let's face it traveling can be a roller coaster
of emotions whether it's a bustling airport full of people or the road that is packed with traffic
in today's episode I'm going to be unpacking the gamechanging tips to help you enjoy your vacation
from start to finish the key to a stressfree vacation starts with preparation and it engages in
the concept of mindset so making sure that you are packed with the tools that are going to support
you on your trip from the beginning the middle and the
end join me as we uncover the mindfulness
techniques uncover the hidden gems of finding calm and peace in the process and discover how to turn
your travels into a transformative experience this episode is inspired by my own personal journey I
never realized how much chaos I would feel when traveling and a lot of the times I would set a
plan in motion I would do the preparation and then things don't go according to plan or I just
didn't realize that my emotional regulation needed to be at t
he Forefront in the process of these
trips I had some really scary experiences the last few years where I could tell that my stress
levels were at its peak and my body was telling me it couldn't handle it anymore and I don't want
other people to have the same experience so I'm going to tell you the tips and tricks I've packed
along the way way to help me be more present with myself and my family and whoever I'm traveling
with so whether you're a frequent flyer or a weekend Wanderer it's tim
e for you to uncover
the hidden gems amongst the chaos get ready to unlock the stress-free travel and embark on your
next adventure with confidence let's dive in the first place we want to start of course is planning
ahead this is where we want to get an idea of the destination what we're looking for in a trip is
it going to be with other people family friends are we going on a solo trip Begin by researching
your destination what the accommodations could look like and even learning about th
e culture of
the area that you're going to the travel that is necessary to get around so that you avoid any last
minute hassles with these specifications also once you have your destination in mind it's important
to start a checklist of the things that you're going to need on this trip are you staying in a
hotel are you staying in an Airbnb and it would be nice to get the necessary items from a local
store one thing that has changed the game for me when I travel with my children is that I'v
e made
a checklist I've laminated it so that we can use a marker to wipe it off and we sit down and we
talk about what items we need how many and then they take their checklist and they go pack for
themselves my children right now at this time of recording are five and my daughter's about to
turn8 this is something that I'm teaching teaching them that it is their responsibility to pack for
themselves double check their list and make sure that everything they need on this trip will be
packe
d for the list I've created can go with any type of trip there's places that we can fill in
for any extra items that a certain trip may need this is helped take the planning preparation
part and allowed my kids to be involved in the action and it's setting them up for success for
their future so that they know how to pack for themselves when they go on a trip and of course
I double check their list and make sure all the things they need are in there but as we have
progressed in this progres
s they are getting really good at this because we are practicing
this muscle of preparing for their own trips number two pack smart and light I found a lot of
the times I get overwhelmed when I am overwhelmed with stuff around me so I'm making sure that I am
only bringing the things that I truly need I used to be one of those people pack just in case and a
lot of times it's just harder to find and things get lost this is where we opt for versatile
clothing and consider a capsule closet when
packing another aspect that I love doing is that
I have a specific toiletry bag that is usually packed to go at the drop of a dime now every few
months I will have to refill items and make sure that I have the specific things in mind but this
toiletry bag is always packed and it fits easily and nicely into my bag I also do the same thing
for the children making sure that the items they need are in travel size I like to keep things
compact when we're traveling you will never catch me packin
g a full-size product unless for
some reason I'm going on a really long trip when packing every ounce counts another aspect is
considering in a lightweight durable luggage I made this mistake when I went to Switzerland I
opted for a bag that we already had while it's a very well-known brand it is definitely not the
most lightweight piece of luggage that I had and we were dragging our luggage across a whole
country and so that's something that I regret I have upgraded at least my carry-on si
nce then and
I hope in the next few months that I can add more versatile lightweight luggage for our future
travels another thing I was gifted a really amazing bag called a Bento bag and it's been super
helpful because it does fit underneath the seat in front of me if I'm on an airplane I can pack
clothing I can pack my electronics and it's just been a very versatile bag that supports me in a
lot of my travels whether I'm going on a plane or I'm going in a car so I am so lucky and I'm so
t
hankful that I won this beautiful bag that has been so helpful in my travels number three is my
love language and it's about staying organiz ized if your bags and the things that you're taking
with you feel like chaos you will also feel like chaos it's a reflection of your internal world
so try and find a system that's going to help you stay organized through the process of traveling
