twenty

You know how everybody asks you on your birthday,

"How does it feel to be [insert age here]?"

But you know they are asking you jokingly because

there is no possible way that you could feel any different

than you did the day before?

Well as of last friday, I am twenty.

And it feels WAY different than nineteen! Seriously!

I just feel so old and experienced and mature --

I mean, I am no longer a teenager!

(Please note that I am currently watching Hannah Montana).

Birthday was fun, blah blah blah :P

Thank you to everyone who wished me a happy birthday,

via skype, text, phonecall, card, or facebook comment.

Y'all sure know how to make a gal feel special :)

(Sorry, but Miley's southern twang is contagious).

SO GUESS WHAT?! GUESS WHAT MY

AMAZING BOYFRIEND GAVE ME FOR MY BIRTHDAY!

HE PAID FOR ME TO ACCOMPLISH TWO OF MY GOALS!

#081: Take a mud bath

&

#087: Get a professional massage

I knew something was up when he

told me to bring my bathing suit... I mean

there was a huge storm all over CA last week!

But Saturday morning, he surprised me by taking

me to Burke WIlliams, a beautiful spa in Irvine.

It was literally b r e a t h - t a k i n g.

Once you got past the main lobby,

everything was dimly-lit with white candles

and white christmas lights wrapped around

(plastic) cherry blossom trees.

And you know how I feel about Christmas lights!

And the entire place was perfumed with scented oils.

I am smiling just thinking about it.

Bryan joked that I would be excited to

see a bunch of hot naked girls.

Except, have you ever been to an all-women's spa before???

Or sauna? Or steam room?

The majority of the women there look more like this:

Okay, okay, there were some young, pretty girls,

but there were plenty of women that resembled those in the picture above

(did I mention it was a "European style" spa? Meaning... clothing was

optional. Meaning... most of the older women weren't wearing any).

The thing is, you might assume it was disturbing,

or that I was grossed out. But to be honest, I loved it.

It was really beautiful to see women who felt so

comfortable in their own skin, with each other, and with life itself.

It was so refreshing to be in an environment

where society's ridiculous expectations for once did not apply.

I was in awe.

♥♥♥♥♥

So the massage was RIDIKALUS!

(kind of like the back of yo head).

I can't even describe it. GO GET ONE!

But I was dyinnngg to have my mudbath.

I have always wanted one! Haven't you?!

I expected it to be something like this:

But it was more like this:

"But, but... where is the mud?!" I asked the attendant.

Apparently, there's this new fancy thing called "Fango Mud".

The website describes, "we combine fango, a very fine mud,

with essential oils of rosemary to create a bathing experience

that smells delightful and is highly therapeutic".

So it was kind of like a bubble bath

that smelled really, really good.

Since it technically was a mud-bath,

I am going to cross it off my list.

But I am definitely still planning on going to one

of those huge pools of mud and playing in it.

Because I am gross like that.

So, the moral of the story is,

go to a spa. You will have the time of your life.

Oh, but bring your sisters, or friends, or Mom,

because I was kind of lonely :/

Oh yeah --

And thank you to Bryan for an incredible experience :)

♥