I never thought I’d be excited for cooler weather- especially after living in the snowiest city in the continental US for four years. Yet, here we are.

It feels great to be able to do a newscast without gasping for air every few minutes. During some of the worst parts, it was a miracle we sounded half decent on the air. Thanks for bearing with us.

Now that I’ve got every flannel and sweater out of storage, it finally feels like fall. I’ve been putting off all the traditional fall activities because doing them in warmer weather just didn’t feel right. I haven’t even made an apple crisp this year, and it’s nearly Halloween. To me, that’s the quintessential fall comfort food. I’ll have to make a batch for this blog later in the season.

Something about Friday’s rain flipped a switch in my head. We were stuck on summer for so long, I really felt like August dragged out an extra two months. It happened so fast, I think I got some sort of mental whiplash. It was enough for me to impulsively book an appointment for a sensory deprivation tank session for that afternoon.

…a what, now?

A sensory deprivation tank, also known as a float tank, isn’t as ominous as it sounds. It’s a form of muscle relaxation therapy, where a person floats in a highly concentrated saltwater chamber, heated to body temperature. A light inside of the chamber shuts off once you’re settled in, and you’re given earplugs to avoid getting salt in your ears. You’re completely deprived of your senses. It sounded like the perfect way to refresh myself for the official arrival of a new season.

I expected to float around in some saltwater and shut my brain and body off for an hour. Maybe get a nap in, if possible.

The salty buoyancy was no joke. I was easily a few inches off of the floor of the tank while afloat. There was some light music playing for the first 10 minutes in the background, and afterwards: silence. Darkness. So much darkness. I couldn’t tell whether or not my eyes were open at times.

My body kept floating me into the walls of the tank, disturbing the notion of “total deprivation” because- ope, I’ve touched something again. I couldn’t empty my mind if my senses were still on high alert. There was no way I could relax in this scenario.

That being said… I also couldn’t stop moving. Part of me wanted to purposefully bounce against the walls, trying to create some more warmth. Remember, the temperature is heated to your body temperature (98.6° F)- the average hot tub is anywhere between 100-104° F. It became more unsettling as time went on. I became restless. Attempts to submerge myself were unsuccessful. My body even wanted to fight sitting up on the floor of the tank. At one point, I thought I had had enough and turned the light back on inside the chamber.

I didn’t remember the light being so intensely bright before. I turned it back off just as quickly, but I knew it was too late. I was ready to float on home.

Overall, neat experience. I’d probably do it again, maybe after a hike or a long trip to get that good nap in. Maybe I’ll worry less about the walls and become one with the water.