Travel is more than just an escape; it’s an opportunity to rework your wellness goals, one step and one bite at a time. Immersive travel experiences offer the freedom to explore not only the world around you but also the world within you. It’s a chance to embrace new paths, new ideas, new perspectives, and yes, new flavors. From the plate to the path, travel can be an exciting learning journey toward self-improvement, behavior change, and personal growth.
Traveling solo means stepping into a space of growth and autonomy, where you can uncover your strengths while acknowledging your limitations as a tiny speck on this vast planet. It’s a platform to embrace wellness in all its forms—mindful eating, physical activity, and self-kindness—woven into the tapestry of your experiences.
New Year, New You, New Places
With the new year upon us, there’s no better time to reflect on your wellness goals. But here’s the secret: you don’t need to wait for January 1st to get started with self-discovery. The best time to start is always now. Whether you’re looking to expand your palate, elevate your fitness, or simply change up your routine, goal-oriented travel (G.O.T.) can be the reset button you’ve been searching for, offering a fresh perspective on wellness in motion.
Imagine hiking from Vusanje, Montenegro, to Topoje, Albania, and savoring local dishes along the way that connect you to the culture—a visceral reminder of the power of place and flavor. Or, perhaps you’re ready to explore mindful eating practices, understanding the “terroir” of a region as you savor its unique tastes.
No matter your starting point, travel becomes a bridge between your wellness goals and your daily habits. By setting intentional, actionable goals—like trying one new dish each week, staying hydrated, or incorporating mindful eating practices—you can transform your journey into an enriching adventure that stays with you long after you’ve unpacked your bags.
So, are you ready to take the first step from plate to path? Let’s dive into how you can set wellness goals that align with your travel aspirations, setting in motion a healthier, more vibrant you.
Expand your palate and your mind.
Trying new foods, dishes and flavors can be a step towards allowing yourself enhanced experiences. There are limitless reasons you may decide this is an area you would like to focus on whether it is to expand your world, broaden your food view, understand a culture or history through foods, or maybe your tastebuds are just bored. Perhaps, you are stuck with your current eating routine or simply want to step out of your comfort zone.
As a recovered fair to moderately picky eater, I can say I am so glad I branched out and started retrying foods I used to dislike. Now food experiences provide color to my travels that I internalize and take with me. Some of my favorite food memories include celebrating the end of Ramadan (Eid al-Fitr) with feasts, preparing dishes for Diwali, stepping outside in the late mornings and buying cups of green mango slices doused with lime and salt in Colombia, enjoying grilled frog legs stuffed with rice and Khmer mixed spices in Cambodia after a bike ride, trying dried camel meat following a wild adventure in the Empty Quarter in Oman, and eating pulled squirrel at a slow foods dinner in Vermont.
Expanding your palate coincides well with travel which can provide inspiration, motivation, education and unforgettable experiences that will stay with you long after returning home. Create Joy can help you identify and reach your wellness goals with meaningful experiences that will last long after your trip is over.
Potential CREATE Goal: During my trip to Barcelona, I will consciously seek out and try one new dish, such as paella or crema catalana, within the first two days of my visit. I’ll reflect on the experience by journaling my impressions and how it connects to the local culture, staying open to adapting based on recommendations I receive along the way.
Don’t go thirsty.
Hydration. This is a biggie for travel, energy levels, and, well, life in general. It sounds simple, yet can be so impactful and the difference between feeling blah and amazing.
I love this one, as hydration is an ongoing area of improvement for me. During a trip to Kashmir and Ladahk, I was continuously re-evaluating my fluid goals, which varied day to day due to variables such as altitude (increased respiration rates and urine output), hiking around 17,000 feet, and gastrointestinal issues. Replenishing electrolytes was also key along with some antibiotics in this scenario. It sure was worth it!
If you find you are not meeting fluid needs (not counting EtOH… we all know those needs were met ringing in the new year) this can be a great focus for a wellness goal.
First determine if you are meeting fluid needs; there are a plethora of methods to determine this including caloric intake and body weight, but for a healthy individual, you could typically start with a baseline amount using the following:
- The National Academy of Medicine suggests the following Adequate Intake (AI) of daily fluids of about 9 cups (8 oz per cup) for healthy women and 13 cups for healthy men, with adjusted amounts based on variables such as physical activity. This AI also assumes you get a fair amount of water from foods, so depending on your diet, needs may vary.
- Check your urine- if it’s on the darker side, this may be a good area for you to work on, but remember urine color can be influenced by things such as medications, foods, supplements, etc.
Then when setting your own goal, make sure to consider fluid needs often increase with physical activity, higher altitudes, flying (the Aerospace Medical Association recommends drinking about 8 ounces of water per hour while on an airplane), extreme temperatures, and illness.
Potential CREATE GOAL: Over the next two weeks during my backpacking excursion, I will consciously focus on hydration by drinking an extra 500 ml of water each day. I will use a water tracking app to evaluate my progress and adjust my intake based on distance traveled or activity level. To make it exciting, I’ll try three new infused water recipes and treat myself to a refillable bottle I love.
Get mindful with your eating habits.
Incorporate mindful eating practices into your daily routine. Maybe you find yourself practicing distracted eating or overeating. Perhaps you would like to work on being more present and mindful during meals and engaging your senses. Maybe you would like to improve your travel eating habits whether on a daily commute, road trips or traveling abroad.
Personally, I’ve found my senses are often heightened during travel, which was helpful when starting to practice mindful eating. I also love participating in homestays where I eat with local families and learn new practices.
Create Joy can help you develop travels centered around mindful eating practices.
Potential CREATE Goal: I will consciously practice mindful while taking this weeklong road trip, dedicating at least 10 minutes to one distraction-free meal each day. I’ll evaluate my experience by journaling afterward, noting how it impacts my enjoyment, digestion, and overall relationship with food. To make it exciting, I’ll explore at least three local cuisines and two local markets during my foray into mindful eating.
Increase & elevate your physical activity.
Maybe it’s time to jump start your fitness routine to enhance overall wellbeing, reduce stress, get that revenge body, prepare for hiking Mount Kilimanjaro, walking Camino de Santiago, or whatever inspires you.
The winter before hiking the W Circuit solo in Patagonia I had fallen out of an exercise routine and generally was not feeling my best, so I used that adventure as a way to help get me motivated and excited about improving my fitness levels to comfortably hike ~10 miles a day with a pack.
As with any goal, it should be individualized and is important to assess your current fitness level to develop appropriate actions. When setting your goal, remember the best kind of exercise will always be the kind that you WILL do.
Potential CREATE Goal: Over the next three weeks while I am camping in Baja, I will consciously increase my physical activity by committing to 30 minutes of moderate exercise three times a week. I’ll evaluate my progress by keeping a workout log and noting any changes in energy or mood. To stay adaptable, I’ll mix activities like walking the beach, swimming, yoga, and exploring local trails. To keep it exciting, I’ll try one new activity, like paddleboarding or a local dance class, during this period.
Why wait?
Travel can be a gateway to changed habits and the formation of new perspectives, offering more than just an escape. Whether it’s savoring new flavors, staying hydrated, practicing mindful eating, through goal-oriented travel (G.O.T.), you can turn your adventures into meaningful opportunities for growth and self-discovery. By setting CREATE goals that are Conscious, Realistic, Evaluative, Adaptable, Timely, and Exciting, you’re not only exploring the world but also enriching your connection to yourself.
So why wait? Start weaving wellness into your travels today—one plate, one path, one goal at a time. The journey to a more fulfilling, balanced life begins the moment you decide to take that first step. Where will your next adventure lead you?
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