Spa Day

In case you haven't heard, being a full-time mom of 2 small kids is HARD.  A person should never choose to stay at home because they no longer want to work. The job is 24 hours/day, and time off happens . . . never.  Yes, the rewards are great, like being able to spend time with your kids, be there for milestones like rolling over or sitting up . . . but sometimes those rewards are difficult to remember when obscured by fatigue, mountains of laundry, and fountains of spit-up that erupt like a geyser. 
Besides that, it has been a tough month, between Erik being gone three times and wondering what our future holds . . . which is why I put in a vacation request.  Just 4 hours to myself, to visit Wiesbaden's famed spa, the Kaiser-Friedrich-Therme. 

These natural hot springs were discovered by the Romans long ago, and ruins from the original baths were discovered in the 19th century when the current spa was being constructed.  These springs are thought to have curative properties, which is why Wiesbaden is known as a Kurstadt, or "curing city".  This spa was once a destination for Europe's elite class, but, lucky for me, they now let rumpled, tired, and stressed out Hausfrauen like myself partake in the healing waters. 

The only time I have been in a European bath house was 10 years ago in Budapest.  This was different. This was a lot more naked.  I read in the brochure that "bathing suits are discouraged." Well, I brought mine anyway, just in case it looked like it was optional. It really wasn't.  I looked around for the women's changing area. Nope.  Just one area.  Okay then . . . not sure how relaxing this is going to be . . .

This might be something that Americans don't realize about Germans.  They really like to be naked.  You might expect this of the beaches in France or Portugal or Spain, but a walk through the Englischer Garten in Munich on a sunny day might take you by surprise.  On one side of the stream, everyone is clothed.  On the other side, no one is.  So it is in the numerous thermal baths around Germany.  Coming from a very non-naked society,  it's kind of hard to get over this self-consciousness at first, until you realize that the more self-conscious you are, the more people look at you, which is exactly what you DON'T want.  So, you just gotta do it.  You don't have to be beautiful or perfect, because guess what? Neither is the mostly geriatric clientele at 1pm on a Wednesday.

Anyway, I spent 2 hours following the recommended sequence of warming in various saunas, then cooling in the "ice shower" and cool bath, then warming again in the Russian steam room, then cooling again, then a foot bath, then the hot tub, then the recommended "lying and resting" on the lounge chairs. Then the sequence was repeated, ending with a 50 minute massage with a slightly overly chatty masseur who wanted to talk incessantly about his upcoming trip to Florida, but I will forgive him after the magic he worked on my upper back and shoulders. 

Then I floated in a sleepy haze home to my family, who was very happy to see me. Thank you, Erik. Can we do this again next week?