Show of hands for those who typically need a vacation after their vacation to catch up on sleep, movement, and life in general? That has always been the case for me. A few years ago, I set a rule that I wouldn’t plan anything two days before or after a vacation so I could take intentional time to get ready, feel rested, and not overwhelm myself with plans. For as long as I can remember, the recurring theme in my life has always been to slow down. I’m someone who likes her hands in many projects and loves a filled social calendar. So—knowing how to stay healthy while flying and traveling everywhere? Hasn’t always been my strong suit.

Exactly What I Do to Stay Healthy While Flying

This year been filled with the most travel I’ve ever had both professionally and personally. To say I’ve been stretched and busier than ever would be a huge understatement. So, just before I set out on my 10-day vacation to Croatia to celebrate a milestone birthday for my sister, I wrote a list of how I wanted to feel when I got back to Austin. Refreshed, inspired, motivated, hydrated, and rested were all top of mind. From there, it was easy to figure out how I was going to stay the course and feel like I didn’t have to play catch up when I returned home.

To share what worked and help us all stay healthy while flying this season, here’s what I did to stay on track and feel my best.

Drink a Ton of Water

It’s one of the simplest things to do. But for me, it’s also one of the easiest things to overlook. I rarely drink enough water on the road as I’m in between hotels and meetings. Plus, lugging around a water bottle feels annoying or gets expensive.

This trip, I made a concerted effort to pack my favorite water bottle and fill it up at the airport, in the hotel bar, and at restaurants so I always had something nearby. It’s small enough that it fit in my bag without being too bulky or heavy and I never once felt parched or dehydrated, which always tends to slow me down.

Block My Calendar in Advance

I realize not everyone will have the ability to do this for a variety of reasons, but I made a concerted effort to not book plans for an entire week after I returned from vacation. That included striking morning coffee meetings and any dinners or events, no matter how strong the FOMO, for the entire week through the weekend.

I wanted a chance to unpack, do laundry, go for long walks, and take time to ease into the work week ahead. Giving everyone a heads up well in advance also helped them plan a bit better around my schedule and any deadlines were easily hit due to some additional and intentional planning.

Don’t Use the Gym

Did that one make you tilt your head and pause in curiosity? I know a LOT of friends who make an effort to get up early and hit the gym while they’re on the road, but I made the decision not to for a few reasons. First, I was just getting over a terrible respiratory infection and flu and thought if I tried to push it too hard, I might end up back to square one of being sick. Second, I wanted my movement to be dual-purpose and soaked up all the walks and hikes we took every single day around the cities we visited. This was my vacation and I wanted some slow mornings of exploring—it was perfect for me and still hit well over 10,000 steps a day. (As always, you do you!)

Pack All the Snacks

Depending on how you vacation, a lot of trips typically mean eating out every meal. At least, that was the case for us as we hotel hopped vs. renting a home for an extended period of time. I wanted to try a lot of the local cuisine, but didn’t want the heavy feeling of eating out for every single meal. (Feeling it both physically and in my bank account.)

I found it helpful to pack snacks that were easy to pop into my bag and felt nutritious for me: nuts, jerky, dried oatmeal, almond crackers, and protein powder. It certainly helped balance the amount of eating out we did. I’ve taken plenty of trips where I didn’t plan ahead and found myself reaching for something less nutritious every day and feeling sluggish when I returned.

Prioritize Rest

This one was the hardest for me, but well worth it. As my therapist recently advised, I need to learn to snack on fun vs. binge on fun. What she means is, I work so hard, typically go head down, that the moment I give myself a break to have fun, I never want it to end. Throw me in a new country with my sister to celebrate something big, and it almost felt impossible to suggest that we should go home and rest. But as I get older, I’m finding if I don’t get a full 7-9 hours of sleep, I’m not just wiped the next day, but it usually lingers longer. We got some of the best sleep and I was so happy to come home and not feel like I needed an extra week of catching up on it.

These might seem like no-brainer suggestions as they’re all things we’ve heard before to implement in our daily lives, but it was prioritizing them that really took the work for me. I hope they help you stay healthy while flying, and ensure your holidays and travel go off without a hitch.

I’ve always been fascinated by the mountains and the sweeping views they provide to the ones putting in the work and climbing to the top. For landscape photographers like me, they provide endless photo opportunities and inspiration. In this article, I share five tips to help you make your next mountain trip a success.

Do Virtual Scouting

The most rewarding views for me are the ones that aren’t famous on Instagram yet. I’m looking for the lesser photographed areas on my trips into the mountains. But if you can’t find any photos of a view online, how can you tell it’s worth photographing? After all, mountain photography can involve a lot of work and effort, so it’s nice to get a reward at the end.

