Over months of mounting pressure—from a serious medical issue involving one child to longer work hours—one working mother of four hit a breaking point. A three-day solo trip to Romania, guided by family roots and wellness in Therme’s thermal spa, gave her a cl
Life had started to feel like a constant sprint for a working mom of four—juggling multiple jobs while trying to keep up with a family that never seemed to slow down. Someone was either sick, facing a school project that couldn’t wait, or caught in the churn of teenage life. When the kids finally went to sleep. she handled the stress the way many people do: too much coffee and binging mindless reality TV.
But over the past few months, the pressure intensified. One of her children was dealing with a serious medical issue. and deadlines meant she was working longer hours. even later into the night. Summer was also looming—something she looked forward to in theory. even as it brought dread about having even less time to do everything that needed doing.
Nothing she tried made the stress budge. She went back and forth with familiar fixes like going to bed earlier, deep breathing, taking walks outside, and saying “no” more often. She even tried to force it into her routine, but daily life kept swallowing the effort.
The moment her husband noticed it, the signs were almost comical. She wore a dress inside out for an entire day. A few days later, she left the house with a shirt on backward. To her husband. it wasn’t a fashion mishap—it was proof she was barely holding it together. moving through the motions and rushing obligation to obligation while trying to keep the house running.
That’s when her husband suggested she take a few days away to reset. She wasn’t sure how she could fit time away into her schedule, but she decided she would make it happen.
She picked a destination that wasn’t just a getaway—it was personal. Although she frequently travels with her children, she rarely plans a trip based solely on her own interests and desires. This time, she planned it around connecting with her roots, exploring pop culture, and getting “unparalleled relaxation.”.
Far from her home in Washington, DC, she chose a three-day trip to Romania. The country pulled her in for family reasons: her grandmother immigrated to the United States from Romania. Romania also offered her a second. more immediate draw—she is a huge fan of horror and wanted to see Transylvania. There was even a practical reason she was excited to go: it is home to Europe’s largest bathhouse. where she planned to do serious relaxing.
Planning the trip felt indulgent, but she needed it.
During those three days. she described herself as sleeping in and spending hours at a coffee shop. sipping a caffeinated drink made with locally grown cherries. Even though she still worked during the trip. having unlimited time to herself let her rediscover joy in her job instead of feeling like she was constantly racing to finish one task before moving to the next.
The reset also came from stepping into the old-world country her grandmother once lived in. She watched traditional Romanian dancers at a restaurant dating back to 1899—one of the few concrete links to the period her grandmother lived there. Even if it was unlikely her grandmother visited the same restaurant. eating cabbage and other Romanian specialties helped her feel connected to her.
She then spent time in Transylvania, moving through the region in a way that blended tourism with her pop-culture obsession. She wandered through Bran’s Castle. where Dracula is said to have once lived. and she pretended to enroll in Nevermore Academy from Netflix’s “Wednesday” while visiting Cantacuzino Castle. which is the setting for the infamous school for outcasts. She also visited Cantacuzino Castle, where the show “Wednesday” is filmed.
But the most restorative part, she said, was Therme, described as the world’s largest thermal spa. There, she experienced wellness offerings ranging from saunas to mineral baths and thermal waters—all under one roof. She immersed herself in what she calls European bathhouse culture and watched a traditional Afguss performance. an interactive dance performed in a sauna that was unlike anything else she had experienced. In a pink-salt sauna, she felt her mind quiet and slow, forced to put her phone away.
Leaving her family wasn’t easy. Still, she said they were fine without her. The experience gave her the reset she needed and also helped her feel a clearer sense of herself, leading to a newfound commitment to making herself a priority.
Even though she only had three days in Romania, she found the trip effective. Returning with a clear mind and a fresh start, she described the trip as an oxygen-mask lesson she often forgets. Putting her own oxygen mask on first. she said. is something she does too rarely—and it’s not good for her or anyone around her.
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