I love spending time with my friends, but it's hard to catch up in a loud restaurant or bar. Enter: saunas.

The author says going to saunas with friends is now her preferred social activity.

Courtesy of Jamie Davis Smith Time with my friends is precious, and I never feel like I can truly catch up in a restaurant or bar.

I started going to saunas with friends, and it's much more relaxing.

Now, it's my preferred social activity.

As a working mom of four, I have limited and precious time with friends.

For years, I typically met friends for brunch or coffee, and the occasional Mom's Night Out.

By default, these get-togethers always felt rushed.

Even a long, lingering brunch rarely lasted much more than an hour.

At most restaurants, the constant din of conversation and utensils clanging against porcelain dishes made it difficult for me to truly relax and have a heart-to-heart.

Yet, there didn't seem to be a viable alternative, so I stuck with the status quo.

Things changed when I realized I could access European-style sauna culture in the United States.

Travel showed me a different way to socialize As a dual citizen , I travel to Europe frequently.

I've known about European sauna culture my entire life.

As a child, my grandfather would often disappear to the local bathhouse, which he called "the schvitz." He talked about the perceived health benefits of going to saunas regularly, but even as a young child, I could tell the real appeal was spending time with friends since he rarely went to the schvitz alone.