Your body is your greatest messenger.
I’ve been really leaning into my own travel flow lately as a single, solo female.
Of course, there’s all types of travelers out there, so I’ve been trying to figure out where I “belong” in the mix. I’m a rookie at international travel compared to most - so this has often been through trial and error.
It’s like moving to a new city where you know no one. Well, actually, it literally IS that. It always takes time to find your tribe, find your favorite coffee shops, find the best bars…
Travel is like this but it is triple challenging, especially when you don’t speak the language.
There is never a shortage of friends to make, but who you hang out with impacts you just as much as it does anywhere. Ever hear that you are the combination of your five closest friends?
Well, this isn’t just a saying only true when we stay in one place - of course it is true among travel life too.
You’ve got your backpackers, vacationers, digital nomads, and among each of these crowds, there are different interests, passions, and ways of life as well.
The backpackers I’ve met don’t really have a care in the world - love them for that.
Vacationers are fine blowing lots of money because they’ve saved up and usually have a full-time income - love this, but it’s not as sustainable.
Digital nomads are often a bit more introverted and harder to find (because they’re always working), but these folks are my sweet spot.
Everything is changing all of the time - so my “five closest friends” often change too.
Which means, I am learning quickly how to notice who is right for me, who is not, who I want to grab coffee with, who is more of a party friend…etc, etc.
Travel is a lot of stimulation. Not only am I constantly sorting out arrangements for lodging, doing research, and keeping track of my finances, but I am also up-leveling in my business, continuing my own self-transformation work, while balancing all of these amazing friendships and my ever-changing social life.
It’s a lot.
And after Cartagena at the beginning of the month, I was totally burnt out. I realized it was time to implement more of a routine, be a bit more conscious of when, who, and what I’m saying yes to, and get clearer on my personal intention for traveling.
These last few weeks have been quite the turning point for me. My body has become my greatest ally.
From foodies moments in Bogota, to vacationing in Cartagena, to educating myself through art and culture in Medellin…
All of the sudden I had a medical scare.
All of the sudden I had no desire to do anything touristy.
All of the sudden I wanted to stay in and sleep.
My skin was breaking out…
My digestive system was feeling out of whack…
My muscles and my body were sore…
Something was not working, and I needed to get back in alignment.
So, with the support of my coaches and friends, I re-committed myself to a new (and improved) daily routine that included:
Not looking at my phone in the morning
Two gratitude lists per day (morning and night)
At least 5 minutes of meditation daily
20 minutes of free journalling
Eating less fried cheese (literally it’s amazing though)
Drinking less alcohol
Getting better nights of sleep
Doing yoga every day (in class or alone)
Eating as vegetarian/vegan as possible
And thanking my ancestors as I went.
Within days, my skin had cleared up, my digestive system got back on track, I look generally “healthier” and my mood was less all over the place.
It became easier for me to make decisions. It became easier for me to discern what was a f*ck yes and what was a no.
I had been gifted money, signed on a new client, found digital nomad friends, discovered amazing co-working spaces, and stumbled across multiple free resources to help me rebuild stronger foundations in my business, and get clearer on how to reach my goals.
All of this plus my spirit generally felt nourished, my head felt clear, and I was continuing to attract likeminded people and beautiful spaces to live.
For instance, I had my eye on a particular Airbnb studio apartment but it wasn’t available online. I checked into a co-living space instead and asked if they had another two nights in a different room.
Turns out - they had the studio apartment I had been eyeing for months ON THE ROOFTOP, and they gave me a cheaper rate for booking through them.
Miracle? No. I made it happen.
This didn’t happen because I sat around doing nothing. I decided to honor what my body was asking of me - to rest, to consume more wisely, to focus on bettering my mental state…
And just like that (cue Carrie Bradshaw) it all fell into place.
We think often that our goals are about just the GOALS. For me it was to travel and be a full-time CEO. I’m doing that, but not at the level of stability and comfort that I want.
I realized that - though I regret absolutely nothing from my travels so far - I had fallen off track. Why? Because I needed to revisit the “Why” behind these goals in the first place.
Not only this, but I needed to remember the power of daily habits that would allow me to get to where I want to be. And those habits needed to change.
We cannot do the same thing over and over and expect a different result.
It’s not about the outcome, it’s about becoming the person who has that outcome and working towards THAT every damn day.
It involves your mind, your spirit, and your entire body.
There’s no way to half ass building our dream life, and I’m so grateful for these reminders this week to remember that this cohesion between mind and body is SO necessary for us to truly thrive.
I invite you to use these words, this story, and everything you see from me to take inventory on your life right now.
Where’s your body at?
Where’s your mind at?
Who are you spending time with?
How are you spending your energy?
Do you have a creative project you’d like to see actually get OFF the ground for 2022? What is stopping you from taking those daily habits to the next level?
I am extending the Envision Your Year Sessions because of the OVERWHELMINGLY positive reaction I’m hearing from you all about working with me on mapping out your year.
In these sessions we…
Take an eagle’s eye perspective of where you’re at and where you’re going
Choose a 1-2 goals you have and get clear on your WHY
Decide what daily routines can speed up the process of you getting there
Map out your year with smaller, attainable goals
And figure out unique ways you can move through your usual doubts, overwhelm, and limiting thoughts
What I know about this work from my own experience over the last 12 years, from working with you for the last 4, and from working with my own coaches, is that when we invest in ourselves, our investments come back 10 fold, and fast.
This is because we skip the mistakes our coaches made and get right to the good stuff.
These are 90 minute virtual sessions where we will get you to the place where you feel confident enough to say yes to becoming the person that attains those big goals EASILY.
You won’t waste your energy questioning yourself every day.
You won’t get bogged down by the overwhelm and go from making progress to giving it up.
You’ll create consistency.
You’ll create mind/body cohesion.
Let me hold your hand and be that person that says f*ck yes, I believe in you, and leads you to believing in yourself like never before.
Sessions will be available until February 15th.
Sign up HERE and read the description for details.
Wishing you a beautiful weekend,
Kelsey