my latest addiction

i've been cutting back on just about everything, but there is one thing that i have actually decided to spend more money on recently, because i feel like right now its more important than ever to find what makes me happy and do it often. tanning! i do it about twice a week, so i'm not completely obsessed yet. but i do go often enough that the people who work there are starting to recognize me.

but i don't really mind. i don't do it for the vanity thing, although i do think i look sallow during the winter months if i don't go to a tanning salon. the reason i like tanning is that its a few minutes in the day when i can relax, unwind and zone out. its sort of meditative. you climb into a little pod, its warm and you can listen to soothing music or the sound of crashing waves. the lamps also just make me feel happy. indoor tanning, like natural sunlight, does produce vitamin d in your body. that means that it can actually help you feel better and combat the effects of seasonal affective disorder (or SAD), which i already know i suffer from every winter.

so, although i know the negative effects of tanning - premature aging, sun spots, skin damage, possible skin cancer, etc - sometimes its worth it to feel a little happier every day.