NOTE: This podcast was transcribed by an AI tool. Please forgive any typos or errors. [00:00:00] Let's face it, traveling can be a rollercoaster of emotions, whether it's a bustling airport full of people or the road that is packed with traffic. In today's episode, [00:00:12] I'm going to be unpacking the game changing tips to help you enjoy your vacation from start to finish. [00:00:19] The key to a stress free vacation starts with preparation and it engages in the concept of mindset. [00:00:27] 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. [00:00:36] Join me as we uncover the mindfulness techniques, [00:00:39] uncover the hidden gems of finding calm and peace in the process, [00:00:44] 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. [00:01:04] Or, I just didn't realize that my emotional regulation needed to be at the forefront of my life. Um, 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. [00:01:23] 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 to help me be more present with myself and my family and whoever I'm traveling with. [00:01:35] so whether you're a frequent flyer or a weekend wanderer, [00:01:38] it's time for you to uncover the hidden gems amongst the chaos. [00:01:42] get ready to unlock the stress-free travel, [00:01:45] And embark on your next adventure with confidence. Let's dive in. [00:01:50] Planning Ahead --- [00:01:50] 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? [00:02:02] Are we going on a solo trip? [00:02:04] Begin by researching your destination, what the accommodations could look like, and even learning about the culture of the area that you're going to. [00:02:13] the travel that is necessary to get around, [00:02:16] so that you avoid any last minute hassles with these specifications. [00:02:21] 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 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've made a checklist. [00:02:41] 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 turn eight. [00:02:58] This is something that I'm 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 packed 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. [00:03:17] This has 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. [00:03:36] But as we have progressed in this progress, they are getting really good at this, because we are practicing this muscle of preparing for their own trips. [00:03:46] Pack Smart and Light --- [00:03:46] 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. [00:04:05] this is where we opt for versatile clothing and consider a capsule closet when packing. [00:04:11] 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. [00:04:32] 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 packing a full size product unless for some reason I'm going on a really long trip. [00:04:49] 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 the whole country. [00:05:13] And so that's something that I regret. I have upgraded at least my carry on since 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. [00:05:36] 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 am so thankful that I won this beautiful bag that has been so helpful in my travels. [00:05:54] Stay Organized --- [00:05:54] Number three is my love language, and it's about staying organized. 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. [00:06:17] So think of things like important documentation, whether you need passports, itineraries, and make sure they're in an accessible location so that you're not searching for things last minute, then leading you to feel like your things are out of reach. [00:06:32] 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. [00:06:48] Another aspect of staying organized is I love packing cubes. I will put my undergarments in one. I will make sure that my children's clothes are in their own packing cubes and I 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. [00:07:16] 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. [00:07:29] Another way that you can stay organized on your trip is using apps that help you in the [00:07:34] process. [00:07:35] 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. [00:07:54] You always want to make sure that you have a map that's accessible that 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 awry, you can still be able to go where you need to go, contact the companies that you're not left SOL. [00:08:14] 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. [00:08:27] Practice Mindfulness --- [00:08:27] Number four is practicing mindfulness. This 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, 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. [00:08:56] I am really good about mindfulness in 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. [00:09:23] So if you have specific breathwork 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 what to do that these are the times that we need it the most. [00:09:40] I do have an episode coming out in the next few weeks. 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. [00:09:57] One of the aspects when I 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. [00:10:18] 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. [00:10:35] It's about the road trip into the future 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 their journey is usually. where those special moments lie in. [00:10:56] It's about that random gas station or seeing a quirky couple in the airport. Those are the memories that usually come forth. So how can we stay present in the moment? [00:11:09] Other activities that promote mindfulness 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. [00:11:28] 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 fingertips. [00:11:44] Stay Flexible --- [00:11:44] 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. [00:12:02] This is maybe where we need to have a backup plan for transportation, accommodations, and activities. We can never guess what the weather is or these things that come at us last minute. [00:12:14] And so if we can approach these challenges with a positive attitude, [00:12:19] 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, to by https: otter. [00:12:41] ai [00:12:42] 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 strengths 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. [00:13:05] So sometimes it's finding the network of people to teach us something that we don't really know how to [00:13:10] do on our own. [00:13:11] Stay Hydrated and Nourished --- [00:13:11] 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. [00:13:22] 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 Berkey. [00:13:41] 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 Berkey to make sure that we have water accessible whenever we need it. and when you don't stay hydrated, it can really affect your trip. [00:14:00] Another thing that has helped me when traveling when staying nourished and hydrated is I use a product called LMNT. 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. [00:14:23] It is something that I drink daily. I very rarely miss a day when drinking it, so this is something important for when I travel because I want to stay hydrated and nourished to the maximum potential. [00:14:36] 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. [00:14:57] 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. [00:15:22] consider any sort of dietary restrictions when traveling. And think about that when you are making reservations for restaurants or you're just outside of your comfort zone because you usually have access to your regular food at your house. And when traveling, it's not as easy. So think about this ahead of time when planning. [00:15:42] Take Breaks and Rest --- [00:15:42] 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 five day pass and just pack it all in My family and I, that is not our jam. [00:15:59] 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. [00:16:23] Anytime we travel, I make sure that there is some restful moments for me and my family because the overstimulation 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. [00:16:43] 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. [00:16:54] 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. [00:17:22] 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. [00:17:34] 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. [00:17:42] You also have to prioritize sleep. You can't be going to bed late and getting up early and expecting to run on a hundred the whole time. So try to incorporate some sort of bedtime routine to allow yourselves to wind down from the energy from the day. [00:17:57] I know that can't be implemented 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. [00:18:06] Staying Connected --- [00:18:06] Number eight, staying connected. This trip 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. [00:18:29] 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. [00:18:53] 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. [00:19:12] This also keeps everybody safe in the process. [00:19:15] 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. [00:19:37] Something else that we do when we travel with our kids, especially 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. [00:19:52] 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. [00:20:14] This is an optional opinion, This is just something that you can think about. when you are traveling and take it or leave it. [00:20:20] 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 you can look back and experience these memories all over again. [00:20:32] Embracing Spontaneity --- [00:20:32] Number nine is embracing spontaneity, and I feel like this is something that I have learned along the way. It is not that Again, my husband is something 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. [00:21:00] It's allowing you to be able to dabble a little bit in something that may come up to you last minute. And 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. [00:21:20] This is an opportunity for you to say yes to new experiences and adventures. [00:21:26] This could be trying new foods. This could be trying new activities and even finding hidden gems or chatting it up with some locals. [00:21:36] When you experience the unexpected, it allows you to [00:21:40] 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. [00:21:50] Reflect and Recharge --- [00:21:50] The last one is probably one of the 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. [00:22:12] 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. [00:22:27] 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? [00:22:39] It's also saying that I feel so satisfied, I feel at peace, I want to cultivate more of these experiences in my travel. [00:22:48] 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. [00:22:59] 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. [00:23:19] 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 fact of nourishing yourself in the process of this trip. [00:23:41] You want to make sure that you are left rejuvenated after a trip, even if it's to Disney World. 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. [00:24:04] Care for yourself in the process and you will feel fully fulfilled in your travels. [00:24:10] I want 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. [00:24:30] 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. [00:24:39] So as we wrap up this episode, remember that hitting the like button, sharing my content, [00:24:44] 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. [00:24:58] So keep riding that cosmic current, keep sharing the love, and until our next rendezvous, stay true to your unique flow. See you in the next adventure. We'll chat soon. [00:25:08] If you want to learn more, check the show notes and all the links mentioned at caradempsey.com/108