Treat Yourself 10.1.13

My body feels so good. After returning super early from a sub-par field trip to a tiny decentralized water treatment plant, some friends and I decided to get massages. It was blazing during our field trip and then it start to rain, right as we left for spa. There was a beautiful lobby in which we were served sugarcane juice with lime. I was not even aware that I had built up stress until it left my body all at once upon entering the building. Soothing music played as we chose our experiences. I went for a 60 minute Vietnamese massage. We ended up staying for two hours. We took showers, went in the steam room, went in the sauna, and then waded in a small lukewarm pool. I would have been perfectly with just that but there was even more to enjoy. The massage itself did not occur in real time or space. We laid in silence, giving the professionals full license to really press and release our tensions. Some quotes as facebooked messaged to Ode immediately afterwards:

“My face literally hurts from smiling so much

What a blessed day

And it only cost me $16

I gained so much for so little

I think I could levitate if I wanted to

I think I could ignite mars fire if I wanted to

I think I could transform into Beyonce if I wanted to

I am weightless

What is a body

What is tension

What is pain

I could do anything in this moment

And yet I am perfectly content with doing nothing

My heart is bursting

So much love for anything and everything and everyone”

The bliss continued even during our afternoon debriefs and class on climate change impacts in Vietnam. Our host dad and grandma were gone so the rest of the family went to a restaurant for dinner. It was a make-your-own fresh roll place. There were only four options on the menu. The rolls consisted of rice paper, barbecued pork sausage, tiny rice noodles, lettuce, mint, chives, pineapple, lemongrass, water chestnut (white carrot), carrot, and peanut sauce. We also had fried bean spring rolls. It was by far the best meal that I have eaten so far. Laura and I are determined to come back.