2010 Goals

Okay, I am posting my 2010 goals and dreams so I will stay on track. My dream coach Serenella says if you share your dreams and aspirations with others, they will encourage you to stay focused on achieving them. Here goes:

1. Have a social life.
2. Meet some great men and go out on fun dates (changed from "Find a boyfriend" at the request of my friend Melanie :-)).
3. Go for the nightly passegiata in Lucca like the rest of the locals.
4. Be more patient when walking my dogs; e.g., try not to say, "hurry up already."
5. Be more patient with deserving colleagues.
6. Continue to focus on my ultimate dream of being an interior designer in Tuscany.
7. Balance my life more with exercise and meditation.
8. Include more stress-free relaxation techniques in my daily life.
9. Continue to eat healthy foods and cut back on stress-related eating of snack foods.
10. Don't chew or pick at fingernails.
11. Faithfully take vitamins and supplements.
12. Become more financially secure.
13. Eliminate or cut back on times spent with negative people/influences in my life.
14. Continue to improve my Italian.
15. Pamper myself more.

Sound achievable? Well, I'm on the right track. So far, I have worked on all these goals - especially the pampering one.

Yesterday, I went with my friend Anne to my favorite spa, Grotta Giusti, for a full day of pampering. We both had the Oriental package.

We began the day by changing into our sumptuous green robes and slippers and going down into the natural grotto. Picture a cavern with warm, humid air and stalactites and stalagmites growing up and down from it. The air was so humid that drips of water fall regularly down from the top onto my head and face.

We began in paradiso (paradise). This area was fairly tepid with only slight humidity. We were encouraged to begin in this area to gradually prepare ourselves for the other rooms. After only a few minutes, we made our way to purgatorio (purgatory). There are lovely reclining chairs all throughout where you can sit or lie down and breathe in the warm, moist air. It is around 91-92 degrees in this area.

After another 10-15 minutes, we proceeded to inferno (hell). Since it is so hot in this area (95-100 degrees with 99% humidity), you can't do much but just sit and relax. It was actually nicer than a steam room because, even though it's cavernous, there is air that circulates more freely than that which is found in an enclosed box. After another 30 minutes or so, we walked down to the Lago di Limbo. It was in the deepest area of the grotto and was crystal clear.

Next on the list was hydromassage. I had never experienced this sort of thing but had heard it was quite amazing. It was. You undress and stand under a very large waterfall-type shower head that comes on with amazingly warm water pouring down on your head. Then, a spa person blasts your body (front and back) with warm water from a fire nozzle gadget. It was heavenly. I asked her if she could do it for another 30 minutes when she was finished and she just laughed - I was serious!

The next amazing experience was a body peel. Again, sans clothing, I lay down on a towel-draped bed and waited to see what would happen. The woman began by draping a very warm towel over me and pushing down on pressure points which caused me to relax. She then removed the towel and began pouring warm oil all over my body and massaging it in. After 30 minutes I began wondering when the "peel" part would start but not really caring. It was heavenly. After about 45 minutes, she started massaging a warm paste of sea salt everywhere and then told me to rinse it off under another amazing warm shower.

Next - lunch next to the hot mineral pool.

After lunch, Anne and I went outside in the freezing cold to get in the pool. You could see the steam rising from it. We didn't realize until later that there is a separate cabana where you can disrobe and actually get into the pool without being exposed to the weather. Too late...we were already out in the cold.

Inside this amazingly warm, natural mineral pool are seating areas that have jets positioned at different locations so you can rotate around the seats and find just the one that hits the spots that need the most attention. The water was perfect and it was a very pleasant hour.

Following the pool, we took off for our last appointment for the day. Mine was a 80-minute Chinese massage with reflexology. By the time we left that day, I was seriously a limp noodle.

Why didn't I think of these goals earlier!?!?