Remi doesn’t usually make the plans. I’m usually the planner in this family, but unfortunately planning = stress and stress = a very bitchy Sasha most times. So Remi had asked me to stop planning things.

But without an event planner at the helm, our outings have been non-existent. That coupled with my apathetic attitude towards all things I usually love, had led to me living a life of a shut-in for the last month or so.

Until I got that phone call from Remi. She was at work and seldom has time to talk during the day. So when she calls, I know something is up.

When Remi said, “Will you go with me somewhere tomorrow? Even if I won’t tell you where it is? Just say yes and trust me.”

My heart skipped and I felt butterflies. Not for whatever she might have planned but for the tone in her voice. For the way she was taking charge of the day, of the situation, of me. Because at my core, I am ultra femme and I love to be taken care of. Just by her taking my control away for a single day and telling me that she was handling every last detail, made me swoon.

I didn’t care where we were going! I would have followed her to the ends of the earth just to feel this giddy, girly feeling again. That night however, I couldn’t sleep. Old habits die hard and I found my mind racing over the unknown details of the next day. Which since they were unknown, I made up a million different scenarios and had to run through them a hundred different ways each!

Then I started to worry that I wasn’t sleeping and that I would ruin the day Remi had planned. So the harder I tried to sleep, the less sleep I actually got. I watched the morning light creep in around the edges of our blackout curtains and blinds. Which are never really as dark as I need them to be. I felt angry at myself and at the daylight as I realized that in a couple short hours, Remi would be expecting a happy wife, ready to go on our little adventure. And I was anything but happy.

When her alarm went off at 7:00 a.m. I had just started to actually sleep so I begged her for a little more time. I was cranky when she woke me up a minute later, only to find out she had let me sleep almost three hours longer then she had planned the night before. So I begrudgingly got up. Trying to be cheerful, but the lack of sleep betrayed me and I was a bit of grump.

She made me coffee and we sat on the couch together watching an episode of Dance Moms. She ignored my bad mood and kept up her good mood. Which in turn made me want to be happy and not ruin her day. So after sufficient caffeine intake, I was ready for an adventure!

An hour later we were in the car and the only clue she would give me was allowing me to put the address into the GPS. It was an Oceanside address …… hmmm …… what on earth would we be doing out there? We don’t know anyone there and I couldn’t think of any reason to go there.

But when we got there, I saw a little house with a sign outside that read, “Massage World”

Massage World West

I smiled at Remi, thinking back to all the recent nights I complained to her about my achy back. We walked in and were greeted by a smiling, super friendly woman. She was covered in cool tattoos and had a smile that was infectious. As soon as we saw her, we looked at each other and could literally read one another’s minds, “Ding Ding Ding!!!!! Possible family  ….. AWESOME.”

Because in the short walk from our car to the spa, we noticed a super-uber, conservative, almost anti-gay vibe in the air. Probably due to the fact that Oceanside is a Marine town. So walking into a spa where the lady behind the desk was either family or family-friendly really put us at ease.

I thought that we were both going to get massages, but no. I was the only one lucky enough to get one. I felt guilty and asked Remi why she wasn’t getting one? To which I was told, “Because we don’t have enough time. This is just to prepare you for the day ahead. To make sure you feel good and don’t get a headache.”

Did I ever mention that I have the BEST wife EVER?

As it turned out, the lady behind the desk was also going to be my massage therapist for the day. Her name was Sandra. After hearing about my problem areas, she set to work on my back.

Now I haven’t had the best experiences in the past with massage therapist. So I wasn’t expecting too much. But boy was I in for a surprise. I could tell immediately that Sandra knew what she was doing. She was able to run her finger down my back and feel all the knots and points of stress and work them out without hurting me. There was something about her technique that made me realize she was more then just a massage therapist but I thought it might be rude if I asked her about her training. So I didn’t.

But I did strike up a conversation about her tattoos and told her about my desire for a Sanskrit tattoo. She told me she had a Sanskrit tattoo and told me a little about it and a little about herself. My hunch was correct, this woman had great energy. There was something very spiritual and healing about her. I began to really relax and just be grateful for this gift.

As I laid there, I began to silently give thanks to God and to the Universe for everything Remi does for me and everything she was doing for me that day. I let that feeling of gratitude wash over me as Sandra did her thing and combined with her amazing skill, I started to feel like this was going to be a beautiful day.

Usually after a massage I have always felt really tired and drained, which is why I usually tend to stay away from having strangers give me a massage. But this time was totally different. When Sandra was done, I felt a little light headed at first and then totally energized. I walked out of that room a different woman then when I walked in.

I had started the day feeling tired, stressed and grumpy. But after the massage felt almost giddy, energetic and a little loopy. But in a good way!

Remi and I thanked Sandra for her service and we exchanged cards. I told her I had a blog and that I wanted to write about her because she was so good. She giggled and seemed OK about that. We said our goodbyes and left.

I was floating on air as Remi and I walked, hand in hand back to the car. So it wasn’t until we were on our way again that I actually read her business card she had handed me and it read,

Sandra Guidry
Massage Therapist/Holistic Health Practitioner/Reiki Master
722-2330 (760) 458-2201

oceansidemassage.com

Ohhhhhhhh!!!!!! No wonder her touch felt different! She was an energy worker!!!! Talk about being lucky. Remi told me she picked her based solely on her voice over the phone and that she was the friendliest she talked to.

Sandra made such a difference in my day that I just had to tell you all about her. That is her contact information above so if you’re ever near Oceanside, or even if you’re not, she is so worth the drive. Remi and I will definitely be going back to see her as soon as we get the chance.

But that was just the beginning of a great day.

Share on Facebook