in which i join a gym and get a haircut

I had been past the Antigua Gym a few times on my way home from the grocery store, but never stepped inside. Knowing that my mom and I both like yoga I thought we should see if they offered yoga classes. Not only did they offer yoga classes, but they also offer pilates, abs, and spinning and have lots of great equipment. We signed up for a week pass.

I’ve been to the gym four times now and love it. The exercise is helping me sleep better at night and generally improves my life. I love the feeling of accomplishment after a good workout. My favorite thing to do is ride the bike. They blast music that really gets you pumped. The one downside to the gym is that it’s not air-conditioned, but every once in a while a strong cool breeze will blow through and it feels wonderful. The main part of the gym is in a building with a circus tent roof. Along the sides are rooms with various equipment. It’s really quite cool.

The girl at the front desk, Jessica, has the most amazing haircut. I told her how much I loved it and asked for the name of her stylist. Now that my Spanish is a good deal better- I can speak in complete sentences and actually understand most of the things people say to me- I thought what the hell, I’ll get my haircut. I’ve never had a haircut in a foreign country, but I figured at worst it’ll eventually grow out. So I leaped.

With Jessica’s directions - near vino y queso, it looks like it’s closed but just knock on the door - I tracked down the salon. It’s located behind a big wooden door quite close to my house. You have to know what you’re looking for, you don’t just stumble upon it. It’s kind of like my favorite/only stylist at home, Kellie Walsh’s place - Barbarella. It makes you feel like you’re in on a local secret. I knocked on the door and to my luck, the stylist had time to fit me in.

Luckily her English was really good, so it wasn’t too scary. Unfortunately my hair is only 1/3 as thick as Jessica’s so the cut didn’t look the same on me, but I’m still happy with it. And for the first time since I was a little girl I have bangs. Now all I need is my hairdryer and I’m set.