Blue Lagoon Dreaming

By Ale Rico

I did it only twice so far. Driving somewhat hurriedly, about twenty-four miles total, for only 20 minutes of soaking up my guilty pleasure. I wonder how many moms have done something similar, if not the same? I know that it wouldn’t be such a big deal to “confess” to him that I didn’t go to a yoga class those two times, but I didn’t.

Water beats everything else for me nowadays; hot water is even better. Hot water bubbling up from the earth, without chlorine, is the closest I can get to paradise. Boron, iron, calcium, magnesium … I know my very sleep-deprived cells rejoice deeply having a sip of them.

I didn’t add a cocktail to my pleasure on those two visits; it seemed like too much –or just knowing that alcohol takes more than it gives at the end, and plus, I’m on a budget.

He and I first dated in those same waters 10 years ago exactly. Before they were privatized. Now they are all spa-ed and you pay way too much to be where you could just dip in for free and be much closer to the mighty river in the good old days.

Anyway, I look forward to my next escape. Life has gotten to be too much during all the recent change of homes shenanigans, so I need to find my escape groove again, please.

My one-year-and-8-month-old sweet bebita (little baby girl en Español) benefits from not having this woman be the grumpy momma that I can be sometimes… especially these days, when I nurture my Self. But the minimum amount of self-care hasn’t happened much lately. Long live the hot spring.

I once drove for over four hours to soak for a tiny bit in hot springs, many years ago when I was going crazy from having moved back to my home city of Chihuahua. Impulsiveness sometimes takes too much gas. Desperation can lead to crazy impulse spurts for sure.

My biggest dream as the adult I have become is taking a very long trip, going and soaking (more than one time for as many hours as possible) in Iceland’s Blue Lagoon. I truly believe this is one of my biggest soul desires. I hope one day to get to share this monumental moment in my history with my family, my beloved Cody and the girls. (Hmmm, now that I’m seriously putting it out there to the universe, perhaps just Cody and me in Iceland. We definitely would enjoy it much more, just the two of us. Much, much more, so no reason to feel guilty.)

Guilty pleasure. What a concept. I must say that I don’t relate much to this feeling. Why is it though that there’s a shadow of guilt when we dive into a hot spring of pleasure? Is it only women or do men feel this way too? Regardless, I really hope we all collectively get to experience and indulge in as many freakin’ pleasures as we feel we deserve, regardless of how long it takes to get there.

Ale is currently a stay at home mom, devoting herself to raising her daughter with her partner. A former Spanish teacher at the Waldorf School on the Roaring Fork, Ale found her true calling in education after too many dismal years studying and practicing law. Ale cherishes her special community under the feet of the majestic Sopris Mama Mountain.