We are GOING!

Last week Golf got our tickets to Thailand! I was prepared to cringe at the airline ticket, but for it being high season and the fact that supposedly the airlines are charging so much more for travel because of fuel costs, I was surprised that the price was reasonable.

We'll be there for Loy Krathong, which this year, is the 13th of November. This is my favorite Thai holiday and Golf and I really wanted to be in Thailand for this holiday to show it to Aidan. One of my most memorable years was when I went with my Thai friend and colleague (at the time) nicknamed A and we went to Ayuthhaya, the old Thai capital and about 45 minutes north for the festival. There was a carnival, bands playing, Chinese acrobats, a beauty contest (for ladyboys and real ladies) and lots of shopping. A and I made our own krathongs, the small float that has flowers and other greenery and holds three sticks of incense and a candle that is floated on a river or stream - or any body of water for that matter. Needless to say, A's krathong looked far superior to mine, but it was great fun to make.

I think it would be so much fun to show Aidan something similar for his first Loy Krathong.

But before that, there are SO many issues to address in traveling with a small kidlet. The first is keeping him occupied on that tremendously long flight. He's also still sleeping in his baby crib, which he's going to outgrow in less than a year anyway. In Thailand, he will have to sleep in a big bed, either between Golf and me or in his own little bed, depending on what's available. With bathing, Aidan's always had baths in the tub. Thai rooms have mostly showers and so we'll have to teach Aidan how to take a shower.... I mean some of these are minor, but it's still things he's never tried before and can be worked out fine, especially once we 've done it.

Anyway, we're very excited about getting Aidan caught up on speaking Thai and interacting with his Thai relatives. Chai-Yo!

Feeling Hot Hot Hot

We're roasting over here in the Bay Area. I live in Alameda, which is in the East Bay, but not inland enough for really hot temperatures. The highest temps we normally get are in the 80F/27C and most homes do not have air conditioning. We don't have an A/C nor do we have a fan that does any good! We have one very small one that doubles as a heater and barely moves the air around. The other one I have is one that Golf bought me that is teeny and it hooks up with one of my ports in my computer! So neat, I'm sitting here with it fanning my face right now! So at the moment it is 89 F/36C. Pretty damn warm for not having any good method of cooling down. I do have a spray bottle I use with my tiny fan. :)

More good news: Golf is currently booking us some airline tickets to Bangkok -- we're going to go for Loy Krathong! More coming...

Considering Condos

Part of the "American Dream" is owning your own home, and yes, I've certainly bought into that notion to some degree. Unfortunately, I live in a part of the US where only 20% of the population can afford to be home owners, so the rest of us rent.

Now we have a worldwide energy crisis looming over us and I think it is only the beginning and the impracticalities of suburbia are quickly becoming apparent. Suburbia, developed around the auto, is not sustainable. Densely populated urban areas, where people own condominiums and flats, where you can walk to public transportation and to shops and restaurants - have all your needs met through walking or biking, is the more practical solution.

I love it that I can walk to the grocery store and to the library and to the park. I'm used to urban living from my time living in Bangkok. I never owned a car there; I used buses, taxis, boats, trains and subways. I'd like to be able to replicate that experience here in the United States. When gas hits $6 or more a gallon we won't be so affected. The Europeans have been living this way for years.

Anyway, several months ago, a midrise condo building was completed in Oakland and it is gorgeous. I mentioned to my mother how I would love living in such a place and her response was that she could not think of anything worse. She's country folk and this kind of urban living is not for everyone - but I am a city girl and I don't think I can ever change. I love it. This building is at the gateway to Chinatown, my favorite place in Oakland. The nearby schools look fine.

Take a look at it and see a presentation of the 8 Orchids at their website - at the beginning of the movie you will see the park with two green slides that I take Aidan to every week when Golf goes to the flea market. Tell me your thoughts about dense urban living and how raising a family in the city compares to suburban influence.

We bought the Mercedes....

