I don’t know about you, but I need a vacation.
Like.
Really need.
Somewhere exotic and not touristy.
Somewhere faraway and quiet. Somewhere tropical.
I’m thinking about tanning topless on some palm-lined beach with satiny sand studded with pink seashells and magenta-colored starfish. The water, still and clear, of course, little tangerine fishies swimming in the shallows. I’d like to have coffee and passion fruit for breakfast, mango for lunch and then, to rehydrate, water from a coconut picked fresh from a nearby tree. At night I’d like to listen to jazz music in the rose garden of some little boutique hotel situated in some rainbow-colored town that’s close to the beach. Rum cocktails and fresh white-fish ceviche for dinner.
I might never come back.
Would you?
And not at all that Santa Barbara is the worst place in the world to come back to.
So many of you are reading this and thinking, “Doesn’t she already live on the beach?”
And it’s true! I do! And I love it so much!
I know every day that I am so beyond lucky to live in my own little rainbow-colored town that’s close to the sea where there’s palm trees and lots of fresh fruit.
But it’s not so much that I need a change of scenery so much as I need a little escape.
An escape from the obnoxiously shrill, ring of the alarm clock on my phone that screams at me to wake up at 5:50 am, five days a week, so that I can be up by 6, because two-and-a-half precious hours in the morning before I clock in for work at 8:30 is all the time I get in the whole day to enjoy for my very, own self.
I squeeze as much as I can into the early morning hours.
Brew coffee.
Spread my yoga mat out across the living room floor and bend and breathe deep into baby cobra and plank poses.
I dash down to the beach to admire the pastel pinks and baby blues of the sky over the sea just before the sun rises.
The “me-time” is fleeting. Gone just as quick as it came.
Then... work all day.
After... the towels in the bathroom need to be washed, we need more trash bags and the floor needs to be swept every single day because Lars is the fluffiest, furriest cat in the world and sheds like you wouldn’t even believe all over our beautiful, hardwood floors.
What does Tim want me to make for dinner?
Do I need to run to the store to get anything?
Has Lars been fed?
Bleach the sink, scrub the tub, water the plants, dust the shelves.
At the end of the work week, I’m exhausted and never really relieved by weekends that tease with false visions of rest and relaxation.
How can I unwind when I need to stock the fridge and the dishes need to be done?
Let me be clear. I’m not complaining one bit.
I love my job. I love Tim and Lars and the little house we live in. The way I arranged the couches in the living room to face each other and how I decorated the sill of our big window with beach glass and sand dollars from our walks by the water. I'm happy when people come over and they tell me how comfortably and neatly I've made up our home.
I just need a little break.
And probably so do you, too.
But the problem for me, at the moment, is that I can’t afford a tropical vacation to some lush, tropical, paradise island.
Not even close.
Instead, I've had to use my imagination (and references to a million Pinterest boards) to come up with an alternative escape space to hold me over until I can afford that island vacation that I've been dreaming about.
So, I transformed the bathroom into an at-home spa.
First, I crowded the shelves in the bathroom and the corners of the tub with fragrant, floral candles. I stocked-up on fruity face washes, fizzy bath bombs and charcoal face masks. I bought jasmine bath bubbles and a big bag of pink Himalayan epsom salt soak.
Then, coconut body butters, rose moisturizers and color-protecting hair conditioners. I got a loofah and pumice stone and a pack of fresh razor blades.
For Christmas, Tim got me a beautiful, teak, bath tray that I'd had my eye on since we moved to in our new house that has a big, wide, porcelain tub. I was thrilled. I basically cried when I unwrapped it. It is the best bath accessory, with coaster slots for wine glasses, a built-in book rest with an adjustable frame that lets you find the perfect height for reading, notches for razor storage and it expands to fit any tub.
Ta-da!
My very, own spa sanctuary.
I like to try and "getaway" for a good pamper at least once a week. Sometimes I'm gone for just a little while and sometimes I'm away for hours.
Before a nice, long soak, I bleach the tub and scrub away the soap scum left behind from the bath before.
I swap out the old towels for a freshly washed pair. Dim the lights and light the candles.
Sometimes I queue up a marathon of Top Chef episodes on my iPad or other times prop open my book to a soundtrack of some quiet 20s jazz. I might brew a pot of coffee or pour myself a glass of wine. I always roll up a joint to smoke while I steep.
Which soap and scrubs will I use today?
It all depends on how I'm feeling, really.
Stressed? Sore? Sunburned?
I love to experiment with different combinations of ingredients to stir into my bath water.
Lately, I've been finding that my favorite bath recipes aren't actually the products that come in pretty bottles with Lush labels that cost a fortune.
Instead, I like pouring a bowl of sliced citrus and pink flowers in my bath for a good time! The oils in citrus fruits help to promote natural energy and have anti-depressant qualities. Plus, there's nothing quite like bathing in a tub full of flowers to make me feel luxurious and beautiful and goddess-like all at the same time.
Or did you know that milk contains vitamins and nutrients that can hydrate the skin and keep it moisturized? Using just a few cups in my bath makes my skin feel supple and soft. I like to use heavy cream because doesn't that sound rich?
When I'm feeling really flirty and fancy, I might pour half a bottle of cheap red wine into my bath water. I love the way the wine blushes the water to a pretty pink hue that's perfectly princessy.
Sometimes, I like to tie up a bunch of rosemary and lavender (herbs that are said to help reduce stress, promote better sleep, soothe the skin and relax the mind) and steep the bundle in the hot water of my bath before bedtime. I may slice up some cucumbers for my eyes and brew up some chamomile tea, too.
Other times, I like whip up a simple mixture of equal parts coconut oil and honey. I massage the blend into my scalp, brush it all through my hair and then cover it up with a shower cap. I let it the mask marinate my locks for at least half an hour. After a good rinse, my hair always feels so gorgeously soft and shiny.
When I'm irritable, three or four cinnamon sticks help to invigorate my mood (After a long day of work, you can bet my mood definitely needs to invigorated. Just ask Tim.).
I'm very grateful for the couple of extra hours a week of alone time that my special space allows me to enjoy. And, especially in this month of February, when I'm really trying to spend more time focusing on self-love and care, taking the time to thoroughly primp and pamper myself seems wholly fitting.
Something I've learned is that you can't pour from an empty cup. For so long I've been working myself to the point of exhaustion and still expecting myself to thrive. Because sometimes it can feel selfish to put myself before others.
But self-care isn't selfish.
Because when I don't take the time for myself, I'm no good to anyone around me.
I'm cranky, tired and emotional.
I cry and cry and cry at nothing.
When I do take care of myself, though, I am a better version of myself, and so I'm a better partner, friend, person.
Happier and healthier.
Plus, after a couple of hours in my own home-spa, I get to experience that glowing and sparkling feeling you get after spending a lush and a luxurious day at the real spa. My hair is shinier and skin smoother. My spirit is reinvigorated and reenergized.
I feel restored.
And the best part?
I can afford it.
And hey, I'll take a long, relaxing soak in a bath of flowers to cheers to that!
So, if anyone needs me... I'll in the tub.
Please, do not disturb.
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