I was sitting at church when it happened. I looked down and I felt something fall out of my mouth on to my lap. I picked it up to inspect it. A tooth! My eyes grew wide. What was happening?

I could feel all my teeth suddenly loosening up. They began rolling over my tongue and I panicked. Puffing my cheeks out like a chipmunk so that my teeth would remain in my mouth, I ran to the bathroom and began spitting them out into the sink and crying. Someone kept calling me on the phone but I couldn’t answer between all my sobbing and yelling.

I don’t remember much after that. I know that eventually I found myself at the foot of a waterfall, cradling all my teeth and crying.

IT WAS ALL A DREAM! According to the interwebs, dreams like the one I had are pretty common if you’re having a hard time adjusting to change, can’t seem to let go of something and are overwhelmed AF.   Seems legit.

Halston recently surprised me with a Massage Envy gift card a few weeks ago and between all the “positive vibes” I’m exuding, and his new “joke” of calling me a Bridezilla (keep it up and you won’t make it to Saturday, buddy), I figured it was time to schedule a massage and try to clear my mind for at least an hour (is that even possible?).

Booking the appointment:

Booking the appointment wasn’t complicated at all. I went on the website, picked the closest location to me at Winter Garden Village, provided them with a time frame of availability, massage desired (Swedish) and whether I wanted a male or female masseuse.

Day of appointment:

Since this was my first time visiting, I arrived 15 minutes early to fill out medical paperwork which asked about health conditions I could be suffering from and areas in specific I would like for the masseuse to focus on. It also asked if I was comfortable with the massage therapist touching areas like my scalp (yes) or face (no) and pressure desired during the massage (light, medium, or deep).

Rochelle, therapist: “So why are you here today? Any pain?”

Me, awful human: “I’m being forced to relax today. Everyone thinks I’m crazy and I’m getting married on Saturday.”

The session began and I was taken to a dimly lit room with soothing music. Rochelle stepped outside while I undressed and got under the blanket (which is heated and so soft… I think I need one in my life). The whole time I wanted to laugh because I kept thinking of John Mulaney’s comedy special in which he said:

“I got a massage and the woman told me to undress to my comfort level. So I put on a sweater and a pair of corduroy pants, and I felt safe.”

She focused on my shoulders and neck, legs, arms and back and it felt great! But in true Veronica fashion, instead of clearing my mind, I was rattling off multiple to-do lists in my head and then became anxious thinking, “What if there’s a fire right now and I have to run outside in my underwear?“

After an hour, Rochelle left the room, allowing me to get dressed and waited outside for me with water. I checked out at the counter (it is $49.99 for a first time visitor) and learned about their monthly membership.

All in all, it was a great experience and I would definitely go back!

What are some ways that you deal with stress or change?

xx