Take Your Wellness With You This Summer
Summer has a way of inviting us out into the world. We head to the beach, visit family, explore new cities, wander through farmers markets, hike forest trails, or finally take that vacation we've been dreaming about all winter. There's something wonderful about stepping away from our daily routines and seeing life from a different perspective.
And yet, if we're honest, travel can also leave us feeling a little...off.
We've all experienced it. Too little sleep. Too much restaurant food. Long days in the car or on airplanes. Dehydration. A schedule that's packed from morning until night. We come home with wonderful memories—and perhaps a suitcase full of laundry, a swollen pair of ankles, a tired digestive system, and the feeling that we need another vacation just to recover.
It doesn't have to be that way.
One of the most important things I've learned as I’ve started this journey as a health and wellness coach (mostly about my desire to thrive as I age) is that our well-being doesn't have to stay home when we travel. In fact, the habits that help us feel grounded every day can become trusted companions wherever we go.
I'm not talking about sticking rigidly to a routine or turning vacation into another item on your to-do list. Quite the opposite. Summer is meant to be enjoyed. It's a season for slowing down, trying new foods, meeting new people, and creating memories that nourish us in ways a checklist never could.
Instead, I invite you to think about travel differently. Rather than packing perfection, pack a few practices that help you feel like yourself. Your wellness has a passport, too.Resources for Further Study
If the themes of the Strawberry Moon resonate with you, the following books and resources offer opportunities to deepen your understanding of seasonal living, mindfulness, rest, nature connection, and the wisdom of paying attention.
Start with the Question: How Do I Want to Feel?
Before you zip your suitcase closed, take a moment to ask yourself a simple question:
How do I want to feel while I'm away?
Not what you want to accomplish. Not what you want to see. Not how many photos you hope to take. How do you want to feel?
Calm? Energetic? Present? Rested? Adventurous? Connected?
That question becomes your compass. When we know how we want to feel, it becomes easier to make small decisions that support that intention.
Maybe that means saying yes to the sunrise walk before breakfast. Maybe it means ordering dessert because you're celebrating with people you love. Maybe it means declining one more activity because your body is asking for rest. Both can be acts of wellness.
Stay Hydrated Before You Feel Thirsty
One of the quickest ways to feel sluggish while traveling is to become dehydrated.
Air travel, hot summer temperatures, increased walking, salty restaurant meals, and even excitement can all contribute to dehydration. Many of us don't realize how much water we lose simply sitting on an airplane for several hours.
I like to begin hydrating before travel begins. I carry a reusable water bottle and refill it whenever I can. If I'm flying or spending long hours outside, I'll sometimes add an electrolyte packet without excess sugar to replace minerals lost through sweat. (I use LMNT Zero-Sugar Electrolytes.)
Hydration isn't only about drinking more water. Water-rich foods like watermelon, berries, cucumbers, tomatoes, peaches, oranges, and leafy greens can also help us stay hydrated while allowing us to enjoy the flavors of summer.
Let Food Be Part of the Adventure
Travel is one of the great invitations to experience another culture through food. Please don't spend your vacation worrying about every ingredient or calorie. Instead, stay curious. Visit a local farmers market. Try the regional vegetables. Order something you've never tasted before. Share a meal with people who know the area. Slow down enough to actually enjoy it.
One practice I return to again and again is simply eating with presence. Notice the colors on your plate. Taste each bite. Put your fork down between bites. Let conversation become part of the meal.
When we eat more mindfully, we often enjoy our food more and feel more satisfied, even if the meal is richer than what we'd prepare at home.
If you're traveling by car, consider packing nourishing snacks that help keep your energy steady:
Mixed nuts
Fresh fruit
Roasted chickpeas
Whole-grain crackers
Hummus cups
Trail mix
Herbal tea bags
Dark chocolate for an afternoon treat
Having a few familiar foods nearby means you're less likely to arrive somewhere ravenous and make choices that leave you feeling uncomfortable later.
Protect Your Sleep Like It's Part of the Itinerary
Sleep often becomes the first thing we sacrifice while traveling. We stay up later, wake earlier, cross time zones, or simply sleep in unfamiliar surroundings. While we may not sleep perfectly every night away from home, we can gently support our body's natural rhythms.
