to know I’m coming back to a space I’m ultra comfortable in.

Will Travel 4 Samm

Samm Henshaw is essentially the reason for this 24-hr trip. I love his music and had been dying to see him live. So, when I saw in December 2024 that he was playing an intimate show at the Blue Note, I bought a ticket!!!!

I attended the 8 PM show on Jan. 7, the first of his 4 sets across two days. It was everything I could’ve hoped for. He played some of my favorite songs, I ate good food, and yeah, I was happy. As was everyone else around me who traveled near and far to see Samm. I sat at a great table right by the stage because I am habitually the first person in line at these first-come, first-served events. (Good things happen to those who wait…in line…in the freezing cold…for an hour or two…)

As much as I try to live in the moment—sometimes by literally pausing, closing my eyes, and telling myself, “Tori, you’re here, this is happening”— I’m glad that I took videos that transport me back.

I love Samm’s music. It makes me cry. It feels like a warm hug. And he’s insanely talented. I’m grateful I went—and honestly proud of myself for choosing joy and following through on something that mattered to me.

Some Samm favorites, no order: East Detroit, Fade, Easy, How Does It Feel, Jumoke, These Hands.

Ice Skatinggggggg at Rockefeller!!!

Ice skating at Rockefeller Center has been on my bucket list forever—and I almost didn’t go.

It was cold. And I had already done my time outside waiting for doors to open at the Blue Note. By the time Samm’s set ended around 9:30 PM, I was side-eyeing my 10:30 PM skating ticket hard. I was cold, tired, and craving another bubble bath. lol.

Anyways, I went. And thank God I did, because I had the absolute best time and didn’t fall ONCE.

I Ubered (because Tori does not subway—she walks, Ubers, or subways under extreme circumstances) from the Blue Note to Rockefeller, which took about 30 minutes. Got my lil skates or whatever and went on the ice with my group at 10:30 PM sharp. A time was had. I was a kid in a candy store.

I got back to the hotel around midnight and immediately ran a bubble bath. Window open, cold air rushing in, city noise humming in the background—it was perfect. I soaked for over an hour and then slept like a baby.

Wednesday, January 8, 2025

A highlight of the trip was watching the sun rise over the buildings from my bed. Once again, this almost didn’t happen—because I forgot to set an alarm. Luckily, I randomly jolted awake around 6:15 AM, just in time to catch it.

After that, I took another bubble bath. Obviously. Then I went downstairs to the Dirty French (inside the Ludlow) for breakfast. I ordered the lemon butter buttermilk pancakes with a side of over-hard eggs.

After breakfast, in the hours leading up to my 7:46 PM flight home, I took a walk around the city, had another bubble bath (stay with me), briefly considered going to the One World Observatory (decided against it), and had some laptop time—because yes, I was working. Working the job that paid for this trip ;)

It’s important to note that this trip took place over two full workdays. I scheduled my joy around responsibilities which, I think, made the trip that much more meaningful. I worked on the plane (paid for Wi-Fi because, duh), and went for walks/soaked in the tub between tasks and meetings. At checkout, I worked in the hotel’s lounge until it was time to head to the airport.

These 24-hour trips—more on that next time—are a great exercise. They’re a reminder not to wait for the “perfect” time to live, and that life doesn’t pause just because we’re busy. Sometimes we have to squeeze joy in. These trips remind me that at any given moment, I can choose to make the most of what I have. I can choose to find beauty and value in the seconds, minutes, and hours that define my day.

This trip was so meaningful and special and intentional. I made the most of every hour and opportunity, and walked away with zero regrets. The icing on the cake was flying out of New York at night and seeing the city in all its glory glow beneath me.

24 Hrs in Manhattan (Jan. 2025)