Relax before bedtime in this calm sleep story and talk down that will take you to the Highway Motel.
On a summer's road trip on the legendary Route 66,
Adventure begins as you find yourself in a rural town where you come upon a motel from days gone by and settle in on a rainy night.
With the quirks and embellishments of another era,
For a night you may find peace in the celebrated experience of a great American road trip.
It's time to dream away.
I would like to welcome you to Michelle's Sanctuary.
I am Michelle and as you are listening,
Know it is my intention to reconnect you with the imaginative parts of your mind so you may easily cross over into your dreaming and sleeping life.
This is a judgment free experience where you may remember that you are in control of your own thoughts and where they take you.
And tonight you may allow them to take you to the adventures that most appeal to you because you have earned a mental vacation for making it through another day.
And at any point you feel like it,
You may let go of my voice and fall asleep if your body and mind are ready to do so.
This experience is by your design.
And as cozy as you can in your bed,
Wiggling out any tension or energy that you are holding.
Stretch your arms overhead and take in a deep breath and then yawn before you sigh it all out.
Thinking of times in your life you were physically and mentally exhausted and longed to teleport to the comforts of your bed makes you realize how wonderful it is right now to be nestled in bed.
It is a luxurious experience to be safe within the four walls of your room,
Able to surrender and drift to sleep.
And with your eyes closed you may use the backs of your eyelids as movie screens,
Upon which you see yourself driving along Route 66,
Somewhere in the Midwest,
Among the lush greenery lined highway on your way to California.
Without GPS or even a map,
You have decided to take this journey on a whim.
Letting your intuition and desires inform you what to do every mile of the way.
It feels great to be spontaneous and open to all that comes your way without a plan beyond savoring each moment.
It is the peak of summer and your windows are fully open as you relish in the sound and sensations of the highway winds blowing into your car.
The radio plays a classic song that always reminds you of summer and drive ins and first dates and barbecues with friends.
The station has the slightest static that comes and goes but gives you a deep pang of nostalgia.
The skies in the distance look slightly ominous as dark clouds form over the canopy of trees that surrounds the highway.
But for now you are in the clear,
Enjoying the sensation of the cool steering wheel in your hands and your foot as it presses on the gas pedal.
You feel empowered to go wherever you want and do whatever you desire as you speed along.
Occasionally another car passes and a driver will kindly wave at you just as happy to enjoy this splendid day.
Route 66 feels like a ribbon of goodwill that weaves through the country.
While in a zen state that comes from hours on the road,
You are taken back into the moment as your tire comes upon a pothole in the road.
You safely recover but as you continue to drive you realize that your tire has become flat.
You carefully pull the car over to the shoulder where you park it and exit.
You step out onto the dewy grass that is lined with tiger lilies in full bloom and inspect the damage,
Realizing the tire must be changed.
You contemplate doing this yourself when the winds suddenly change,
Warn of the incoming storm.
You feel a drop or two of rain upon you and while it feels refreshing in light of the humid hot air of July,
You are a bit concerned about getting soaked while changing the tire.
As you look to the west,
You see the aqua blue and flamingo pink neon lights of a roadside motel and diner with a tangerine neon sign that reads vacancy.
In keeping with your motto of going with the flow,
You suddenly let happenstance change your plans and decide to spend the night here.
You get into the car and very carefully and slowly drive to the parking lot of the Route 66 motel.
Just as the random drops of rain become a steady stream and bounce off the slick black top.
The car vibrates but you are cautious enough to save the tire's rim as you pull into a spot and park.
As you look up to the bustling diner,
Full of happy customers from all over the world,
You realize already you have made the right choice.
The chrome and rail car design of the diner is in pristine condition as neon lights above the front door read Fred's Diner.
Below the silver chrome façade of the diner are frosted tiled glass windows illuminated by a soft jello light that glows warmly and inviting.
You take your bag from the backseat of the car before exiting and approaching the sidewalk to enter the diner.
Once inside you are met with a waitress who is adorned in an Easter egg pastel colored uniform with a retro white cap and vibrant red lips.
She tells you to take a seat wherever you like.
You find an oversized booth next to a jukebox that glows in a rainbow of colors and find that each chrome edged table in the diner has a table top jukebox as well.
You take a seat on the cherry red vinyl booth,
Feeling the smooth texture beneath your hands as you slide across it.
You rest your arms on the cool table as the waitress brings an oversized menu.
You are seated next to a window that looks out upon the highway,
Watching as cars drive by with their windshield wipers in rapid motions as the tires propel splashes of rainwater from the highway.
It is getting dark outside and you are all the more pleased with this change of plans.
There is a long bar behind which the female owner chats with regular customers,
Standing along glass covered cake trays of donuts and muffins.
There is a refrigerated dessert section showcasing cheesecakes and cannoli and meringue and butter crusted pies that are illuminated by bright lights like they are the stars of a show.
The hot summer air has enlivened thoughts of fairs and sweet confections.
And when the waitress returns,
You order an egg cream in your preferred flavor and a dessert.
You watch as she goes behind the counter and grabs a stainless steel soda siphon,
Mixing flavored syrup and milk with seltzer water.
She then cuts a slice of your preferred dessert and delivers these things together on a tiny tray.
She hands you the soda fountain glass that feels heavy in your hands as you imbibe from a straw,
Looking down at the frothy head of the egg cream.
The cool,
Creamy and bubbly elixir hits your tongue and causes you to salivate and savor the experience.
You then take a fork from your napkin and enjoy the slice of the baked good as it melts upon your palate.
You finger through the table top jukebox and reach for a quarter in your bag,
Selecting a pop song that makes it impossible to listen to in stillness.