...of rice cookers on Sunday. It is the Tiger Corp. brand made in Japan and is the best of the best for rice steamers. Seeing how we prepare rice at the very least every week and at most once a day, it's worth it to have a good quality steamer. I read a few reviews of Tiger brand, and one customer said that they've used theirs for 12 years now!

That being said, our cheap (~$20) Chinese made rice cooker was bought shortly after we moved into our apartment three years ago and the non-stick coating in the bowl was chipping off, causing the rice to stick.

When it comes to electronic appliances and equipment, Golf is a big proponent of buying quality brands and paying the extra money for their durability. For a rice cooker to last over a decade and make quality rice is worth it to me to pay more.

The first day with my vest

My weighted vest arrived today! Acutally UPS tried delivering it last Thursday AND Friday, but we were out both of those mornings, but I'm glad I finally have it.

The fit is pretty good, it's a one size fits most. It's also black, as opposed to the blue picture I posted below and it makes me look like a member of the SWAT team. I was getting a couple of looks from people when I was out today LOL!

I was a bit disappointed when I weighed a couple of the weights. There are 20 of them and each are supposed to weigh a pound. There are 20 little pockets all over the vest to hold these weights, therefore the 20 pounds you haul around for your workout. Well, each little weight weighs only 14.2 ounces instead of 16. Mulitply that by 20 and you get 284 ounces or 17.75 pounds - 2 1/4 pound short of 20! I was unhappy about that.

So today I was going to start out with 10 weights, but since they don't each weigh a full pound, I put 12 of them in there, for a total of 10.65 pounds. The weight of the vest is just over a pound, so we'll round it up to 11 3/4 pounds. I power walked my usual route of about three miles and it felt great! I'm glad I started out with that amount of weight and not more.

When I trekked in Nepal, my hips gave me trouble, especially the right one. That happened again today, very mildly. I'll keep it up to get my body used to the added resistence and see how my hips do. I did get some good cardio breathing and felt like for the first time in a long time, my walk was a real workout.

In all I LOVE my vest, just wish it was the full 20 pounds!

I'm getting serious about it

I've been making big pots of vegetable soup and eating it throughout the week. It adds to my meal and therefore I eat less of the heartier, more fattening parts of the meal - kind of like having a salad before your entree. I would really love to lose the weight that I have gained back since stopping the phentermine diet pills a year and a half ago. I got back down to my Bangkok weight after I stopped breastfeeding Aidan and was able to take those diet pills. They work very well and I love them - which is precisely the reason I should do this without them, phentermine can become addictive if you're not careful.

I regained about 15 of those pounds within 6 months of getting off the pills and they've been stubbornly clinging to my ass and thighs ever since (about a year). I'm tired of it!!! Now Golf and I and Aidan are planning to go back to Thailand for a visit in November and I desperately want to be back at my weight, or less, by that time.

I powerwalk with Aidan, sort of. I walk briskly with him every day, him in his stroller. He just likes to stop and look at things and touch them quite often, so my exercise does not get the intensity and consistency I need to get into shape. I miss feeling toned and am tired of feeling sluggish, so in addition to vamping up my eating habits, I am vamping up my workout routine.

Today I went jogging while Golf put Aidan down for his nap and I was able to keep it up most of the route, which is about three miles. To give my body a challenge and feel myself winded felt so fantastic. I love the feeling of pushing my body and the sense of fatigue after a great workout. I ordered a 20 pound weighted vest to add to my powerwalks from Amazon this morning and am very much looking forward to wearing it when I take Aidan out in the stroller and when I go on my jogs. You add the little weights into the pockets of the vest to get the desired amount, up to 20 pounds. I will do my first walk with 10 extra pounds and see how that feels and take it from there.

When I was conditioning myself to trek the Annapurna Circuit 7 years ago, I put bags of rice into my small backpack and hiked up and down the hills of San Francisco. While it was a good workout it made my back and shoulders ache because the backpack was more of a book bag style backpack, not a hiking backpack with a hip and chest belt or a frame. This vest distributes the weight and that's one of the main reasons I wanted to get it. I'm so excited about getting it! Will keep you updated on my fitness progress.

