Intentional Travel

I am home from our European adventure and still struggling to get back into everyday life. This trip was one of our best! We had wonderful local guides in each city and it was a treat to enjoy the sights through their eyes. It was also one of our most intentional trips and we were able to be more present.

To make trips more meaningful, we like to practice what we call "intentional travel". Travel can be amazing and inspiring and transforming but it can also go by quickly without sinking in. I have done both over-planning and under-planning and there is a balance.

INTENTIONAL TRAVEL

1. Prioritize it. Greg and I sometimes choose travel as a priority in our lives. That means carving out the time, energy and money to make it happen. We have a savings account for weekend getaways and also for a longer trip every 18 months or so. We know we'll be able to afford these trips as we transfer money in every month. Some of our travel planning starts years in advance, some kind of comes to us and we stay open to it.

2. Set intentions. We like to set goals and intentions around our priorities and we also do so for travel. When a trip is coming up, we think about how we want it to go. This helps us focus on the important things—being grateful for the opportunity and remembering how important connection is. For this trip, we both had loose work goals and growth/inspiration goals. We set the intentions in advance (usually during our quarterly planning) but review them on the trip out!

3. Plan a little bit. We try to find a balance between planning some structure while also leaving room for awesome to happen. It helps to have a few things figured out so it's easier to be present while there. We like to plan places to stay and a few activities that we might want to do, then try to let the schedule and inspiration flow. When possible, it's great to have someone local to meet up with. Before we leave, I also like to check out travel guides from bloggers or friends. On this trip, we referred to a few, including this one for Bruges and this one for Stockholm.

4. Pack easily. Travel is easier if you think you have everything you’ll need while not being weighed down. Try Lean Packing!

5. Maintain habits and priorities. It's easy to be influenced by adventures, which can be great, but not when it causes you to lose hold of who you are and what matters to you. One way to stay grounded is to keep to some routine. It can help with self-control and better decision-making. For this trip, we weren't able to easily stick to our whole morning routine... although I did stretch! Instead, we shifted to a shortened evening routine taking advantage of the nice bathtubs. You will fall out of routine and that's okay, even welcome sometimes, but try to find a way to do a little... it will reground you. (More on How to Keep Habits Going During Travel from zenhabits.net.)

Do you guys do anything that helps you enjoy travel more?

+ To finish off this month of posts on traveling, I'm working on a few city guides from our trip!

Lean Packing: Toiletries & Carry-On

We’re almost at the end of our twelve days in Europe. I’ve moved around a lot and it’s making me glad that I packed so lightly!

It’s important for me to feel comfortable as I travel (I’m much easier to be around) but I also try to be realistic about the space limitations. I’ve been reducing my toiletries and carry-on components over the last few years and now, using my Asana checklist, I have my list down to the essentials (for me ;).

Purse: wallet (with the fewest cards necessary, minimal US cash, and my passport!), phone (loaded with books, meditations and travel logistics), lip gloss, medication and a handkerchief

For Comfort: noise-canceling headphones, sunglasses, snacks, socks and my scarf/blanket

For Work: laptop with charger, converter, phone charger and a notebook with pen

Liquids and niceties for the flight: deodorant, toothbrush, toothpaste and floss, rose spray (my toner but also nice for dry plane rides!), another medication, face oil (for cleansing and moisturizing), and ginger flight spray (I still get pretty sick when I fly :/)

Makeup: "un" cover-up, lip/cheek stain, brow pencil, a cc cream (I use it as sunscreen some days), and an eyelash curler with mascara

And I pack it all together in my carry-on!

Some notes:
+ I also sometimes take items for a habit or experiment. I am stretching this month and didn’t need anything for it. I am still oil-pulling so I packed a small container of coconut oil.
+ I use hotel soaps and shampoos (and conditioner as shaving cream). Dr. Bronner's magic soaps can be a multi-use cleanser if you want to take something instead.
+ This post is for a trip with a long flight to another country. If the trip is shorter or more local, my needs obviously go down ;)
+ When I travel with Greg, we also take an iPad for show-watching and crosswords together. It’s nicer to travel with if I don’t need my laptop for work. I may also use his razor or comb which I usually don’t pack for solo trips ;)