Virtual scouting using Google Earth can be a great help to assess the potential a view might hold for photography. Below, you see an example. The first image shows the virtual view from the Gaishorn mountain in Austria. I used the browser version of Google Earth, flying around the Vilsalpsee while looking for potential photo spots. With Hochvogel mountain in the distance and Rauhorn in the middle ground, this view intrigued me. So, I decided to give it a try.

If you use the Google Earth app, you have even more possibilities. You can, for example, simulate the light at different times of day. It will tell you if a mountain face or valley is already in the shade when you plan to photograph it. But even with the best virtual scouting, finding a proper foreground will still be up to you once you reach the photo location. So plan in enough time for it.

Also, don’t be disappointed if you don’t get a photo. First and foremost, enjoy the hike and the views. For me, it’s already rewarding to be out in the mountains. Just know that you’ll eventually be rewarded if you repeatedly put in the work.

Get to the Top

While having the mountains looming over you and your camera might be imposing, looking down across ridges and valleys to endless layers of mountains is even more impressive. Photos taken from the top invoke a sense of longing. Such views are often much harder to find and access, making them special.

So, don’t shy away from a strenuous hike. Reaching the peak will already give you a sense of achievement that makes the effort worth it. And if you are also lucky with the light, it’s the icing on the cake.

Stay Flexible

The first tip was about pre-visualizing the view you intend to photograph once you reach your destination. But don’t get too attached to the result of such a virtual scouting. It increases your chances of success because you already know that there is potential. But the same as when heading to popular photo spots of which you’ve seen photos before, look around and be open to noticing other points of interest in the landscape.

During the virtual scouting I shared in the feature video, I dismissed the view in the next photo. The features of the landscape in this direction didn’t look very spectacular compared to the view south. But as I walked around the peak of the Gaishorn and saw these boulders lined up at the edge of the mountain and the warm sidelight hitting the slopes, I instantly made it my main subject.

Zoom In

Every time I head up a mountain and don’t bring the long lens, I regret it. It’s always tempting to get rid of another one or two kilos of gear as you pack your backpack. But especially on clear days, having a long lens with you on the mountain opens up many possibilities. While haze and light rays in the distance will be hard to notice in a wide angle photo, you can make those your main subject with a zoom lens.

I took the photo below at 200mm. The haze provides a sense of depth, while the light rays open up the otherwise dark foreground. As usual, I debated bringing my zoom lens before starting the hike. But thankfully, I had learned my lesson during previous photo tours.

Use the Golden Hour

The best time to take photos in the mountains is during golden hour. With mountain photography, it’s a lot about light and shadows. While I love a warm alpine glow after sunset or before sunrise, most mountain scenes look best in golden light. The shadows cast by the light can add structure and dimension to a photo and direct it to the viewer.

Direct light also helps separate the peaks of a mountain vista. Without it, layers of mountains quickly merge into a singular mass. It means you shouldn’t just arrive at your viewpoint an hour before sunset. Better make it two hours, so you are ready once the sun starts casting the mountains in magical light.

Conclusion

Although the mountains can get crowded, it’s still one of the few places to find solitude. Especially early in the morning or late in the afternoon, the peaks become more and more deserted. And there’s nothing like having such views for yourself.

But I also want to leave you with a word of caution: know your limits. Since you’ll have to do part of your hikes in the dark to photograph sunrise or sunset, you should feel comfortable in alpine terrain. Also, don’t only research the views. Get an understanding of the difficulty of a hike. Some trails are steep and rocky, making them dangerous for inexperienced hikers.

It goes without saying that planning a holiday in advance has its advantages. However, life happens and being an early bird is not always possible.

Additionally, not every travel enthusiast is an eager planner and some simply enjoy embracing spontaneity.

If you are planning a last minute trip, here are a few tips to make it an stress-free experience.

Be flexible with dates

When it comes to last minute travel, flexibility is key. Having flexible travel dates will allow you to secure better deals. For example, travelling on Christmas or New Year’s Day may be cheaper than travelling on the eve of those days. This is because less people are willing to sacrifice those special days sitting in a plane or a train. If your travel dates are not set in stone, you can take advantage of such deals.

Check your budget

Going on trips is undoubtedly exhilarating, but ensuring that you have enough money before leaving your home is of utmost importance.

Fixing your budget is essential to ensure that you have enough funds, especially because it is a last minute plan. Along with availability, your budget will dictate your destination, which hotel you will stay in, and whether you are able to partake in certain activities.

Finalise your mode of transport

Being decisive when it comes to your mode of transport is essential. This will affect the amount of time you will use travelling and how much you will pay.

Finding availability on your chosen mode of transport will depend largely on your destination, budget and chosen travel days.