Happy Birthday Baby

My baby turned 3 years old today. Well, yesterday if you consider that Bangkok time is 14 hours ahead of us, but to keep things simple, we're calculating his birth by the time zone we currently occupy. ;)

We actually celebrated Aidan's birthday on Mother's Day, 11 days earlier, over at Mom and Dad's house since that was the time we were going to be there, we thought we'd have his party then. So instead of confusing the poor guy making him think that he gets two birthday's this month, we're not really doing anything today. So here are some pictures from his celebrated birthday about a week and a half ago.






I bought him that little flute the previous day at a craft fair in town. It was only $1, but it was one of his favorite things! I felt a little guilty only spending a buck on my own son, but in the end, I was so happy with the enjoyment he got out of his flute. That was what I wanted for him anyway.



He got cupcakes this year and I splurged on cake and frosting mix from the natural foods section of the grocery store. They cost nearly 4 times what a Duncan Hines cake mix and frosting cost, but that brand tastes sooooo terribly sweet and almost chemically. This mix was very delicious and best of all, the ingredient list didn't take up half the box.



Aidan's grandparents got him:

• Cars feeding set (plate, spoon, fork, bowl and 2 cups)


• Swimming trunks


• Sandals


• Tee shirt

His Auntie Anne gave him a Target gift card and Golf got him that Totoro doll a few weeks ago. Aidan's always my little baby, but he's turning into a little boy!

Happy 4 Year Anniversary!

Golf and I celebrated our 4 year wedding anniversary on Wednesday, April 30th. We went out to a Chinese seafood restaurant and the food was delicious. It was our first time to leave Aidan with someone other than my parents. He stayed with my friend of nearly 15 years, Carolyn. Thank you, Carolyn! Golf and I really enjoyed our date. Here's to many more years together, honey. Kiss kiss!!!

Rice Doubled in Price

I've been hearing on the news over the last few months about the food crisis throughout the world, in particular rice, wheat and corn. Our family eats quite a bit of Thai Jasmine rice and the last time we bought a 25 pound bag of this rice (not the broken rice, this is the only image I could find) we paid about $15. Today we paid $30!! We have finally felt the bite of this food crisis - no pun intended, and although it was not unaffordable to the point where we would not buy it, it was certainly a shock.

It's no wonder people buy rice and hoard it. That's sort of what we did. We still have half a bag when we bought our new rice today. But we were in Chinatown, where it's less expensive and we thought we'd buy it since we were there. Makes me wonder what the price will be next month!

Japan Town Cherry Blossom Festival 2008

On Sunday our family took a trip to San Francisco for the annual Japanese Cherry Blossom Festival. I'd never been to the festival before, but really wanted to go this year since Japanese culture is also of interest to me. This was the first time Aidan rode on a bus! The only down side to the whole experience was the bitterly cold wind. The only place we found for the parade that was available was in the shade of a tall apartment building. We froze ourselves but it was worth it.

Aidan is a big Totoro fan, and his daddy bought him his first Totoro doll from the Kinokuniya bookstore in the Japan Town Plaza. Unlike the Kinokuniya bookstores in Bankok, this one is almost entirely all Japanese books, most popular being Manga with English.




Traditional Japanese dancers. I've always loved the patterns of their costumes.

Taiko drummers. There were several groups of Taiko Dojo drummers. I think of drumming as a masculine pursuit, but that has now changed. Most of the drummers I've seen live or on TV have been women and they are fantastic! Aidan loves the drumming, and who knows, he might take it up when he's older.

In my opinion, this was the highlight of the parade. The Cosplay group!!! Cosplay is short for Costume Play, and fans dress up like their favorite Manga characters. There is a HUGE following in this country, and there are many Cosplay conventions attended by these fans. One of the things I loved about going to this festival is seeing how many non-Asian people are into Japanese culture, Manga included. In this parade, overall, there were probably 1/3 of the participants who were not of Asian decent. Most of the fans in Cosplay are younger - teenagers up through early to mid 20s. What a cool thing to be into! :)

More Cosplay kids. Wish the picture could be clearer, but you get the idea. So fun!