so think of things like important documentation whether you need passports itineraries and make
sure they're
in accessible location so that you're not searching for things last minute then leaving
you to feel like your things are out of reach you also need to make sure that these important
documents are in a secure location as well we want to make sure your purse isn't flopping
open and that you have these things secured so they're not going to fall out because nothing's
worse than losing something while you're on a trip another aspect of staying organized is I love
packing cubes I will put my un
dergarments in one I will make sure that my children's clothes are in
their own packing cubes and like I said before my toiletries and those items are also packed in
separate bags this way when you get to a hotel or wherever you're staying you take them out and
you put them right in the drawer and they stay organized in the drawer as well if you feel
like your trip feels chaotic consider ways to make your stuff more organized along the way I'm
all about using things to separate them so that
I'm not searching for these socks or this shirt
another way that you can stay organized on your trip is using apps that help you in the process
there's such thing as travel apps organizational apps that help you keep your checklists available
I'm a big fan of planning digitally and that way I can plan on my iPad I usually travel with my iPad
but I can access these itineraries on my phone so they're always at my fingertips you always want
to make sure that you have a map that's accessible t
hat you don't need the internet to access so
whether you take a screenshot whether you print it out on paper making sure that when things go
arai you can still be able to go where you need to go contact the companies that you're not left
so you can use a notebook and travel with that and write down all your itinerary ideas and making
sure that someone else in your party also has access to these in case your phone dies while in
the midst of traveling number four is practicing mindfulness thi
s has been something that I've had
to implement in our strategy for traveling because there was a trip that ultimately my nervous
system my body started to overwhelm I started to get really sick and I wasn't sure what to do
and I realized that my cortisol levels probably spiked in the process because I was so worried
about things falling into place I am really good about mindfulness and my day-to-day activities and
I was forgetting to incorporate when I travel and my stress cannot handle it
so I make sure that
I have a few moments before we get on the road to be able to Center myself or even when we get to
the airport I take a few minutes by myself do some breathing meditation whatever it is to help calm
my nervous system because I'm usually overwhelmed when it comes to travel so if you have specific
breath work or visualizations meditations make sure you save them to your phone so that you can
access them easily it's in the times where we're overwhelmed and we don't know wha
t to do that
these are the times that we need it the most I do have an episode coming out in the next few
weeks about how to calm the emotional regulation between a parent and a child and I think this
is going to be a beautiful thing that I'm going to have accessible when I'm traveling to help me
and my children so stay tuned for that one of the aspects when was traveling was I couldn't stay in
the present moment I would be overwhelmed of what would be happening in the future or I would be
thinking about how we could have done something differently that caused the emotional Uprising
these tools that I'm implementing in my travel have allowed me to stay present in the moment
because one of the things that I used to do was while we were traveling I would start to talk
to my husband about the next trip or the next thing with his Taurus Earth Energy he grounds
me in the present moment and it's all about the journey getting there it's about the moments in
the airport it's about t
he road trip in the views that you see along the way it is not about getting
to the destination because if all you're worried about is getting to the destination you will be
overwhelmed you will not be able to enjoy the moment because the journey is usually where those
special moments lie in it's about that random gas station or seeing a Corky couple in the airport
those are the memories that usually come forth so how can we stay present in the moment other
activities that promote mindfulne
ss are journaling being able to take a walk and focusing on your
steps think about what tools you have with you and be able to utilize what you have instead of
wishing you could be somewhere else yes I'm sure in a nice quiet Forest you can meditate you don't
have that opportunity while you're in an airport so how can you find that mindfulness being able
to come back to yourself in a way that you feel safe and supported in the process you have to use
the tools that you have at your fingertip
s number five has been my biggest life lesson and that
is staying flexible when we realize that there will be unforeseen circumstances in our travel
and we can adopt this flexible mindset it will allow us to be supported in the process this
is maybe where we need to have a backup plan for transportation accomodations and activities
we can never guess what the weather is or these things that come at us last minute and so if we
can approach these challenges with a positive attitude and adapt
accordingly this will benefit
us in any situation I've actually found that when things don't work out as planned they end up
being even better than expected so sometimes if we can look at and say oh this isn't going as
planned what is better in store for us or seeing a lesson in the process it can help support us to
