Spa day > work

How things are going in Praia da Luz.

Hello there,

I’m one week into an amazing workation in Praia da Luz, Portugal. I work for my freelance writing clients Monday through Thursday with short breaks for padel lessons and beach walks. The other day, I was such a rebel, I closed my laptop by 2:45 pm and went to the spa. I would have never done that in my 20s and early 30s, but being almost 40, I honestly just don’t give a fuck anymore. Don’t get me wrong, I want to make a good living, do something I don’t hate, and keep clients happy by being reliable and delivering high-quality work. But the drive I once had to climb the career ladder has disappeared. I like this new phase of no longer caring too much. It’s refreshing and freeing.

Photo from Sal Spa

Anyway, back to the spa…

It was €25 for a one-hour spa circuit where you could:

• Stand in a warm-ish pool with water jets beating down on your back (while droplets splash into your ears)

• Sit in a dry sauna or steam room staring into space

• Hyperventilate under a cold shower

I chose a healthy mix of all three options and walked out of the spa feeling relaxed and refreshed. But because I value balance so much, I finished my afternoon of wellness with two large Estrella draft beers, a pork sandwich on a white bread roll, and fries. Oh, and a salad. Everything in moderation, right?

The next day, I had a padel lesson in the morning and an Americano tournament after work—you play for 90 minutes, rotating teams every 24 points (10-ish minute games). I’m not quite a pro yet, and my lower back is mad at me, but at least now I know that retired men in their 60s are in better shape than me. Or maybe it was the beers. 🍻

Would love to hear from you so I know I’m not scribbling into the void!

• What’s up?

• Do you have a favorite spa or wellness activity?

• Watching anything good these days? I just started Envious on Netflix. In a nutshell, it’s a rom-com (or maybe a dramedy) about a 39-year-old single woman in Argentina who’s obsessed with getting married and having kids (for all the wrong reasons) and, of course, she dates all the wrong guys because she can’t stand being alone. It’s quite entertaining if you’re OK with subtitles. Sometimes I find watching things in another language relaxing because it forces me to focus instead of multitasking and getting distracted by my phone.

• How’s your Valentine’s Day going? I could give two fucks about this Hallmark holiday if I’m being honest. I just told my boyfriend I need some alone time—I’m curled up in bed, eating biscuits, and writing this. Perfection.

Time to go watch Envious!

See you soon,

Alexis