I'm just your average, everyday, divorced 38 year old girl -- overweight, tragically unhip,
and trying to make a life for myself. I live with two furry beasts, Dave and Abby, whose
feline mission in life is to choke me with their fur. Nothing special.
Thursday morning. It is with more than a little sadness that I began the packing process last night before I went to bed. Yes, I'm excited about getting home so that I can put my mindset and new skills to the test, but I'm also sad as I think about leaving this wonderful, heart-warming place.
I use the word "heart-warming" in the most literal sense, to describe the warmth I feel in my heart as I go about my days here at Lake Austin Spa Resort. It's as though, as the wrought iron gates shut behind my airport shuttle on Thursday, I was enveloped by a warm hug from a dear friend. For the past 6-1/2 days, I've felt more at ease, more comfortable in my own skin, and more a part of something wonderful than I have in quite a while. Honestly, it reminds me a lot of that feeling of being in The Zone - the magical place where it's easier to make good choices for your life and your body than it is to do the opposite. Life is easy here. Easy and joyful. Whatever you want to do, no matter how active or not, is just fine and even encouraged.
Last night's Paint a Pot class was a great case in point. As the thunder, lightning, and torrential rain went about their business outside, about 20 of us got together in the Lake Kitchen to paint as many garden pots as we wanted to in the 50 minutes we had available to us. Due to the unfortunate restriction of having a small suitcase and a 5-1/2 hour trip home tonight (boo!), I chose one of the smallest pots and then set about putting together a color palette and design scheme. As I worked on my lovely creation (I'll post a pic once I get home - LOL), I realized that being inventive wasn't as difficult as it had been with projects earlier in the week. It's as though this week has removed some barrier that I've erected between potentially fun new activities and me. It's the same thing with the yoga classes I've taken, the Nia dance class I took, and the India aerobics. These are not things that I'd ever allow myself to do at home for fear that I wouldn't be perfect, that I would look stupid in front of others who would then feel justified in their classification of me as the "stupid, useless fat girl." I don't feel that here, though and, after a few days of getting adjusted to the way freedom from recriminations (even self induced) feels, my spirit just expanded within me, filling each and every nook and cranny with warmth, light, and love. Ultimately, the challenge really is to find a way to bring as much of that home with me as possible, so that, in case it takes me another three years to get back here, I will continue to grow and nurture myself.
So, I've got another few precious hours here and then it's off to the airport and (with any luck, weather permitting) home to San Diego. To Jorge and Jerri in the kitchen, Blanca and Joe John at the LakeHouse Spa, and Liz and Catherine in the Activities Department - I cannot thank you all enough for the wonderful hospitality and kindness you've shown. To Debbie and Dale, Kerri and Marcia, Martha and Martha Jane, Rachel, and Mia - you will never know what your companionship over the last week has meant to me. I wish I could bring you all home with me and I know that I will do so in my heart.
Tuesday night. No, the title of this post doesn't refer to any off-plan eating going on (that's pretty much impossible, as there's nothing within 10 miles of here), but rather to the fortuitous coincidence of making friends with a consultant for Beijo Bags, a source for great handbags, backpacks, and totes. Kathy is a distributor of these lovely bags and is also a fabulously wonderful person, so mosey on over and take a look. I'm getting number 6539 in either apple green or blue and number 6181 in either coral or apple green. Rush right over there to check it out and, when you email her to order, be sure to tell Kathy that Denise from the spa said hi.
(See, Kathy, I didn't even mention your 16 ounce frozen yogurt at lunch today!)
Tuesday afternoon. *Sigh* What a wonderful five days I've had! I am now the proud owner - and creator! - of a lovely beaded bracelet for Alcott, a watercolor bookmark with fishes and Susan Polis Schultz-inspired 5x5" heartscape, and a collage with pictures of tropical vacations, spa-blissed women, and wonderful urban locations I've loved on vacation. Tomorrow night I'll be painting a pot, although I'm not sure how that will get home, but we'll deal with that when we get there. I took a garden tour this morning - the gardens here are truly spectacular - and also did a "Bollywood/India Aerobics" class between breakfast and lunch. In about 30 minutes, it's time for Water Aerobics again. I was debating about whether to do the Latin dancing or Water Aerobics, but then I remembered that I won't be able to do Water Aerobics once I get home but I'm pretty sure I could find Latin dancing somewhere in San Diego, so that sealed the deal for me. After Water Aerobics, I've got an hour off and then I'll be attending All Level Yoga with Randy Just, followed by a manicure and pedicure before coming back and getting a load of laundry done before bed.
I'm not sure if I'm losing any weight while I'm doing this, but I sure do feel better than I did just a 10 days ago. I almost can't wait to get home and put all of this good information and motivation to work. Almost.
Sunday afternoon. Well, after a little bit of a sluggish start to my week at the spa, I've definitely made up for it today. I got up and did intervals for 40 minutes on the treadmill, then strictly watched my calories for breakfast (500) and lunch (should have been 600, more like 450), then did an hour of water aerobics. I also had a 50 minute Swedish massage, but I won't count that as activity. In any case, I'm actually sitting here very hungry and wondering if it would be really bad to go down and grab an AkMak plus a piece of fruit before my Fun with Watercolors class at 4pm. You know, I'm shooting for 1800 calories a day, but if I'm going to do more activity than usual I ought to be able to have a couple hundred extra calories without killing myself, right? Honestly, I have that weak, shaky feeling going on, so I don't think I'll enjoy my water color class if I don't get something in there.
After Watercolors, it's on to dinner (yay!), then an evening boat cruise, and finally a class on Astronomy to end the evening. I've not been sleeping well since I got here (for reasons that aren't clear to me), and I'm starting to feel really sleepy with the activity, so I mightn't make the Astronomy class, but I think the rest are safe bets.