not get set in our ways with a certain vision of what it should look like and being more adaptable
in the process and I'm not going to lie one of my husband's strongest strength
s is being adaptable
so this isn't something that I've learned along the way on my own it's him showing me on how to be
adaptable so sometimes it's finding the network of people to teach us something that we don't really
know how to do on our own staying hydrated and nourished is super important while we're traveling
nothing's worse than feeling depleted or that our body isn't being cared for in the process so make
sure that you drink plenty of water if you're going somewhere where you don'
t feel safe enough
to drink the water is there a way that you can purchase water along the way something that has
helped my husband and I when we travel when it's driving distance is we have this water filter
called a berky we have it in the travel size we keep it in our house when we're home and then
when we go to somewhere with a hotel or staying at someone else's house where we're going to be for
a few days we always pack the berky to make sure that we have water accessible whenever we n
eed
it and when you don't stay hydrated it can really affect your trip another thing that has helped me
when traveling when staying nourished and hydrated is I use a product called LMN it is an electrolyte
that I add to my water I find that when I drink it before and after a flight it just helps me stay
extra hydrated along the way I also pack Travel of my athletic greens it is something that I drink
daily I very rarely miss a day when drinking it so this is something important for when I t
ravel
because I want to stay hydrated and nourished to the maximum potential another aspect is packing
healthy snacks for me and my children I need to make sure that I am getting things that are going
to help give me the protein and the fat while I'm traveling because it's so easy to go grab a burger
and fries but when we consume that along a whole trip it's going to bog us down and affect our
energy so if we're in a car we usually do pack a cooler of maybe some cheese some yogurt cucumbers
things that we can eat along the way maybe some sort of fruit like strawberries or apples when
traveling on an airplane it is not as easy but I do go through and pick things that my children
and that I will be able to eat and snack along the way so we're not eating fast food on our whole
trip consider any sort of dietary restrictions when traveling and think about that when you are
making Reser ations for restaurants or you're just outside of your comfort zone because you usually
have acc
ess to your regular food at your house and when traveling it's not as easy so think about
this ahead of time when Planning number seven is super important and that is taking breaks and
allowing rest throughout your trip we eventually want to take our kids to Disney World and a lot
of people are like you know get the 5-day pass and just pack it all in my family and I that
is not our Jam we need rest I don't want me or my children having an emotional meltdown because
we are overwhelmed by the
people the sounds all of it around us that is overwhelming to us so
building breaks and rest throughout the day is super important because energetically no one is
their best self when they are overwhelmed by the environment around them anytime we travel I make
sure that there is some restful moments for me and my family because the over stimulation is usually
what allows for these meltdowns to come in as an adult or even a child I can't tell you how many
times I've seen an adult lose their
mind on a trip because they're overwhelmed and I think something
that has come along the way is honoring when our bodies are telling us we can't push through we
need to make sure that we sit and we nourish ourselves in the process it can just be a short
break to stretch or sit take some deep breaths have a visualization whatever allows you to
rejuvenate yourself and your energy it's important to incorporate that every single day while you're
traveling the itinerary can be pushed aside for
a few minutes because if you shove a whole bunch of
stuff into your day and you're overwhelmed you are not going to enjoy it and it's going to be a waste
of time energy and money it's also important if you are in an airplane or you're driving in a car
for long periods of time to move your body so that you avoid any sort of muscle strain or stiffness
while on your trip no one wants to hit up the doctor or the hospital while they're traveling
so make sure that you focus on moving your body in
a way that feels good to you you also have to
prioritize sleep you can't be going to bed late and getting up early and expecting to run on a 100
the whole time so try to incorporate some sort of bedtime routine to allow yourselves to wind down
from the energy from the day I know that can't be implemented through throughout the whole trip but
making sure that there's a few days within your trip that sleep is your priority and making sure
you're rested number eight staying connected this tri
p is about you it's about the people that are
with you if you are going with other people and so making sure you're staying Connected Mind Body and
Soul that means communicating your expectations of something that you maybe want to do or if you need
a little bit more rest or if you want an activity Incorporated into your day especially if it's
a group dynamic it's also important to include the group energetics some people can be energized
throughout the whole day other people need rest and
relaxation throughout their day and so making
sure that your expectations are matched with other people's expectations so there isn't any sort of
