My Quest for the Nearest Sweat Lodge

Alright, so the other day, I got this real urge, you know? Just felt like I needed a proper good sweat. My muscles were all achy, and I figured a sauna session would do the trick. It’s funny how sometimes your body just tells you what it needs. And mine was screaming “HEAT!”

So, first thing I did, I grabbed my phone. That’s the go-to move these days for pretty much anything, isn’t it? I could’ve fired up the old laptop, but the phone just felt easier for a quick search. I wasn’t looking to write a dissertation on saunas, just find one close by. I tapped on my usual map app – the one that hasn’t led me into a lake yet, mostly.

I typed in something like “sauna near me” or maybe “closest jjimjilbang,” though I was really just after a basic sauna. Hit that search button and waited. A whole bunch of pins popped up on the map. Some were clearly attached to fancy gyms, and I wasn’t in the mood to dodge a sales pitch for a membership I had no intention of buying. Absolutely not. I just wanted to get in, sweat, and get out. No fuss.

So I started going through the list, one by one.

• One place looked super swanky, the kind where they probably charge you for breathing the air. Nah, not for me.
• Another had a couple of reviews that made me pause. Things like “kinda dirty” or “towels felt a bit damp.” Yikes. Pass.
• Then there was one that was like, way across town. Defeats the purpose of “nearest,” doesn’t it? I wasn’t planning a whole day trip.

I kept scrolling, tapping, reading snippets. You gotta do your due diligence, even for a sauna, right? Then, I spotted one. The name was simple, no fancy frills. It looked like it was about a 10, maybe 15-minute drive away. That seemed reasonable. I tapped on it to get more details. Looked at the pictures – seemed clean enough, pretty basic, which was fine by me. I quickly checked the opening hours. Nothing worse than showing up to a locked door, especially when you’re all geared up for a steam.

I decided, okay, this is the one. It felt like the path of least resistance. I didn’t even bother calling them. Just thought, “Let’s just go check it out.” I threw on some loose clothes, grabbed my own towel – always a good idea, some places charge extra for that stuff, you know how it is. Little things.

Hopped in my car, punched the address into the GPS lady, and off I went. Finding it was pretty straightforward, no weird detours. Parked the car, walked in. It was pretty much what I expected. Not a palace, but it was warm, the sauna was hot, and it did the job. I sat in there, sweated out all the stress, and felt a whole lot better afterwards. Sometimes it’s just about finding that one simple spot that works. And now, I know exactly where my closest sweat escape is. Mission accomplished.