2023 HIGHLANDS NC EXPERIENCE GUIDE
She extended her education and satisfied her interest in bodywork at Connecticut Center for Massage Therapy in Westport before settling back onto Hilton Head. On the island, she was the lead mas- sage therapist at the no. 1 spa in the Marriott family of properties – Spa Soleil. While the experience and rewards were welcome, the 14- to 16-hour days eventually took their toll. Soon, her eyes turned back towards the mountains and, once again, she came full circle. “Whenever I got older and the quiet was more appealing, I came back home,” Chrestman says. A decade has passed since she made the move, joining her brother and mother on the plateau. “Everybody is here now,” she says. Within those 10 years lies a journey of rediscovery, as she “worked her way back into the community.” Serving as a barista at Buck’s (now Calder’s Coffee Café) and running a house cleaning company allowed her to re- group, build relationships and settle back into the mountains. “It was a very humbling experience and I met so many people,” she re- flects with gratefulness. In early 2020, Chrestman learned she was pregnant. Her daughter, Edith “Edie” LaRue Chrestman-Brown, was born in October at the height of the pandemic, the timing of which was a bit “terrifying.” She took a year off after Edie was born. Then, she began cleaning houses and offering private, in-home massage. Today, she and Edie enjoy spending time outside, exploring their Scaly Mountain backyard. “She’s having an experience I didn’t have here. She’ll grow up in this town along with other little ones, and there’s something spe- cial about that.”
So, how did Unfurl, her cozy mas- sage studio next to Blue Bike on Fourth St., come about? “I was doing out-clients,” she says. “This space had come available. I was nervous to take the plunge. But I came in here and they said yes. So, in September 2021, I started opening it.” Word of mouth quickly spread and soon, she was fully open, booked and busy. This past fall, she hosted an open house and a ribbon-cutting cer- emony with the Highlands Chamber of Commerce. She felt there was a need for mas- sage therapy for locals in a comfort- able and healing environment. Ninety percent of her clients have a home in the area, she estimates, and the oth- ers are visitors. Highlands’ resident Charlotte Muir is one of them. “Sixty or 90 minutes with Betty at Unfurl is transformative. Stepping into her studio is a retreat every sin- gle time.” The experience begins the moment one enters Unfurl. Soothing sounds, dim lighting and aromatic scents sur- round you. Healthy plants are every- where; her company symbol is even a fern. It’s impossible not to relax. With signature wavy locks that frame her friendly face and warm smile, Chrestman is part of the embracing experience. “I wanted it to be calm, nourishing, nature themed,” she explains. “Cozy, yet therapeutic.” Unfurl’s services range from all types of massage – Swedish, deep tissue, neuromuscular, trigger point ther- apy – to cupping and reflexology. Craniosacral therapy, a gentle, hands- on technique that manipulates the muscles and tissues surrounding the skull, spinal column and sacrum, will be added to the menu this spring. Every session is customized to the person, and sessions range from 30
to 120 minutes. Body scrubs, wraps and gift certificates are available for purchase at the studio. Having been licensed for almost 17 years, Chrestman has found her true calling – but she hasn’t stopped dreaming. She definitely wants a larger space, and maybe even a full- service wellness center, with “tons of practitioners and modalities and a chef” for the nutrition piece. For now, she’s enjoying her studio, daughter and community of family, friends and clients. “This is what I love to do. It’s almost overwhelming but in a really good way. I feel fortunate.” For more information about Unfurl, visit them on Facebook @UnfurlMassageNC. Or call 828-482-2219. “SHE’LL GROW UP IN THIS TOWN ALONG WITH OTHER LITTLE ONES, AND THERE’S SOMETHING SPECIAL ABOUT THAT”
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