A few years ago I was trying to catch my breath running after the bus in Stockholm, Sweden. I got carried away trying all that delicious chocolate and almost missed my ship leaving to Finland. While I was running, many thoughts crossed my mind (no, cutting down on chocolate wasn’t one of them!). I realized that I have to be better prepared for my next trip; Physically. If your idea of travelling is lying down all day long without even leaving your all-inclusive hotel, then you can skip this article. However, if you, like me, don’t mind climbing the pyramid in Checheniza, snorkeling in Hawaii, kayaking in Florida, exploring Utah’s Canyons or hiking in Alaska’s tundra, then reading this post will benefit you. These few simple steps will take your travel experience to the next level.

Work Out

If you don’t typically work out, try to get into the fitness routine. Prepare your body at least 2-months prior to your next departure. You won’t become a gym junkie but your body will definitely appreciate the effort, and you won’t feel the leg shake during the long walking/hiking or whatever activity you will be involved with.

Tip:

As many budget travelers do, we try to save as much as we can, and gym memberships can be costly. This is tailored more towards living in the U.S. I guarantee that your city has some low cost options or even free work out classes. For all San Diego travelers: check out these http://www.fit2ripped.com ,   Balanced Fitness and Health or http://www.stayactivesd.com. These guys got me in shape in no time!

Visit the Dentist

No matter how gorgeous the views are, if you have a toothache the only place you’ll want to be is a dental office. Make sure to schedule your doctor appointment about 2 weeks before heading for vocation (in case you need to get something done).

Tip:

I prefer to keep my toothbrush in my travel kit with UV light. It sanitizes the brush and keeps it clean.

Get Your Immune System Up

You don’t need to completely change your diet or go vegan. Just add some nutrition to your diet. Take vitamins, superfood and pro biotics. Do whatever works for you. I assume if you are ready to explore the world, then you had explored your own body by now. This is to reiterate the care of your body prior to traveling.

Tip:

My own recipe that helps and works for me is homemade green smoothies with super food in it. Also fresh lemon juice for a Great boost of vitamin C.

Emergency Kit

Let’s hope that nothing major will happen (accidents, broken bones, etc.). But a little kit of medicine should always be packed in your luggage. Take a peak in mine.

• Dramamine (I get motion sickness all the time!)

• Pain killers (any)

• Bandage

• Antibiotic ointment (for any scratches or bites)

• Eye drops (in the desert or very dusty areas is a must! Used it in highly polluted Mexico City and Utah’s Canyons)

• Digestive tonic (after getting food poisoning I always have it with me)

• Vitamin C (helps if you are getting sick on the road)

• Sunscreen SPF 50+

This is just an example of a basic medication kit and has to be modified if you have some specific needs.

Choose Activities Wisely

Learn from my mistakes! Once I got excited about a 7-hour boat tour in Maui, Hawaii. I regretted my decision almost immediately. I than discovered that I get horrible sea sickness. What was an amazing tour for others, turned out to be a terrible one for me. Another example of a poor traveling decision was during a tour in the Yucatan Peninsula. We had a group of about 4 people and everything was going great. We were driving through the jungle in a Jeep, Zip lining, and hiking. One of our last activities for the day was kayaking from one island to the other. It was then that I realized there was something wrong when I glanced over at one of my team members. He appeared as he had seen a ghost, pale white and kind of a bluish-green color. It turned out that he couldn’t swim and was deathly afraid of the water. In turn it made the trip not as exciting, so it helps to be honest with other group members about what it is you do and don’t want to do.

My fellow travelers, I encourage you to get involved in every activity you can during your trips! Everything feels so much more exciting while travelling! Go for whatever your soul is asking! Feed your desires and traveling dreams. You are capable of anything as soon as you get your pre-traveling homework done!

POSTED BY TRAVELBLOND ON FRIDAY, MARCH 7, 2016 AT 02:46 PM
FILED UNDER ENGLISH