Such a luxury! After a long, rough time at work, I decided I had to treat myself to
something that I have never done before, and I settled on a day at a day spa. I
needed to pamper myself, and allow my weary body to soak and heal after a year of
14 hour days and screaming deadlines. An ad in my local paper caught my eye with the
“secluded atmosphere and personal attention” lines. Boy, that was exactly what I
craved. I called and booked my appointment, then scheduled myself for a day off and
tried to focus on the work left to be done while the days ticked off.

Finally, the day arrived! I woke early with a smile, and rushed around getting ready
for my day of self-healing. I just tossed on casual, comfortable clothes, knowing
I would be spending the day in a fluffy robe. Singing softly, I jumped in the car,
and drove to the spa. This one was located about 20 miles out of the city, by the
side of a lake. I felt years younger just being away from the dirt and grime of
the city, and I had not even been inside yet.

The spa was located in a rustic-fenced compound, surrounded by tall trees. I was
greeted by a smiling, pleasant woman, and presented with a whole menu of personal
delights. I settled on a long hot soak in an herbal bath followed by a full hour
of massage. Then I would have an herbal-seaweed wrap applied before I soaked in
a warm mud-bed, then a manicure and pedicure. I was going to be a whole new
woman! My hostesses guided me to a changing room, and told me to remove
everything, including jewelry. She gave me a soft, fluffy peach-colored robe
to wear. When I was all done, she guided me to the first part…