Something feels fishy

A few weekends back we were on our way to a hike around a lake about forty minutes from home. On the drive there we passed a number of signs for different spas at a local hot springs. For the rest of the drive into the woods I was wishing we were headed to the hot springs. So, this weekend we went for the Spaaaah (as Rosie’s says). The spa and pool facility we visited was amazing. Similar to the previous spa and pool we visited in Korea back in November, it had a very Korean locker room. Shoes get their own locker immediately upon entry and then you strip down to your birthday suit inside the locker rooms alongside your new local, female best friends. If you are headed to the hot springs, which are separated by gender, you stay in your skinnies. Otherwise you can get fully dressed again for the pool (swim suit, swim shirt, shorts, hat, and mask). The swimming pools were impressive! They had two pools just for infants and toddlers that we played in for the first hour. Olive will jump in head-first while Rosie likes to warm up to the idea of getting in (she is after all my daughter). We swam around in the baby pools until lunch. I had packed us lunches from home since there’s only so much rice the girls can eat in one week (me included). Traditional PB and Js with packs of Goldfish were a crowd pleaser for our whole crew. Tim dipped into the hot springs for a bit of traditional male bonding time while the girls and I hung back to enjoy Banana Split Dippin' Dots (they truly have everything a girl needs here). The facility had a great indoor space for the girls to play in while we took a break from the pool. Naturally, the girls had no interest in leaving this area to get back in the water. Tim and I switched off, and I headed to my appointment with "Doctor Fish".Yes, that’s right. I paid for tiny fish to nibble on my feet and legs. It was 5,000 Korean won (about $4 USD) for ten minutes. The feeling is freakish, and I couldn’t watch as the fish swarmed me like a fresh buffet on a cruise ship. They must have seen my dry feet coming. Just so you know, I squim if one piece of seaweed brushes against my leg in the ocean. And here I am in willingly submerging my feet into a tank for a fish feast. But, I will do it again every week if it works! I’ve been rubbing shea butter religiously into my chronically dry heels since middle school and it’s not having any effect. I convinced Tim to make a trip to the Fish Doctor after me, he admitted to only sticking it out because I already had. With our fresh feet leading the way we floated around the heated indoor/outdoor lazy river for a bit before we all dipped into the crystal steam room and the heated sauna for a few minutes. It was glorious and I marvel at how enjoyable this type of family experience can be. It was a relaxing day for everyone. Once we were finished at the pool and our time there far exceeded my expectations, we split up and headed for the locker rooms. I would say it’s about 10 times easier to get showered and dressed with a baby in tow when you have no concerns about your modesty. Everyone is in the nude and nobody cares. I don’t rush to put a shirt over my damp hair or try to squeeze wet thighs back into skinny jeans. Women of all ages are buck naked blowing drying their hair, doing their makeup, and slowly getting ready to face the rest of their day. There is no scurrying around jamming your wet swimsuit into your bag. Locals are methodically drying and bagging their wet items. It’s as quiet as a library. By the time we head home we are all showered, lotioned, and ready for dinner. I even conditioned my hair.

We will definitely be back for more relaxing Saturdays!

Much love,

Val