Aidan's highlight was seeing Totoro on the float. The only missing character from the parade was Ultraman. Maybe next year?

Hanging out in the Peace Plaza after the parade, we saw this character. I don't know what this poor kitty's name is, but Aidan really loved playing with him.





While Golf went to get some change for the bus ride back, Aidan and I hung out with all the Cosplay kids. If I didn't have to keep such a close eye on him, I would have talked to some of these guys to find out more about them. Since I used to be into raving years ago, I have an appreciation for sub-cultures of young adults who might be considered freaky by society. Anyway, a little while later Aidan was more than thrilled to see that Totoro had arrived on the scene and he spent a long time playing with him. The person in the suit was fantastic about playing and the other folks nearby got a big kick out of Aidan giving big hugs and dancing with Totoro!

Pictures of Aidan at Fairyland

I took Aidan to a little toddler theme park in Downtown Oakland called Fairyland. It's been around for decades and it looks it, although the park is well maintained. The well-worn rides and fairy tale sets had a certain charm to them when they've been around for so long. The weather was fantastic - we've been going through a bit of a heat wave and it feels really good.

Sawatdee Pii Mai - Happy New Year for my Thailand readers out there. I know you scoff when you hear me speak of a heat wave in the Bay Area - our high temps for the day are a few degrees more than the coolest part of the day for you, just before sunrise. So try and stay comfortable and DRY. I would always load up on food, drinks and DVDs during Songkran. The water throwing got old after the first two years I was there. Anyway, here's my Baby. Gonna be three next month!

Maybe a trip to Thailand?

Not a whole lot going on lately. Been waking up between 5am and 6am to work on my eBook. Then I spend the morning and afternoon with Aidan. After he goes down for his nap by 3pm I write and research until 5. Then it's time to make dinner, then spend an hour or so hanging out then time to put Aidan to bed. Afterward, I write and research again til 10 or 10:30pm. Then repeat the next day.

Last Sunday I got hit with a terrible cold. Monday I was laid out with a fever, cough, sore throat and sinus problems. Today I'm only about 65% back to normal. What was so cute was I bought a box of tissues and Aidan kept pulling them out giving me one after another after another. He's so thoughtful and sweet (even if a little over the top!).

Well, as the subject line suggests, I'm hoping our family will be able to make a trip back to Thailand for a visit toward the end of the year. Golf's got some big jobs lined up and it might just be enough to comfortably get us our tickets for the trip. I sure hope so! I miss it, especially since writing my book and doing the voice talent for Speak Like a Thai. I know Golf misses it too and looks forward to seeing his family. They haven't seen Aidan since he was three months old. He's going to be 3 1/2 when they see him again!

Finally Writing It!

I've been quiet over the last few weeks because I've been working in a project I've put on hold for almost a year. I started writing guidebook for people who want to move to Bangkok and I decided to finish it and get it marketed. I'm even narrowing the niche and focusing on women expats.

More and more women are heading to Thailand to live as expats and there are topics that are not covered in other guides and huge topics that don't need to be explained like how to get a Thai girlfriend, for example. I've already got in mind some expansion ideas after this is released!

And it's funny, while doing this creative endeavor, I feel so in my element. I've always been a creative person, but I've put that on the back burner for some time, choosing to focus on more 'practical' considerations. Well, I you know what, I CAN consider creativity now! I enjoy what I'm doing and it doesn't feel like work and best of all, I might be able to make a some money from it.

I will likely partner up with Benjawan Poomsan, author of Thai for Beginners. Another update is that I just finished doing part of the voice talent for the fifth volume of her Speak Like a Thai series which is apparently selling very well. I've done voice talent for volumes 3-5, the fifth not published yet. Benjawan is a great mentor for the world of publishing success for this market.

So I'm putting my sales job on hold until I get this book finished and who knows after that? I like to keep the future open to possibilities.

Been on Blogging Hiatus

Are any of you still around??? I've been taking a break from doing much blogging because I've needed to put my energy elsewhere and I think the project I'm working on is coming along very well. I will write about it in the coming weeks once it is released.

