Sunday, September 23, 2007

Rites & Revelations

Today is my birthday and I decided to continue a tradition I started on my 3oth: I took the day off from work and went to a spa for some pampering. I had a million-and-one things to do at the office, but I realized that except for buying shoes, I often put myself last (subject for another blog) and I needed to do this, especially since it's a "milestone" birthday. So off I went to the Marriott Jordan Valley Resort & Spa for scrubbing, sloughing, massaging, and a myriad of other indulgences.

I enjoyed this year's spa treatment much more than last year's. A girlfriend and I went to Spa Time in Kuwait where she treated me to the chocolate indulgence treatment. The theory -- rubbed and scrubbed with cocoa seeds and oils -- was much better than the reality. As a chocoholic, I thought I would love being totally enveloped in various cocoa essences. Instead, I was hungry the entire time. The room and I smelled like brownies and at one point I was tempted to start nibbling on my arm. And it was murder being coated in cocoa oils, made immobile from the weight of Turkish towels, and tempted by the scents of my own skin and strategically-placed candles. After the experience, my friend and I immediately went out to eat.

Anyway, it was nice to take some time off, although I did stay in touch with my office by blackberry. But I learned something new about myself. I've always favored hard science over holistic treatments and as much as I enjoyed my little indulgence, I probably would have been more comfortable in a more clinical setting. I liked the apres-spa experience of sitting in a plush robe, sipping tea, and looking at the Dead Sea, but the candles, dimmed lights, and new age music during the treatments almost drove me crazy. I think I'm too high-strung to truly relax.

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