Joy of Health Vacations

Dear Health Seeker,  

If you are like us, you view travel as a means for discovery, rejuvenation and enrichment. You’re curious to go off the beaten path.  But traveling far from home for a healing therapy you know little about is understandably a stretch.  So we’d like to introduce ourselves and how we came to value these spas enough to want to spread the word. 

Kathleen and I have both had long careers as front line health care providers. I’m a pharmacist and herbalist, Kathleen an acupuncturist, coach and consultant. We’ve spent many years working with clients, teaching, writing, coaching, always looking for natural healing methods that work, and yet that make sense for 21st century lifestyles. When we discovered this wonderful treasure we knew we had to bring it to you.  

As a pharmacist I’m concerned how drugs have become an all too easy first response for so many health problems. Did you know that drug side effects are a leading cause of hospital admissions in the US? Though drugs do have their place, and many are life-saving, anti- inflammatories - the mainstay of pain relief for arthritic conditions - can have serious gastric and cardiac side effects for people who take them.  Moreover, they  do nothing to treat underlying disease but only mask the symptoms! 

As a pharmacist, I am particularly committed to finding non-drug solutions that work. When Kathleen introduced me to the long tradition of using natural methods to treat these same conditions, I knew I had to investigate. One of my first questions was why these methods aren't available in the US?  Well, the short answer is, they were. 

Hot Spring Spas in the US

For about 100 years, until the mid 1900s, bathing in hot springs was considered de riguer, not only as leisure for the elite, but also for its rejuvenating and therapeutic value. Saratoga Springs, emulating the best spas in Europe, became the largest government health facility in the country, and among the largest and best equipped spa in the world, with over 4,500 daily visitors. Other well-known spas included Warm Springs in Georgia, Calistoga Springs in California, and Berkely Springs in West Virginia.  Every summer thousands of city dwellers boarded steam trains and converged on spa towns all over America to enjoy several weeks of healing, entertainment and relaxation.

So what happened? Alas, our modern world.  Post World War II brought the discovery of the "magic bullet" drugs. Simply put, the "slow medicine" of healing springs, rest and rejuvenation came to be considered old fashioned, and “taking the waters” was discarded as a relic of our primitive past.

Modern Facilities in Europe and Japan Continued to Develop 

Older societies, like Europe and Japan, always sought to build on existing traditions, testing and adding to them with new discoveries. They remain committed to two beliefs: that rest itself is essential to rejuvenation,  and that working with the body, giving it what it needs, is a surer way to ensure a long, healthy and active life. To that end, state of the art medical facilities are seamlessly integrated into spas as a place to relax and just enjoy life.

So Come On In - The Water’s Fine!

Kathleen, an American ex-pat, will meet you to help you get oriented to the spa, to the things to do and places to eat and explore in beautiful Budapest and its surroundings. I am here stateside to answer your questions, talk about medical records, health conditions, or any concerns you might have.  I'll take your reservation, send your welcome packet and wish you a safe journey!

To your  Joy of Health! 

Jennifer Montgomery

1-817- 736 3015

Dear Traveler, 

Welcome from Budapest!  Though I'm pictured here enjoying the Adriatic resort of Opatija, Croatia, one of the joys of Budapest is its close proximity to beautiful landscapes. The sea, the Alps for hiking and skiing, the rich capitals of Austro-Hungarian Europe - Vienna, Prague, and Ljubljana, to name a few - and centuries of  history concentrated in Central and Eastern Europe.

One of the first things I always looked forward to over years of travel here to visit family, was my ritual visit to a favorite hot spring spa. (They're called thermal baths here).  Usually within 24 hours after arriving, I'd be soaking, eyes closed, in a pool of warm water, under the soaring cupola of a 19th century mosaic tile covered bath with the pleasant din of peoples' voices echoing around me.  Alternating with hot steam, cool showers and rest, three hours later I'd be light as a feather, drained of all vestiges of tension and fatigue, and ready to enjoy my visit. I am quite convinced there is, bar none, no better remedy for jet lag.

The Joy of Health

Something that’s often struck me about peoples’ use of spas in Europe is that it’s not necessarily about "getting away from it all"  for a week or two in an oasis of quiet and tranquility. Here, spa - or wellness  - vacations are a way of being better able to enter into and enjoy life with ease. People visit beautiful spas in well-known regions or cities so they can hike and explore the countryside or nearby towns, try a local cuisine, or attend a concert or performance.  They come together with extended families or friends.  Women’s clubs plan semi-annual spa visits together. It’s not an either/ or type of experience - it's both at the same time - an active rest, one that nourishes the soul, and rejuvenates every facet of one’s being, to include community.

I've long wanted to share this treasure and am delighted that Jennifer shares my passion for it. 

Coming Online  

Though Hungary is gifted with more thermal water than any country in the world, countries in the surrounding region have also succeeded in preserving their traditions of using their waters as a 'cure' as well as a way of life.  Indeed, we are actively seeking to bring new health vacations online by exploring other spas in the region. It is tough work, but we are happy to do it!  If you are interested in a health vacation in Austria, Croatia, Turkey, or Italy, let us know, and we can help to arrange it for you. 

Very dear to my heart are hiking and spa vacations, especially in Austria. We can arrange guided or self-guided tours. I also lead Women's Wellness retreats that include yoga, meditation and coaching on different aspects of self-care from the perspective of Chinese medicine. If you'd like to plan a group retreat, let's talk about it. 

You may know that Hungary is a world destination for quality low cost dental work.  We’ll have a page up about it soon, but meantime ask us to arrange it for you.  We can package it into your trip, set up your consultation for you, and I will make sure you have a positive experience.

In the Flow

With Hungary's rich heritage of thermal waters, I’m not at all surprised that it was a Hungarian, University of Chicago professor and positive psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihaly who coined the word "flow." Akin to a peak experience, he describes it as the feeling of being fully involved, energized and aligned in the moment. For us, this perfectly grasps the feeling of  aliveness while engaged in the business of your daily life that is the goal of a Joy of Health Vacation experience.

Bon voyage! 

Kathleen Daniel

info@joyofhealthvacations.com