Happy New Year fam!

Do you know what today is…? (in my best Tony Toni Toné voice) It’s my anniversary. My one year blogging anniversary to be exact. One year ago this week, I hit publish on my very first blog post for Brown Lady Travels.

50+ posts later, I’m still at it. Learning as I go and setting goals along the way. This year, I’m excited to try some new things and discover new places. More perfect bites, perfect beaches and epic moments with family and friends. Maybe even a solo adventure- we shall see. To kick off the new year, I’m taking a moment to encourage you (and myself) to take care of ourselves as we move around the world. With that in mind, here are a few ways you can join me in staying healthy while traveling, this year and beyond.

1. Go Green

Before you arrive at your destination, do a quick Google search to find a few healthy food options within walking distance of where you’ll be staying. This strategy has saved me more than once when traveling for work. Don’t wait until you’re starving to think about where to eat- that won’t end well. Do a little food recon around your hotel/rental. If you’ve visited the blog before, you already know I love to discover new restaurants when I travel, nothing like a good food crawl. That said, when I’m a little fluffy after the holiday season or a few too many happy hours, I try not to fall off the wagon when I travel for work.

I’m looking for quinoa and kale, instead of po boys and margaritas.  Beets instead of burgers. That may sound sad… definitely not as much fun.  Who knows, maybe I’ll discover an amazingly yummy Impossible burger along the way. Either way, it’s a temporary reboot. Soul Beach Music Fest and bikini season are right around the corner!

2. Pack your sneaks

Just like at home, you have to build exercise into your travel plans. That starts before you even leave home- pack your workout clothes. If your hotel has a gym take advantage. If not, take walks, hike, use an app like Sworkit or check out a class at a local studio.

3. Be your own snack mom

While in some places it’s gotten better, airport food is usually trash. Food on the actual airplane is even worse. Give yourself a fighting chance and pack healthy snacks to get you through long travel days. Protein bars, nuts and fruit are all good options (though you’ll have to save the fruit for domestic trips). My friend TK is the resident snack mom for all our girls trips. We can always count on her to have a snack bag- often complete with sandwiches. This year, I’m going to do my best to channel my inner snack mom to keep me healthy during my solo trips.

4. Mix it up

Free Wifi at the hotel? Use it! Find a new yoga workout on Amazon prime or YouTube to try in your hotel room. If your vacation rental includes bikes, go for a ride. Explore your new neighborhood, go window shopping, take a stroll to dinner. Sitting in confined spaces while traveling can leave your muscles tight and sore; do your best to get some movement into your day.

5. Take along some comforts from home

Travel takes you out of your element, which can be fun and exciting. It can also be hard on your body. Sleeping in unfamiliar beds with strange pillows, lugging heavy bags, squeezing in small spaces on planes and trains. Try to bring some of the comforts of home along with you. Your favorite tea, a satin sleep mask, a comfy travel blanket- small things that pack easily and can make all the difference.

6. Keep the cooties away

Not to be dramatic but nearly every movie I’ve seen about disease outbreaks involves an airport or people fresh off a plane. Give your immune system a boost with a supplement (like Emergen-C or Airborne) and carry sanitizing wipes to wipe down your area on the plane and surfaces in your hotel room. Breathing recycled air for hours on a plane surrounded by coughing travelers, crowded airports, public transportation… save yourself from picking up bugs along the way. Get in the habit of taking an Emergen-C or Airborne, as part of your prep for airplane travel.

7. When in Rome…

Get on the local schedule ASAP. If you touch down at lunch time, grab a bite to eat. If you get in early in the morning off a red-eye, try to stay up and make it through the day, instead of heading to the hotel to crash. Adjusting to the local time right away can help you combat jet lag during and after your trip. You also don’t want to sleep through all the daylight hours on your first trip to Paris. Take it slow and gently ease into your new surroundings.

8. Hydrate

Drinking water is always important and a good idea- increasingly so when you travel. Few things will dehydrate you more than airplane travel. Pack a water bottle or buy one after you pass security at the airport. Focus on your water intake especially on travel days. If you can, save the alcohol for your destination instead of the airport bar or the plane.

9. Get some sleep

You know the phrase, “I’ll sleep when I’m dead“? Yea, we’re not doing that. Sleep. Shut it down for at least 6 hours (I prefer 8 or 9), your mind and body will thank you. Don’t wander through your trips like a zombie, determined to see everything, stressing over a packed itinerary. On my first trip to Paris, I ate some of the best food of my life. I made it to the Eiffel Tower but missed the Louvre. I wouldn’t change a thing; now I have something amazing to look forward to on my next trip. Slow down and let your body recharge. Naps count too. Kindergarteners have the world completely figured out. Nap, snack and play.

Travel is so much more fun when we are healthy, vibrant and well. Here’s to a wonderful year ahead for us all. Happy travels!