The Healthiest Road Trip Ever

This one is coming straight from the heart. I didn’t spend a lot of time “thinking” about what to say. I’m too excited about all this. I knew I needed to get this out there and there’d be plenty of time to figure out the logistics later…

 

At the World Domination Summit, I (along with 500 of my most unconventional pals) listened to Andrea and Jen talk about Mondo Beyondo: how to cultivate the ability for each of us to dream BIG. Their talk worked.

 

I believe it is possible to travel and to live healthy.

Whether you’re in a car or a bus, on a plane or a train…

Whether it’s for one hour, three days, two weeks or six months…

Whether you’re  25, 45 or 75…

I know you want to be healthy, feel good, and have fun while you’re making your way from point A to B.

 

What usually happens when we travel…

Our life goes to hell.

We’re sleeping odd hours, eating crap food, we’re not getting exercise, and probably feel generally lousy. Plus, we have the ability to justify our own behavior!

“I’ll be home in a couple days – I can exercise then.”

“I know I just ate [insert processed/junk food] last night, but I’m on vacation – things will get back to normal when I’m home.

Yeah, well – that’s a slippery slope.

As for ME? Well I don’t have a home. I sold everything. So if I started down that path, exactly when would I stop?

And I’m sure you already figured this out: there are slippery slopes at home, too. Have you ever thought, “but it’s the weekend, I can have that [extra drink/third dessert/entire cheese pizza]…?” Yup, there are lots of opportunities for us to get off track and stay in a rut.

 

I think it’s pretty easy to feel like you don’t have a choice: when you’re pressed for time, trapped at the airport, or in the middle of nowhere, how exactly do you stick to your commitments and live healthy?

You think, “what else am I going to do? this is what’s available.”

This may seem harsh, but: other people do not limit your choices; you do.

There is always a way out, sometimes you just need to spend more time looking.

It’s my intention to find and share solutions.

You want information, you want tools, you want specifics. Cool. I’m down with that.

For whoever chooses to live this way, I want to do what I can to make that happen.

 

Pretty early on in my trip, I knew I was committed to a few different ideas: meditation, nutrition, and movement, for starters. Put another way: having a good time, eating good food, and getting some exercise.

It’s been about eight months of travel and I’ve never felt better, I’m eating well (no need to worry Mom!), and I haven’t been ill once! This is what I’m already doing, so why not keep doing this and serve others at the same time!

Of course there is room for improvement, but overall I’m really excited where this is headed.

 

So where is all this headed?

I think it’s time to take this show on the road. It’s time for the HEALTHIEST ROAD TRIP EVER.

This is a way for me to truly live all the values I have. I want to take care of myself mentally and physically, while also having fun and seeing this country. I know it can be done.

I want to answer the question: what does healthy, responsible, sustainable, and conscious travel look like?

In a larger context, this is where I see my work headed, as a way for me to merge what I’m already passionate about, what I love to do, and what I can bring to the world.

I also see this project as a way to partner with companies whose values I share and whose work I am excited about.

 

Here’s how it’ll go down…

TRAVEL

• I had always envisioned using a hybrid or maybe even a car that runs on bio-diesel, and then a friend recently told me about Nissan’s LEAF – their brand-new all-electric car. A pretty sweet ride, it has already won many awards, and ranks as the most efficient EPA certified vehicle for all fuels ever! Wow. I’m definitely interested in working with this company.

FOOD

• Most of my travel has been around the US thus far, and I’m fortunate to have so many choices: organic grocery stores, co-ops, farmers’ markets, and many other healthy spots. While I go from city-to-city, though, there has been one store where I know the quality and integrity of the items will be consistent: Whole Foods. I think their core values are awesome, and I love that they have a Healthy Eating Specialist in many of their stores (I’ve already spoken with a couple).
• Of course, the other part of food while traveling is what you do when you don’t have a kitchen – ah, I know that well. I want to keep my backpack light, and I want to eat healthy, and that’s exactly what I’ve been doing. Excited to share my ideas and learn more about creative ways to solve this challenge!

LODGING

• This part is gonna be all natural – sustainable materials, natural fibers, very eco-friendly – no chemicals of any kind! I know lots of these places exist and would love to have them be a part of this. A quick search reveals the Orchard Garden Hotel in San Francisco – that place looks awesome! I’d love to check out as many of these types of places as I can and meet the cool people behind them!

EXERCISE

• Jump in on a yoga class, do some tai chi in the park, bust out some squats at a rest stop, pull over in the Redwoods and go for a hike – there are a thousand ways to get some movement into the day, even if you’re traveling. All I’ll need to do is stop the car and I have so many choices! :-)

 

These ideas are just getting us started – there’s lots more in the works… thoughts on sleep, play, how long to drive, keeping up with family and friends, plus more.

I see the opportunity for meetups, workshops, and talks as I travel around – let’s really have a dialogue about healthy living – what ideas are out there? What works? This conversation will be a two-way street. I’m not the expert or authority here – I’m just someone who cares and has the opportunity to “be the change.” Plus, I could profile all the amazing people who are already creating change in the world with healthy, responsible, conscious living.

This could also be a way to really expand how you engage with the partnered companies by attaching a face (mine! and others) to what they stand for. “Nissan” and “Whole Foods” sound like giant corporations to me, but they might not if I could picture an actual human with either of them.

And of course, I see potential for national television coverage. Why not – ! :-)

 

When does all this happen?

I’m ready to go now. Seriously. I tend to get a bit enthusiastic about…well, everything. It’s a blessing and a curse. Enthusiasm came up as my #1 Signature Strength both times I took the Authentic Happiness test. (what? don’t look at me that way. it’s legit.)

I think this would work better during a time when people are actually thinking about taking a road trip, so I’m game for this summer. Though I know that when it does happen, it will be the right time. That being said, let’s get on the road already!

 

What’s my endgame?

I love learning, and I love sharing information. Going by Malcolm Gladwell’s definition, I’m a maven, an “information broker.”

By sharing what I’ve learned about the choices that exist when it comes to travel, perhaps it will open up other areas of our life to examine.

What if people were encouraged to always be inline with their values, never felt like they had to compromise their integrity, and could lead healthy lives no matter where they were?

 

How can you help and get involved?

Do you know someone at one of these companies/businesses? Who do I need to talk to so that this becomes a reality?

Are there other organizations I could include in my hunt for partnership?

How else could I make this THE healthiest road trip possible?

Let me know below!

 

Who’s gonna join me for the ride?

 

I’d love to hear your thoughts along with any other comments you have below.

Until next time,

 

PS – check out Mondo Beyondo, the World Domination Summit (you’re going, right?), Nissan’s Leaf, Whole Foods, Orchard Garden Hotel, Authentic Happiness and The Tipping Point.

Photo courtesy of

 

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