As you look around to the other patrons,
Speaking in different dialects,
All is eager to take this great American road trip.
And as your song comes on,
You tap your foot to the beat as you indulge in the egg cream and listen to the patter of the rain against the window.
You feel happy.
You feel a connection to your youth and being a child.
When you let yourself embrace joy without fear or the judgment,
Without fear of judgment for appearing silly,
The creative adult is the child who has survived,
And your inner child is still alive and your imagination intact.
And you welcome this joy.
You smile broadly,
Immersed in this feeling of bliss that causes your face to tingle and your eyes to soften and twinkle.
There is a premium that should be applied to these simple pleasures that make every stroke of misfortune become endurable.
And in this journey,
Misfortune has led to serendipitous pleasure.
You feel satiated as you finish,
And both at emotional and physical level,
As the waitress brings you the check and you pay.
You take your bag and exit,
Looking back upon the diner car of contentment that you leave behind.
The rain is heavily falling and you quickly run to the motel's lobby,
Ducking under the awning of the roadside establishment.
You open the door and enter a lobby that smells of dusty books and coffee as you walk past a tourist stand chock full of maps and things to do along Route 66.
You approach the front desk and slap your hand upon a silver countertop call bell,
Feeling the vibrations of the sound against your palm.
Within a minute,
An older gentleman appears,
Dressed formally in a tweed vest and slacks and collared shirt.
With a disposition of a kind grandfather,
He stands next to a framed poster that reads,
�You are welcome here.
� He checks you in and you take a silver pen and sign your name.
He then hands you a hand carved wooden keychain that reads,
�Route 66,
Room 201.
� When you feel the engravement in your hand as you smile,
You leave the lobby staying under the awning as you walk past an ice machine and take the concrete steps to the second floor of the motel.
The façade is painted in a vibrant shade of teal green that seems all the more bright against the stormy tones of the sky and mist-filled parking lot and the glossy white doors of each room.
You count each step as you ascend,
Feeling the strength in your legs.
1,
2,
3,
4,
5,
6,
7,
8.
And suddenly you reach the exterior hallway of the motel.
You pass a series of doors numbered with decals and art deco font and windows with their curtains shut.
The neon lights of the motel sign create a colorful cast of light upon the room you have booked.
When you take the key and open the door as you step back in time,
You flip on a switch that turns on lights overhead in the room that hang down in white orbs looking like upside down lollipops.
The mid-century fixtures include an aquamarine carpet that reminds you of a popular Cadillac color of the 1960s.
The walls are comprised of dark mahogany wood panels and the sateen quilt upon the bed is in a blue and green toned floral tiki pattern.
There is an old fashioned box television set that stands upon cherry wood legs and bed stands on each side of the king sized bed that host ceramic blue and green striped patterns that swirl like soft serve ice cream.
There is also a black rotary foam that once again reminds you of a different time.
You remove your shoes and set your bag down upon an emerald green velvet upholstered chair running your hand upon its luxurious softness.
The sound of the rain outside marries the hum of the air conditioner as you close the door behind you and listen to it click.
This experience makes you think of the families and couples and solo adventurers like yourself who created summer memories in this retro room that has been preserved for decades.
And the energy feels happy and welcoming for all who arrive.
You remove your shoes and feel the soft carpet beneath your bare feet.
Facing the lines created from being freshly vacuumed.
The air has the slightest hint of coconut air freshener that keeps with the tropical theme of the decor.
You open your bag and remove your favorite soft cotton loungewear and change into it.
And as soon as you do your body relaxes and your belly hangs out.
You take in a deep breath and exhale and let your body feel like jelly.
You shake out your arms and all the lasting impressions of the day.
Feeling of the miles of highway behind you and miles to come.
The coming back to the moment.
The feeling in this room.
Being part of a journey.
Knowing it is never about the destination in the end.
It is about all that you discover along the way.
And you feel proud for letting yourself readjust and for being flexible with your plans because it brought you to this amazing deviation.
You feel quite tired as the soporific sounds of the rain are having a hypnotic effect.
You peel back the covers and climb into the bed.
And as you look to the wooden headboard you realize the mattress is on a vibrating frame.
You cannot resist pressing the button and feeling as the bed suddenly vibrates beneath you.
Massaging your body in undulations that both calm and amuse you.
You close your tired eyes and listen to the rain.
Feeling as if you are falling asleep in a train car.
Being lulled and rocked to and fro.
And the occasional car that drives across the slick highway sounds like a soft ocean wave.
Feeling heavy and tired you relive the splendor of the day.
Lots of vibrant green grass and purple and coral wildflowers blowing in the breeze as you drove along Route 66.
You relish in the feeling of being free to make choices.
Planned or on a whim.
When on a road trip.
This experience reminds you that every day you have an array of choices that are in your hands.
From the smallest choices about your thoughts and how you spend your time.
To the bigger choices about what you long for in the future.
The keys are in your palm and you are the hero of this story.
For this is your story and your life.
And the beauty of travel and of hitting the open road reminds you of this.
And that you are able to break away from routine and the patterns of daily life.
Because variety is indeed the spice of life.
And it is this variety that will remind you of who you are and all that you are capable of.
The clean fresh rain that pelts upon the roof of the motel in a steady pattern makes the perfect soundtrack for sleeping.
And you find yourself drifting as the vibrations of the bed come to stillness and you let go of my voice.
Letting yourself surrender to the comforts of the air conditioned room of the highway motel on Route 66.
Sounds of the cars once again like ocean waves.
Letting you to float across the bridge to your sleeping life.
And I am going to count you down to a healing and dream filled night of glorious sleep.
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Finding rest.
Finding surrender.
Finding bliss.
Finding sleep.
It's time to dream away.
Good night.