Open the curtains first thing in the morning and allow natural light to reach your eyes. Morning sunlight helps regulate your circadian rhythm and can make it easier to fall asleep later in the evening. If possible, keep caffeine earlier in the day. Pack anything that helps create familiarity—a favorite pillowcase, lavender essential oil, earplugs, an eye mask, or a cup of chamomile tea before bed.
These small rituals tell your nervous system, "You're safe. It's time to rest."
Build a Tiny Wellness Travel Kit
Just as we pack chargers for our phones, we can pack a few things that recharge us. My wellness travel kit changes depending on the trip, where I’m going and if I’ll be off-the-grid, but it often includes:
A reusable water bottle
Herbal tea
Magnesium
Sunscreen
Lip balm
Healthy snacks
A journal
A good book
A small packet of electrolytes
Comfortable walking shoes
The goal isn't to prepare for every possibility. It's to bring a few familiar comforts that help you feel cared for wherever you are.
Living Well While You're Away
One of the reasons I love traveling is that it reminds me there are so many beautiful ways to live.
Whether I'm walking through a neighborhood in Chicago, a small village in France, or a local farmers market a few hours from home, I'm always curious about how people gather, what they're growing, how they move through their days, and what they choose to celebrate around the table.
Travel gives us permission to be students again. It invites us to observe instead of compare.
I've become especially fond of visiting farmers markets whenever I travel. If you've followed Seeds of Wellness for any length of time, you probably know why. As an urban microfarmer, I'm endlessly fascinated by what's growing in different regions and how local food tells the story of a place. A farmers market isn't simply a place to buy vegetables. It's where you'll hear neighbors catching up with one another. It's where children sample peaches that drip down their arms. It's where you'll discover what is truly in season instead of what can be shipped across the country. It's also one of the easiest ways to nourish yourself while supporting local growers and experiencing a community through its food.
Sometimes my favorite travel meal isn't in a restaurant at all. It's a loaf of fresh bread, local cheese, ripe tomatoes, fruit that was picked only hours earlier, and a quiet place to sit outside and enjoy it. This kind of meal nourishes more than hunger. It reminds us that wellness doesn't always require elaborate plans. Sometimes it's found in simple pleasures shared slowly.
The same is true of movement. When we're at home, we often think of movement as another task to complete. We schedule workouts, count steps, and wonder whether we've done enough.
Travel offers us an opportunity to experience movement differently. Walking through unfamiliar streets because we're curious. Climbing the winding path to an overlook simply to take in the view. Swimming in cool water on a warm afternoon. Exploring a botanical garden, an arboretum, or a nature preserve without looking at our watches.
Some of the healthiest days I've ever had didn't include a formal workout. They included hours of joyful movement that happened naturally because I was engaged with the world around me.
I think there's something worth remembering in that. Our bodies were designed to move through life, not simply exercise within it.
Summer also invites us outdoors in ways other seasons sometimes don't. If your travels take you near a forest, a lake, a river, or the ocean, consider spending a little unstructured time there. Not hiking to accomplish something. Not kayaking because it's on the itinerary. Simply sitting.
Notice the breeze moving through the trees. Watch dragonflies skim across the water. Feel the warmth of the sun on your shoulders before seeking shade beneath an old tree.
If you've ever participated in a forest therapy walk with me, you've heard me say that nature asks very little of us. It doesn't expect us to perform or produce. It simply invites us into relationship. Travel can do the same when we stop trying to consume every experience and begin allowing experiences to shape us instead.
Of course, caring for ourselves while we're away also means listening to the quieter messages our bodies are sending. Perhaps you're more tired than you realized. Perhaps you've had enough rich meals and are craving a simple salad, fresh fruit, or grilled vegetables. Perhaps what you need isn't another sightseeing excursion but an afternoon nap with the windows open while a summer breeze moves through the room.
One of the greatest gifts of getting older is learning to trust those messages. There was a time when I might have ignored them. I didn't want to miss anything. Now I realize that honoring my body's wisdom doesn't diminish the trip—it often makes it richer.
When we feel well, we're more present for the conversations, the laughter, the unexpected discoveries, and the quiet moments that often become our favorite memories.
Coming Home: Let the Journey Continue
It's interesting how much attention we give to preparing for a trip and how little thought we give to returning home.