I'm in a Toastmaster's Speech contest tonight! I won the club contest, so now I'm in the area contest which is amongst all the Alameda clubs. My topic tonight is about Time Famine. The inspiration of which was inspired by the high value I give to time and how much I devote to family, work, friends and myself. See these stats for yourself: (courtesy of Tim Ferriss' 4 Hour Work Week Blog)

The USA vs. the World
Average Annual Vacation Days
Italy 42
France 37
Germany 35
Brazil 34
Britain 28
Canada 26
Japan 25
USA 13

Is it any wonder that US Bureau of Labor Statistics tracks just about everything but worker satisfaction?

Americans work 137 more hours per year than Japanese workers, 260 more hours per year than British workers, and 499 more hours per year than French workers.

The Japanese document approximately 10,000 cases per year of "death by overwork," or karoosh.

Considering the above stats, what must the undocumented US numbers be??

The US is the only nation in the industrialized world with no minimum paid-leave laws. European law provides each worker with 4-5 weeks per year of paid-leave.
Nonetheless, Europe has had a higher productivity rate than the U.S. for 14 out of the 19 years between 1981 and 2000. More just isn’t better.

Unending Workweek Growth and Burnout
Compared to 1970, American managers are working an additional month per year.

Americans are working more hours than any time since the 1920s. 63% of Americans log more than 40 hours per week at the office, and 40% log more than 50 hours per week.

Turnover rates among mid-level associates in New York City law firms is 36%. The entire system is predicated on burnout.

62% of workers routinely end the day with work-related neck pain, 44% report strained eyes, 38% complain of hand pain, and 34% report difficulty in sleeping due to work-related stress.

In total hours, the average middle-income family works four months more than in 1979.

People work approximately 8 weeks longer per year than in 1969—in the space of a single generation—but for roughly the same income (after adjusting for inflation).

40% of employees work overtime or bring work home with them at least once a week.

Work-Life Imbalance and the Disappearing Family
57% of the class of 1999 graduating business students in 11 countries said that attaining work-life balance is their top career goal.

32% percent of workers cited work-life balance as the top priority in their careers, followed by job security at 22% and competitive salary at 18%.

How are they actually doing?
88% of employees say they have a hard time juggling work and life.

70% of working fathers and working mothers report they don’t have enough time for their children.

64% of Americans report that time pressures on working families are getting worse, not better

My night with Max

This is Max. Melanie and Daryll took me to see him in Oakland and we all got to see a lecture about this sacred artifact of mysterious origins. Max is an authentic ancient crystal skull, a wonder of the world estimated to be thousands of years old and considered by many, to be one of the rarest artifacts ever found on this planet. Max was discovered in Guatemala and was used by Mayan priests for healing, rituals, and prayers. Nobody knows how it was made because there is no tool marks anywhere on the skull. The crystal is also made up of several pieces fused together, so any vibrational frequency caused by a tool to shape it would cause the crystal to crack or shatter. To read more about the story about Max, please go here.

The caretaker of Max made the point during her lecture that quartz crystal, the kind Max is made of, helps to run clocks, computers and other finely tuned technical machinery. It is a conductor of electricity, amplifying its charges. We know that our bodies hold an electrical charge as well (remember the Matrix, not based on pure fantasy!) so when we hold a quartz crystal like this, our thoughts and energy is amplified. I'm not normally a crystal-holding new agey sort of person, but this makes more scientific sense to me.

The skull, I learned, represents Knowledge, not death, for the skull encases the brain. So if somebody has a crystal skull, they are seeking knowledge and Truth within themselves. Isn't that what most spiritual people pursue anyway?

Melanie was so kind to get the two of us into a private session with the skull to touch it and meditate a little bit with it. The movie "The Red Violin" came to mind when coming into contact with such an ancient object that countless numbers of people have come to touch, expressing their deepest prayers and wishes to it. How many rituals has Max been a part of? How was he made and how long ago? How I wish I could have seen a flashback timeline of his life. That was what was on my mind as I held him in front of me forehead to forehead.

