Interactive Theater, Wine, Energy and Sand – What Did I Get Myself Into?
Well it’s now May 2019 and lots of new adventures were abound this month. I started off in Denver at the interactive theater experience, called “Deck of Cards,” by the Denver Center for Performing Arts. One of three experimental theater events, “Deck of Cards” turned into a soul-searching, scavenger hunt for life answers.
I was told I’d receive instructions via text and, the morning of the “show,” I got a text telling me someone was waiting for me on a brown bench against the north wall at downtown’s Union Station, recognizable by his purple scarf, hat and newspaper. It seemed so mysterious and after telling a friend where I was going, I was off to the train station for a rendezvous, like James Bond.
I found my contact Donnie, who was a sharply dressed, middle-aged man, he regaled me with tales of growing up around trains. The whole experience was a bit surreal as tourists and actual commuters rushed by us. I felt out of my element with this stranger, but I went with it.
After a half-hour, Donnie gave me a deck of playing cards, blank index cards and a map directing me to the Travel section at the nearby Tattered Cover book store in LoDo. Inside, I met Kristen we would went through a tarot like experience talking about my “What Ifs” in life and “What’s Next.” It was a very interesting 45 minutes as I often felt I should be lying on a therapist couch, as I told Kristen many things that I’ve never shared with another living soul.
At the end, I had to leave my small but meaningful gift and take one. I brought a bottle opener to symbolize the real conversations that often occur over a glass of wine and I took a miniature Buddha statue as I felt it gave me peace. Such a unique experience!
5,521 miles from Denver to Mendoza, Argentina, got me ready for my next new experience of the month, a wine facial. At the Kaua Club and Spa in the Park Hyatt, we were transported to a serene oasis for a 60-minute facial that promotes the anti-oxidant effects of wine to protecting your skin. What an amazing spa service for around $45 USD. However, no wine to drink!
Back home in Ann Arbor, and super jet-lagged, feeling dull and armed with a Groupon, it was time to try Reiki. Described as a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing, it is based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. I was skeptical, but at the end of the hour session, I felt peppier. I’m not sure if it was the Reiki, a placebo effect or the fact that I took a cat nap during the session, but I’d definitely go again!
As June rolled around, we were off to Traverse City for a weekend away and went to Sleeping Bear Dunes for the 1st time! While foggy that day, the views we could see were amazing and climbing sand hills are not for faint of heart! It was a great way to explore nature and the area and involved the whole family. I really want to find a place where you can ride buggies on the sand dunes for an amped up adventure! Maybe this summer!
Wait till you see what I was up to in July and August!