Friday, June 3, 2011

Jungle Escape Day

I have been negligent in maintaining this blog. This is both regrettable and predictable. A brief recap of the last several months is pending. In the meantime, I am on vacation. Again.

The first day of my vacation I was post-call, which means I actually spent the morning working. Most people wouldn't consider that 'vacation.' I forgot what I did the second day until my friend reminded me ("You walked around pants-less eating marshmallows. You told me about it.") Third day: my friend kidnapped me and we had a jungle themed escape day; we went to an interactive rain forest exhibit at a museum (I think a giant spider actually winked at me), and then we went to a spa for a "jungle" treatment. Now I'm not usually the type to frequent, or even be very comfortable in, a day spa but this was a special treat that my friend surprised me with! The "jungle" treatment involved getting scrubbed with different sugars and then a papaya/pineapple concoction, then my hair was massaged with a honey conditioner, at which point I was basically relaxed, if by "relaxed" you mean "edible." I was given anticipatory guidance by the masseuse before she left the room- the room would gradually fill with steam, then a rain forest-like rain would fall from the ceiling, then in the next room I would find a pool with a jungle-like waterfall, and my jungle experience would conclude with special grapefruit lotion. (Jungle grapefruit?) Okay.

So I'm trying to relax and enjoy being steamed in my papaya marinade, but all I can think of is the chain of events to come. Steam. Rainfall. Pool. Waterfall. Drying. Grapefruit. I wished the steam phase would go faster because I still had a lot to get through and I was starting to think this whole process could be a lot more efficient... I realized in my internal monologue that I was still in "intern mode," even at a day spa. Internship has pervaded, and ruined, probably every aspect of my life. I began to ponder how to break free from the intern mindset, and as in uffish thought I lay, a FUCKING TORRENTIAL DOWNPOUR broke loose over my head. Basically imagine being outside in a monsoon and the rain has been heated to 120 degrees. Except oh wait, you're indoors, and you have actually paid for this to happen to you.

...so to make a non-story short, I got sugar-coated, monsooned, splashed around in a heated pool and I actually felt a little better about my life. I left, if not refreshed, at least smelling as fresh as a fruit salad. What I took away from this is that anything that helps me break free from the mental prison of internship, is a good thing. Even if it's a hot torrential downpour.

You're probably on the edge of your seat wondering, "How fast can I navigate away from this page?" "Where can I go to get an unpleasantly hot indoor rain punishment?" or "What else will you do on vacation?"

I'm open to suggestions.