We often arrive late in the evening, unpack just enough to find our pajamas, and wake up the next morning expecting ourselves to jump immediately back into work, errands, appointments, and responsibilities. No wonder so many vacations leave us feeling exhausted.
I've learned to think of returning home as another important part of the journey.
If your schedule allows, leave yourself a little breathing room. Resist the urge to fill the day after your return with meetings and commitments. Unpack slowly. Wash the clothes that traveled with you. Restock your kitchen with nourishing foods. Water your plants. Take a walk around your own neighborhood. Home has changed while you've been away—not because the house is different, but because you are.
One practice I particularly enjoy is reflecting on what I'd like to bring home with me besides souvenirs.
Maybe it's the slower pace of mixing an herbal tea blend and enjoying it on your porch. Maybe it's an evening walk after dinner. Maybe it's the realization that you felt happier spending an afternoon in a local park than rushing from one attraction to another.
Perhaps you discovered that your body feels better when breakfast includes a healthy protein instead of grabbing something on the run.
Travel has a remarkable way of showing us what matters. The question becomes whether we're willing to carry those discoveries into our everyday lives.
After all, the purpose of travel isn't simply to escape our lives. Sometimes its greatest gift is helping us return to them with fresh eyes.
A Gentle Invitation
As I was thinking about what I wanted to write for July’s new moon blog, I realized that staying well while traveling isn't really about travel at all. It's about learning to trust ourselves in changing circumstances.
Life is always asking us to adapt. Seasons change. Jobs change. Relationships change. Our bodies change. We move through different chapters of life, each one inviting us to discover new ways of caring for ourselves.
If our wellness depends on everything around us remaining exactly the same, we'll always feel as though we're starting over.
But if wellness is a relationship—one built on curiosity, compassion, flexibility, and paying attention—then it can accompany us wherever we go.
That's the kind of wellness I hope we're cultivating together here at Seeds of Wellness.
One that doesn't ask for perfection. One that welcomes celebration, spontaneity, good food, meaningful conversations, long walks, afternoon naps, and quiet moments beneath old trees. One that reminds us that our health isn't separate from the lives we're living. It's woven into every choice we make, every place we visit, and every opportunity we have to care for ourselves with kindness.
So wherever your summer takes you, I hope you'll remember to pack more than your suitcase. Pack your curiosity. Pack your compassion. Pack your willingness to slow down long enough to notice the beauty that's already waiting for you. And perhaps most importantly, pack the quiet confidence that your well-being belongs everywhere your life takes you.
Reflection Prompts
As you prepare for your next journey—or as you settle back into life after returning home—I invite you to spend a few quiet moments reflecting on these questions.
When I imagine my next trip, how do I hope to feel rather than simply what do I hope to do?
Which daily habits help me feel grounded no matter where I am?
How can I experience the food, landscapes, and communities I visit with greater curiosity and less urgency?
What did my last trip teach me about what truly restores me?
Is there one practice I discovered while traveling that I'd like to bring home and weave into my everyday life?
How might I allow my travels to shape not only my memories, but also the way I choose to live?
Resources for Further Reading
If this new moon reflection resonates with you, you might enjoy exploring these thoughtful books that have influenced my own understanding of rest, presence, nature, and well-being.
The Nature Fix by Florence Williams
Breath by James Nestor
Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, PhD
The Blue Zones by Dan Buettner
Rest Is Resistance by Tricia Hersey
The Comfort Crisis by Michael Easter
Closing Thoughts
Wherever this summer finds you—whether you're boarding an airplane, taking a weekend road trip, visiting family, exploring your own city, or simply spending more time outdoors—I hope you'll remember that wellness isn't something you have to put on hold until you return home.
The habits that sustain us are rarely dramatic. They're found in a glass of water after a long day of travel, a meal shared with people we love, an early morning walk before the world wakes up, a conversation with a local farmer, or a few quiet moments spent watching the sunset.
These are the moments that remind us we are alive.
And perhaps that's the greatest gift travel offers us. It invites us to step outside our familiar routines just long enough to notice what we've been missing—not only in the places we visit, but within ourselves.
May your travels be filled with wonder, your body be treated with kindness, and your heart return home just a little more open than when you left.