Las year was the first time I went to a resort and spa, and I was a little bit overwhelmed. You see, I had never done anything like that before. I have taken some extravagant vacations, but it is a different type of extravagance. For me, the ultimate thrill is getting away from it all. I am not accustomed to being waited on hand and foot, or to having luxury and comfort at my door. The only hot springs I have been to before were wild hot springs, several days hike from civilization. Going to a hotel spa resort was all new, and it made me nervous.

Nonetheless, when I got involved with my girlfriend, we agreed to make certain compromises. You see, although somehow we work out perfectly together, we are very different people. In most of our tastes, we are like night and day. I am the rugged outdoors type, and she is the cultured, urban cosmopolitan. My idea of a night out is playing music around a campfire, hers is going to an opera. Since I chose last vacation, it was her turn now. A resort and spa was, she said, just what she needed to unwind. Who was I to disagree?