What a really really really awesome experience this was for me. Thank you again, Mellie, for sharing this once in a lifetime event!

Redoing my vision board

I'm going to do another vision board. Why? Because, believe it or not, the largest pictures on the one I have now have manifested already!

• The photo of the beneficiaries of a micro-loan. I gave to Kiva.org a few months ago.
• A HUGE picture of a Buddha head in a garden. I've been reading up on Buddhism online and a very good book called, "Buddhism without Belief". Buddhanet.net is a great web resource.
• Lastly, Oprah! A book I'm reading right now gives detailed instructions on how to study somebody who is extraordinarily successful and how you can take on those traits and make the same sorts of decisions as that person. Part of the exercise is to speed-read biographies about that person, so I have 3 biographies about this powerful and successful woman who I greatly admire.

So what I need to focus deeply on is our finances and success in our careers. Fortunately our family life with our son and our couple time couldn't be better, so the only area in our lives we need to work on is M*O*N*E*Y. Let it floweth into our lives! :)

It WORKS!

WOW! The Slim-Fit tea actually works! I weighed myself yesterday and have lost 4 pounds already. My tummy troubles are indeed disappating. So far I'm very pleased with this product. :)

Slim-Fit Tea

In the previous post I mentioned the grocery store we visited. One of the products I've seen countless times has been slimming tea. That day, I thought I'd give it a try and I bought the box above for only $2.99. Here are the instructions that go with it (found on this website)

Product Description
Eight Leaf Brand Imperial Monarch's Favorite Royal Ginseng Dieters Tea. This Slim-Fit tea has been proven an outstanding natural "helper" to reduce weight, reduce bloating, improve metablism, cleanse digestive system, and remove excessive fat deposits from your body.Ingredients: Malva Verticellata, Chinese Ginseng, and other natural oriental herbs.

BEFORE USING THE TEA, NOTE THE FOLLOWING: Its normal for some individuals to experience extra bowl movements after using the tea. This is believed to relate to the cleansing of the body's system and should disappear gradually. First time users should restrict themselves to one tea-bag per day after dinner. Not more than two tea-bags per day should be consumed. Eight Leaves Brand Slim-Fit Tea should be strictly avoided by pregnant and nursing mothers, children, elderly and sick peoples. To comply with FDA requirements we do not make any claims to the efficiency of this product.

DIRECTIONS: For best result, drink the tea during meal or half an hour after meal. Drink Tea as hot as it can be.Bring fresh water to a boil. Pour 5 oz of hot water over (1) tea bag in a cup. Cover the cup with a lid and allow to steam for approximately 5 minutes. Stir and press the tea bag gently with spoon and stir well to fully release fragrance of herb. Do not add sugar or sweetener.First time user: Use 8 oz of hot water instead of 5 oz for 1 tea bag. Soak the tea bag for 2-3 minutes instead of standard 5 minutes. Use this instruction for your first 10 tea bags.

First off, the paper instructions included with the tea did not include the directions to dilute it with 8 oz of water for 2-3 minutes. I used full strength with 5 oz of water. I sure got the bubble guts within an hour of drinking it after dinner. By morning I was making several trips to the toilet (I know you want to know all this!). I didn't mind though, think of it as internal cleansing. Last night same thing with a repeat of bathroom visits this morning. It said that this should gradually dissapate, so I hope they're right. I will keep you updated if it actually helps me lose weight.

Waii Jao (Chinese New Year)

I love living in the Bay Area, particularly Alameda, where a short car trip away (about 3 miles) you'll find yourself in downtown Chinatown Oakland. Every Sunday Golf goes to his flea market and I'll walk with Aidan in his stroller around Chinatown, a few blocks away. I let him play in the local park where there's a pretend Chinese junk ship for kids. I love having him interact with all the kids and I've even thrown around the idea of having him attend preschool in Chinatown so he'll begin learning Chinese in addition to his Thai and English.

