Facing the World One Spa Treatment at a Time

I must admit to today being a totally hedonistic day. I was dreaming of purging my body of fatigue and tension, but never imagined I could get a 10:30 a.m. appointment at the Mandarin Oriental spa, which I did this morning when calling at 10:05 a.m. and being told they’d just had a cancellation. Karma clearly in my court, I rushed off to the hotel and for the next 3 hours was transported to a zen-like land, my head traveling from country to country where I’ve had spa treatments and my body being scrubbed, rubbed, stretched and tended to in a warm, blue-lit cocoon. I paused in Tulum and remembered the fresh aloe vera cut just that afternoon from a nearby bush; went on to Hvar and could smell the lavender mist; hovered over Bangkok remembering that Thai massage and the wonderful ways in which was pulled and twisted; and lingered in Phnom Penh where a blind masseuse had worked wonders with my muscles. Most of the time, I was in a peaceful, calm place where the only sounds were water dripping into a copper bowl.

Elongated and free of my burdens, I went out to face the world.

And if you'd like a little of East meets West in Washington, D.C.: http://www.mandarinoriental.com/hotel/535000004.asp