Look out for the cheapest deals

One of the common disadvantages of last minute planning include very high prices. However, this does not mean good deals do not exist. If you look hard enough, you can still get some last minute bargains and affordable travel deals.

Look around for these, and when you find them, grab them with both hands.

Be informed about your destination

Research is an extremely important part of the planning process. If you are travelling to your chosen destination for the very first time, read up on the local and famous food, as well as the areas popular attractions.

Because your planning is last minute it is also beneficial to look into areas that do not require one to book in advance. Such information will be helpful as you draft your itinerary and plan for a memorable holiday.

Whether you’re travelling for business or leisure, the details can make the difference between a trip that’s stressful and one that’s spectacular. From planning your trip to finding accommodation and packing well, five regular roamers share their best advice.

Use tech to streamline planning

Judy Sahar travels up to six times a month for work — the Melbourne-based CEO of Crowd Media Group regularly visits clients and colleagues interstate — and she also plans her family’s annual overseas holiday. Sahar swears by technology to streamline the process.

This includes Apple Wallet to check-in to flights and Uber to pre-schedule transport to and from the airport. She uses Google Workspace to consolidate meeting notes and share information and content with her team back in the office.

To plan holidays, she sets up a dedicated WhatsApp group and shared Pinterest boards. “I set up polls on WhatsApp, so my travel group can easily vote on things like where we’re going, what type of holiday it will be (adventure, relaxing or resort), types of accommodation and any internal travel,” she explains.

“We also use a private Pinterest board for sharing ideas for restaurants, shopping precincts or entertainment. Every member has their own board, then we vote on where we’ll go as a group. This makes it so much easier as there’s no back and forth.”

Don’t reinvent the wheel

With a young family and a growing business, SLAM Solutions, that can see her travel a couple of times each month, Diana Abeleven doesn’t have time to waste. So, when booking accommodation, she prefers to stick with what she knows and likes.

“I stay regularly at Holiday Inn and every time I walk in, I know I’ll be looked after, I feel a sense of familiarity and comfort,” she says. “They know me by name, they keep everything simple and seamless. It’s a pretty small thing, but I know when I stay at a Holiday Inn the bed is going to be a comfortable one, the room space will be just what I need to relax but to also get work done when I need, and the team will make my stay enjoyable every time.”

Abeleven also appreciates Holiday Inn’s reinvigorated clean, modern design, with thoughtful touches like an in-room desk space to get work done. On a recent stay in Geelong, she was struck by the newly designed open lobby area.

“When you walk in, it really is such an area for everything and everyone — the lobby, restaurant and bar. I was able to easily work from there while I waited for a colleague to arrive for our lunch meeting.”

Spend more time packing

Last-minute packing results in ballooning luggage and forgotten items. Monique Van Tulder — a former travel professional who now splits her time between Sydney and the Whitsundays, where her mother lives — firmly recommends conscious packing for a stress-free trip.

“Lay everything you think you want to take on the bed. Choose a colour scheme that works together, such as black and navy or white, cream and khaki, plus one bright shade for a dress. Put away all items that don’t fit this colour scheme. The remaining items must be able to work with at least two others — for example, a denim shirt can become a jacket, then dressed up with a scarf.”

She also recommends taking a photo of each possible outfit and saving it on your phone. “Yes, it’s more work upfront, but on the road it means fewer wardrobe decisions, leaving more time to enjoy yourself.”

Van Tulder learns from past packing mistakes, too. “After each trip I make a list of what I actually wore, so I can reach for this next time as a place to start.”

Separate your essentials

While Jye Smith is firmly in favour of taking carry-on luggage only, that doesn’t mean he stashes everything in a single bag. “There’s a crucial difference between access and carry,” Smith explains. “Access is what you can reach during transit – those essentials you need at a moment’s notice. Carry, is what you lug around.”

The managing director of branding agency Doublestar Co, Smith’s ‘access’ bag holds his wallets, personal documents, and tech arsenal — laptop, tech bag, batteries. His ‘carry’ bag holds the rest, even when he travels to the USA or Asia.
Find ways to walk

As a longevity coach and speaker, Marcus Pearce is well-practised in finding ways to incorporate healthy habits into his day — and this extends to his fortnightly travel days.

“When you factor in driving to the airport, waiting at the airport and sitting on the plane, you can be sitting for hours so any chance I get for movement, I take. I prefer to take the ‘cheap’ parking option so I get my steps up — it can be 1500-2000 steps from the car to the lounge, which is great from a health perspective,” he says. “I’ll take the stairs instead of the escalator, and at international airports like Abu Dhabi, I’ll walk instead of taking the travellator to the gate.”