Travel Advice (and Notes) From North Carolina
I grew up in one city, but I’ve traveled to many countries and grew up in an Asian culture, meaning I don’t always feel like I’ve grown up in Arkansas only. I feel like I have the best of both worlds: I have the community feel of a smaller city that I love and I have met and became friends with so many people from all over the world. I always talk about my 4 pillars of health being nutrition, movement, meditation, and community. You can have all former 3, but if you don’t have community, you don’t have anything.
All of that being said, I love traveling. It never made me anxious, but would definitely knock me out of my routine. I’ve never been to North Carolina before, so I was happy to travel there with my boyfriend to visit his sister during milestone achievement at Duke University. The campus was stunning, and so was the company. I feel grateful to be surrounded by love (always), but that’s also because I choose to see it that way.
I always take many things away from a trip, but here are some of my mental notes and life thoughts from NC. I included my supplement list that I’m currently taking, travel advice, and just life advice that carries over into life even when you’re not traveling, so I hope they inspire you. Xo.
Your situation, no matter what, is always what you make it. Whenever I used to go into work at the hospital, I used to think I was going to have a bad day before I even had it, which set me up for a bad day. It’s not that I thought that on this trip, I just thought about the concept of it. If you feel like something is going to be bad, it will. If you go into situations that aren’t necessarily what you want with the mindset that you’re learning something, that you’re loved, supported, and receiving from the universe, you will be. It all starts in the mind.
Routine can be found anywhere. I’m a minimalist by nature and don’t need much, but I know that one thing I can carry on board the plane and in every hotel, airbnb, or home I go into is my motivation, my optimistic mindset, and my structure routine. One of my August intentions was to finish reading the 5 AM club (and I’m almost through!), and Robin Sharma goes into detail about the importance of morning routines. No matter where I am or who I’m with, I stick to a routine as much as possible. Even if that means I have to get up earlier, I find that sticking to my routine helps me to not feel out of balance when I get back. Same practices, just a different location. That signals the brain to somewhat of normalcy, even if you’re not at home or in the same environment. The fact I still got up somewhat early to move my body for 20-30 minutes, that I meditated in the morning (and even once in the afternoon) and kept to my intentions and goals like reading, working on some things, etc., I didn’t feel overwhelmed with work when I got back. It’s amazing what a consistent routine will do.
Supplements. Also key to traveling is a night time routine. Currently, I take Momentus Magnesium L-Threonate at night, Athletic Greens sometime before I break my fast, Milk Thistle for detoxing as I’m currently working to support my liver, and Athletic Greens Vitamin D. Taking those at night before bed also helped to signal my brain to a calm state.
Find healthy restaurants. Always look for healthy proteins, good fats, fiber, greens, and options with healthy fruits and vegetables.
Deep breaths at the airport. My boyfriend and I didn’t have clothes as we lost our luggage, we were rushed, crammed, and all the things you can think of when traveling. However, it’s in those moments that you take a deep breath and take the meditation off of the mat. Nobody is going to benefit from an angry, anxious state. You just take a deep breath, do what you can, and accept what is. That’s not just for almost missing a connecting flight, that’s in any stressor of life. Daily meditation helps so much with that (I swear by it, you guys).
Who you travel with is everything, and how you travel is important. I have been fortunate enough to take several vacations in my life, some great, some not great. I have found that jam-packing a schedule so full isn’t the best way to go. Have time in your day to rest and unwind, just like you would at home, even if you’re doing all fun things. This leads to me being able to come home on a Wednesday and not feel totally wiped. It also matters who you’re traveling with. Set boundaries if you need to, but if someone pressures you or makes you feel guilty for needing to take a nap, work a little, or squeeze in a little meditation, those people are not people you want to pull a seat up and your table. I feel so grateful to have traveled this trip with amazing people who love and accept your routine as you need it to be. Those are the people you travel with, I’m just lucky that that happens to be my family.
Happy traveling, happy wellness. 🤍 Comment below and tell me what YOU do to keep up with your #wellness when traveling. For more, read my 12 Tips for Staying in Routine While Traveling from a trip to New Hampshire, or my Notes from Denver on a similar topic. ✨
Xo,
B
