My Real-Life Travel Routine
Jul 17, 2025
Every time I travel, I get this mix of joy and dread. Joy—because I love traveling. Dread—because everything that keeps me sane and grounded at home flies out the window the second I board that plane.
This summer, I travel internationally with my third grader. That means:
24 hours of travel one-way.
11-hour time difference
No regular anchors—no gym, no kitchen, no routines
And a kid who’s wide awake at 2am.
I'm not trying to recreate my usual wellness routine abroad—that’s unrealistic. My goal is to preserve what I could, be flexible enough to adapt, and use the disruption as a chance to rethink some of the habits I wasn’t happy with anyway.
Here’s how I'm going to approach sleep, food, movement, and self-care—on the road, in real life.
1. Sleep – Outsmarting Jet Lag (or at least trying)
Jet lag is a beast. I knew I couldn’t beat it, but I could outsmart it a little. I plan on shifting our sleep schedule by about an hour each day before the trip—not perfect, but better than nothing.
On the flight, I will follow destination time as closely as possible:
Sleeping when it was night there
Eating at their meal times
Using the layover to walk/stretch
And once we landed (thankfully in the evening), we aimed to crash immediately
I'll also make sure our sleeping setup was solid from day one:
No clutter. Consistent bedtime. And if I woke up too early? No scrolling—just a calm reset and back to bed.
2. Food – Joy without regret
Traveling home to see family means a lot of eating. Food is how we reconnect. It’s love on a plate.
But I also don’t want to feel like a sluggish version of myself the whole trip.
So I made a few deals with myself:
Stay hydrated on the plane and eat light
Maximize seasonal produce at the destination (hello, garden cucumbers and strawberries!)
Enjoy nostalgic foods—but plan around them instead of spiraling
Suggest walks or park hangs with friends instead of just restaurant meals
Slow down. Actually taste things. And check in with my body before, during, and after meals
3. Movement – Flexible but non-negotiable
I don’t move daily for weight or aesthetic reasons. I do it for my mood, focus, and sleep. So I came prepared.
At my parents’ place, I had:
A TRX
Light weights
A step platform
A stationary bike
I brought:
Running shoes
A resistance band
Climbing shoes (just in case)
And I planned for:
Walks with family/friends
Exploring on foot
Morning runs
Yoga
A few no-equipment bodyweight circuits
It didn’t have to be perfect. It just had to happen.
4. Self-Care – The often-neglected lifeline
This one’s always tricky during travel. But I made space for a few key things:
Midday meditation – even if it was just 5 minutes
Reading – just for fun. Not learning. Not business.
Alone time – even 10 minutes of “nobody needs me right now” could make a huge difference
Final Thoughts
The trip isn't going to be perfect. I will likely eat too much some days. Or miss a few workouts. I may get cranky after three nights of bad sleep. But I will bounce back—faster than I used to. Because I have a plan and systems in place.
Wellness isn’t about rigid routines. It’s about creating stability in the middle of chaos.
If you’re trying to travel without losing yourself, I see you. And if you want help building routines that can travel with you—reach out. I’d love to support you.