Like most people with toddlers, I’ve been finding myself day dreaming a lot lately about finding some peace and quiet. A year ago last October, Jim and I snuck away for a long weekend to Whistler, B.C. We were exhausted. I took a marathon three-hour nap the day after we arrived and Jim took a hysterical photo of me, dead asleep with one leg hanging off the bed. It was a good one. (Both the nap and the photo, although sorry to disappoint you, I won’t be posting that one.)

During our trip we treated ourselves to a day at the Scandinave Spa, an indoor/outdoor Scandinavian hydrotherapy retreat where there is no talking allowed. At first, we had the inappropriate giggles about it, like we were being told to sit quietly in elementary school. But then, I took off on my own for a while and by the time we met up again, we were totally into it.

Hydrotherapy includes saunas, steam baths, hot baths, and cold plunges. The idea is to alternate from a hot environment to a cold one to eliminate toxins and increase circulation. I’ll admit, I’m a bit of a baby and went from warm to hot to warm and avoided the cold plunges altogether. But I did sit outside in a hammock, stared into the vast pine tree wilderness, and lost all track of time and train of thought. It was a lovely way to neutralize all of the crazy that I tend to bottle up.

On their website, the Scandinave says, “Silence is a source of great strength. We believe silence is essential to the experience of the Scandinavian baths. By embracing silence one finds inner stillness leading to complete relaxation.” That and the view doesn’t hurt either…

So on those days when I find myself yearning for stillness, I imagine myself back at this spa and sometimes I am able to sort of feel that calming relief.

In a world of (seemingly) constant kiddo chaos, do you find yourselves day dreaming of vacations? Or where do you go for a bit of relief?

[Bottom photos via Scandinave Spa]