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IN COUNTRYSecret Destination DiscoveredBy Jennifer GraySeptember 2008
It seems these days that words like fun, unwind, and relax are but distant memories of our former lives. Instead, we run around all day long doing things for other people to make them happy. Whether it be making dinner for your husband, taking the kids to school, staying late at work, or talking on the phone with a friend or family member in need—sometimes you’d rather be sitting in your tub soaking up the bubbles. “Come on,” you often say to yourself,” when am I going to get some me time?” Well, I want to encourage you to unwind and to be selfish. Hell, you can even kill two birds with one stone on this one. Bring a gal pal that needs some catch-up gossip time, or even your special guy. He’ll treat you like a queen after this! Through word of mouth, I had heard of a place where you could turn back time—where you could forget about the heartaches of life, and recapture some of what life used to be: simple, sweet, slower-paced and less demanding, more scenic and historic. The anticipation was killing me. This place was just waiting to be discovered. So, I grabbed a friend in need and made haste to go beyond the city’s reach and off the map to the Inn at Poplar Springs Spa. Just kidding. It’s on the map, just not any of the ones we’re used to looking at. We drove about thirty-five miles outside of D.C. before we left the interstate and began our adventure in uncharted territory. We were headed to an area called Casanova, a place as intriguing as its name . With no real town center, Casanova is better known for its foxhunting than anything else. It’s a place richer in land than business. We drove down a windy road that was followed by white fences and horse farms. It was absolutely lovely the whole way. And as we pulled into our destination, we passed a large pond, and made our way through towering green pines that looked older than The Georgetowner itself! Old stone walls followed us up the hill to the manor house which was built circa 1929 as a private residence. I felt as if I was in Europe visiting a member of the queen’s family. By the time we stopped the car, I was already overwhelmed with excitement. I jumped out and inhaled the pristine country air with a sense of pride for being the one to get to go here. We walked over to the new modern edition where we entered the door to the spa! We were greeted with smiling faces and friendly remarks. And you should know that I am always hesitant to go anywhere in the world of beauty. I dread the gatekeepers’ judging eyes set on me. But here, I felt instantly welcome. We had been lined up for a European facial followed by a massage. The girl at the front desk, Justice, showed us around the spa and took our lunch order for later. We were escorted to the changing rooms and each given a pair of slippers, and a white robe, and we slipped out of our clothing and into comfort. I was led down to my massage room where I awaited my therapist while I listened to the sounds of birds chirping, water trickling, and wind blowing. And when my masseuse entered the room, she told me she was going to keep quiet so that I could totally relax. She rubbed rose-scented oils into my skin with fluid movements that were more of an art form that only an expert could master. Soon, I became so relaxed it was hard to stay awake. I forgot about all those things that were stirring through my head—all the things that I needed to get done—and I felt a calming peace instead. My masseuse explained to me that the tension knots in my back were caused by consistently sitting at the desk all day in the same position. They can be eliminated by applying pressure to the area to get the blood flow moving again, and separate tissue build up. When she was finished I felt as if I had been missing out on a better body all this time and I didn’t even know it. Next stop, European facial… After being refreshed with some drinking water and a breather I was brought to another room and left to make myself comfortable. A woman named Sarah Stanton, who has been in the spa business for twenty plus years, came in to give me my facial. She is the spa’s manager and has been designing their signature treatments and remedies for years. For you wine lovers, she even makes one called vino therapy where they actually use grapes from the local vineyards. When I was finished with my facial, I was escorted outside where I was treated to a gourmet lunch. Napoleon Swordfish was my entrée. My mouth is still watering to taste the crisp rustic bread beneath the warm swordfish filet once more. What a perfect way to end the day. Upon leaving the Inn at Poplar Springs Spa, I realized a few things about what I’d gained from my experience. I had learned how to let go of the thoughts racing through my mind and how to unwind my body. I had just indulged all five of my senses in one short trip. Beautiful sounds of nature had played in my ear,, scenic views and hidden countryside had surrounded me, I had been touched by the softest hands, and I had smelled the sweetest rose scents, and tasted the finest warm crispy napoleon swordfish of the season!
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