Set Yourself Free - Break From Reality

Spa Day.  A Day At The Spa.  Don't you love the way that sounds?  A few months ago I house, dog, cat and sheep sat (try to say that fast) for my daughter Rochelle and her family.  As a thank you, she gifted me with a day at the spa.  In that post, Can a Day at the Spa Remove the Smell of Sheep?   I shared this out-of-the-ordinary spa.  It is the Grotto Spa at Tigh-Na-Mara, 25,000 square feet of insane bliss.

Here I am again -- but this time GOATS have been added to the list.  Rochelle does not treat these animals as livestock -- to her, they are family!  They have names and she is teaching them tricks.  I don't know if that is what she expects me to do when she is gone -- but I feed 'em and scoop up the poop.  End of story.  Yet, she scheduled a day at the spa for me.  A little bit of heaven.

Walking in, you feel like royalty and any memories of your real world start to fade.  The way the floor plan is laid out you see very few other guests.  There are twenty-five treatment rooms for massage alone!  The mineral pool is a place where you can literally drown your sorrows.  

I changed into my spa robe and slippers and proceeded to the lounge in anticipation of being pampered.  My robe was tightly wrapped as I was not wearing anything underneath.  I was served a plate of fresh fruit and a cup of the most glorious jasmine and berry tea.  Dreams of doing this every day were creeping into my thoughts but realized that is all it will ever be - a dream. 

After fifteen minutes a young woman escorted me into my treatment room.  I am asked if I have any special requests or needs.  I have many but I didn't think she wanted to hear them so I smiled and said "No."

I wanted to live in this new world forever.   Yet it was but a fleeting moment.  This had to be the fastest ninety minutes of my life.  My mind was clean of stress and reality.  Inch by inch my body had relaxed.  I did not want to open my eyes in fear of the dream ending.

In a quiet tone, she said "If you need a moment to stretch, I will be waiting for you just outside the door."  WHAT?  She actually expected me to get off this table by myself?  My extremities had turned to over-cooked spaghetti.  There was no way I was going to be able to stand up --- or walk.  

Slowly, reality crept back in and I knew I had to move.  I glanced in the mirror.  My hair was literally standing on end.  Nice look -- might try it.  I put on my robe.  My hands would not function properly and I could not get the belt through the loop.  Did I care?  There probably won't be anybody around anyway.  

As we walked to the lounge she asked me to relax for a bit and she would bring me a cup of tea.  My ears were ringing, my skin was tingling and my eyes wouldn't stay open.  I was very slippery from the oils and worried I might just slide onto the floor.  I didn't realize I was sitting there totally exposed until she gently closed my robe when she brought me the tea.  I wanted to scream "You did this to me!" but what good would it do?  I loved it and wanted to live there.  

My biggest concern at this point was how I was going to bring that hot cup of tea to my lips.  Maybe I should ask for a straw?  Now I understood why I had to wear my locker key around my wrist.  Carrying it would have required too much effort. 

An attractive young male server walked by and I could only imagine how I looked -- tea drool on my face, hair oily and straight up, robe disheveled.  I managed to say "I think I am a Zombie."  He smiled and said, "So is everyone else here, including the staff."

I had put it off long enough. It was time to get dressed and head home.  First thing I did when I opened my locker was to turn my cell phone on.  BIG MISTAKE!  Welcome back to Reality.  

Have you ever had an experience that took you out of the real world?  Would you want to live there?  Could you?

Oh yeah!  Here's my after shot -