Across the street from the park is a Chinese grocery store where we go often for food. The owners were having a Lion Dance ceremony done with a long string of firecrackers held up on steel rods outside the entrance, a lion dancer, and the big drums and cymbols. We made our purchase just in time and crossed the street to the park again so the firecrackers wouldn't be too noisy for Aidan's tender ears. What a thrill! I love it so much that I live in a part of the country (and city) that such a spectacle can be seen. All around the Chinatown area as we were walking we could see red paper reminents of the firecrackers from many ceremonies that had taken place over the week. I could hear another bunch of firecrackers being lit off a few blocks away and driving on our way home we saw another storefront going through with the ceremony.

Earlier this week Golf paid respect to his ancestors. Mother, Father, Sister and Brother. We laid out a table of food and lit the candles and incense. This is a twice yearly event, plus we do it on the death anniversary of each family member. Golf's heritage is both Thai and Chinese, so we participate in both cultural rituals. Below are a couple pictures from last week's offering. Notice how my baby has grown into a little boy!!!

My First Float

Back in March last year, I wrote about my long time desire to float in an isolation tank. In December, for my birthday, I made it known that I wanted to have this experience and there was a float center and spa nearby AND you could buy gift certificates online! ;) My dear friend Caroline took me up on my request and yesterday I finally went in, after a month of forgetting to schedule an appointment, and had my first one hour isolation tank experience!

The photo is what the tank I used actually looks like - it is from the Float Center in nearby Oakland (How spoiled am I to live a mere three miles from this place!). It is about 8 feet long and wide enough that you can stretch your arms out but not fully. When relaxed, you don't bump the sides.

So upon arriving, I was greeted by the co-owner. I arrived a little early so I could look at the artwork (it has an art gallery in the lobby) and she talked with me awhile and then gave me the orientation on how to use the tank while her current clients were finishing up.

First I showered and shampooed my hair - it's very reassuring that you must be head to toe fresh and clean before entering these tanks. Then you wrap your towel and not three feet away is the tank. Before entering, I put in earplugs provided.

The water is about 10 inches deep and has 1000 lbs of Epsom salts dissolved in it. You float like cork bobbing on the water and you cannot sink if you tried. 10 inches of water is still deep enough that you don't touch the bottom of the tank. The water is the same temperature as your body and the air inside is also the same - you feel very little. Once the hatch is closed there is no noise and it is painted black all on the inside, so it is completely dark.

I lay back and look around - sometimes its difficult to tell if my eyes are opened or closed. My breathing was the only sound I heard and because it was all encompassing, I was able to focus on it far easier and repeat my mantras and begin meditation.

It was easy to relax into the water, but now and then I had to focus on my neck because of the natural tendency to flex the neck when floating on your back in regular water. I had to put my hands behind my head to allow for full relaxation at one point, but most the time my arms were relaxed up around my head - more comfortable than down at my sides.

I noticed my breath slowing significantly and my heartbeat still felt the same and at one point my pulsing blood pressure pulsing made me feel like my body was dissipating with every beat. It was weird and very nice, like I was suddenly made out of sand and with every pulse, the outer layers of body were dispersed into the water. I would say that was my experience of leaving the body. Allison, the co-owner with whom I spoke, said it was common to have an out of body experience, or just have the sensation of not feeling your body any longer. My experience did not last long, but I did have it, and it was cool.

Toward the latter part of the hour, I felt very very relaxed. I could feel salt crystals forming on my stomach and arms that were exposed to the air. Allison knocked softly on the pod when the hour was up and I left and showered and shampooed again. Once finished, I sat in the lobby and had a hot tea that she prepared and we talked some more.

I felt uplifted and energetic the rest of the day, but by night, I was exceptionally sleepy. I went to bed early last night and I still feel great today.

A float session is something I would love to be able to do twice a year. I absolutely love it, but it is expensive, so it's got to be for special occasions. If you live near a place that has isolation tanks, give it a try! I am happy to say that I've got one more on my list of things I HAVE TO DO in my lifetime checked off and that makes me feel almost as good as the float itsself. :)