resentment or energetic depletion in the process this also means communicating your whereabouts
for your itinerary say a group of people want to go here and another group wants to go there if
something changes it's making sure that you are communicating when things change so people aren't
left in the worry or wonder about your whereabouts this als
o keeps everybody safe in the process
another aspect is making sure you have the right technology to be able to communicate with each
other I know some people if they go on a cruise they bring walkie-talkies since not everybody uses
their phone while traveling and it's making sure that if you're doing an event or an activity where
phones need to be turned off communicating that with the people who may not be able to get a hold
of you something else that we do when we travel with our kids es
pecially in a busy crowded area is
looking for a meeting spot if someone gets lost so that if we can't communicate with each other we
can come back and meet at a central location this something might not fit for everyone but something
that I have found is I actually don't share my whereabouts with social media while traveling
as a safety issue I want to be able to enjoy the moment it's something that I want to share
with my community but I want to make sure that I am home and safe before I
share my whereabouts
with other people this is an optional opinion this is just something that you can think about
when you are traveling and take it or leave it it also doesn't mean that you don't get to document
your trip along the way I think it's important to document the memories and the pictures so that can
look back and experience these memories all over again number nine is embracing spontaneity and I
feel like this is something that I have learned along the way it is not something
that comes to
me by Nature again my husband is something that really has helped me embrace this and I found
the things that aren't planned ahead of time end up being a really beautiful experience this
just means not having your itinerary filled to the max it's allowing you to be able to dabble a
little bit in something that may come up to you last minute maybe in your research you didn't find
or someone local suggested it to you so allowing there to be a day or an afternoon for you to just
go with the flow and see where the world takes you this is an opportunity for you to say yes to new
experiences and Adventures this could be trying new food this could be trying new activities and
even finding hidden Gems or chatting it up with some locals when you experience the unexpected
it allows you to be surprised in the beauty of travel and allowing these beautiful experiences to
come to you versus planning them or trying to find them ahead of time the last one is probably one
of th
e most important reflect and recharge this is an opportunity especially if you are new to
my content I encourage you to learn about your not self theme in human design and your signature
what this means is your not self theme is a time for you to reflect on what you're doing how are
you forcing your energy into something that is making you feel frustrated or bitter and then
the signature is where you feel in alignment you are satisfied you feel free you feel at
peace so allowing yourself to
take a step back when you're feeling these not great emotions and
saying am I forcing something am I trying to make something happen that isn't meant to be it's also
saying that I Feel So Satisfied I feel at peace I want to cultivate more of these experiences in my
travel so it's important for you to take time to reflect on your travel experiences and appreciate
the memories that you're making with yourself your family your friends whoever you're traveling with
it's also super important to
practice gratitude while you're in the experience the privilege of
being able to travel and have these experiences a lot of people don't get and so making sure
that you are grateful in the process for the opportunity that you have in your travels and
lastly making sure that you are incorporating self-care throughout your whole trip this could
be meditation relaxation massages a leisurely walk anything that's going to help you rejuvenate
your mind body and soul is super important in the fac
t of nourishing yourself in the process of
this trip you want to make sure that you are left rejuvenated after a trip even if it's to
Disney Worlds because so many people come back from a trip feeling like they need a vacation
from their vacation but I bet if you implement these strategies into your next vacation you
are going to see the difference in how you felt before you left on that trip versus after care
for yourself in the process and you will feel fully fulfilled in your travels I w
ant you to tell
me in the comments which practice you are going to implement first when you travel I want you to
make a checklist and make sure you're touching all these points when you plan your next trip so
that you feel fully rejuvenated no matter what type of trip that you go on I just want to say
how much I appreciate you being here make sure that you're subscribing and sharing my content
with a friend because those are the moments that I truly appreciate among my community so as
we w
rap up this episode remember that hitting the like button sharing my content or leaving a
comment you're not just supporting my community you're actively contributing to the flow of the
seven universal laws together we are cultivating a vibrant flowing stream of positivity and wisdom so
keep writing that Cosmic current keep sharing the love and until our next rendevu stay true to your
unique flow see you in the next adventure we'll chat soon if you want to learn more check the show
notes in
all the links mentioned at ky.com s108
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