Pure Relaxation

Today was Becky’s birthday. Becky is my neighbor and the oldest expat female. Although she is still in her thirties – she is like the momma of our group. She takes care of us when we are sick or injured, bakes amazing treats for us every week, and engages in conversation with us at all hours of the day. She is amazing and we are so lucky to have her and her family in our lives.

The expat girls arranged a surprise getaway to Jakarta and spend the day in the spa. We picked her up early in the morning and made our way to the city. The trip was long due to construction. The thing about living in Indonesia is that there is only one way to get somewhere. There are no back roads, and when there’s construction or traffic, you are stuck in gridlock without any means of escape.

After an hour and a half we made it to the spa, which happened to be tucked away in a residential area. Each of us chose our own customized treatment and started our morning and afternoon of being pampered. I ended up getting a cream bath (which is a hair moisturizer with aloe, scalp massage, and back massage all wrapped up into one amazing package) and then got a pedicure.

I felt truly relaxed and stress free. The first time since I got back from holiday in Bali. You’d think that after a nice vacation, I would be refreshed. Yes, I was refreshed but the energy was sucked out of me almost immediately – and continues to wither away with each day that passes. There is so much to accomplish before the end of the school year that it’s harder to look past each day, let alone each hour. I am not complaining, but it is overwhelming and difficult to see the end.

Anyway – I came home feeling like I was floating on a cloud. All the knots in my back were gone, calluses on my feet were no longer visible, and my hair smelled of exotic flowers and aloe vera. This proved to be much motivation to me and I ended up getting more school work done in one hour than I have for days.

I am thankful for these days that he gives me to unwind. There needs to be a balance of sanity and – well – practically everything else in life. Sometimes I don’t take the time to find a healthy balance and end up driving myself off the deep end. These things seem to rejuvenate me and push me forward, I definitely need to do them more often.