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A personal recount of the classic travel junkie pipeline

I didn’t travel very much as a child.

And if I did, it was a few days of laying around in a hotel or random person’s house (someone you’ve never met that has apparently known your dad since they were kids) while he went fishing or drinking with some old friends. He wanted to spend time with his family, but was never physically around. Most of the memories I have of ‘vacations’ are of me lazing around on the floor somewhere listening to the mechanical whirr of a ceiling fan identical to the one at home.

He was a single dad, I get it. Money is the only thing on your mind when you don’t have a lot of it. But long story short, there’s a certain density to your identity when you’re emotionally neglected. It’s heavy. Confused. And until you take a good look at what’s causing this quiet, internal friction, life feels deeply unsatisfying.

The core function of human beings, in my opinion, is to transmute and alchemize energy through the complex way we consciously feel and understand our emotions. It’s the one thing that actually prevents us from being 100% efficient in our day-to-day life because we don’t seem to have a singular function or goal like plants and animals do.

weird analogy incoming

I planted a vegetable garden pretty recently and I realized as I was watering it today that I’ve been assuming it’s growing and yielding at 100%. It’s not choosing to grow less today. It’s just growing as much as its nutrition and water content. Right? It’s just not that simple for us, but I think it can be.

end of weird analogy

The thing is, I didn’t think about this for a huge part of my life. Then I took myself on my first solo trip with my first big girl paycheck and I’ve never stopped planning the next one.

You can journal, which I did and still do, learn all that you can about manifestations, spiritual journeys, self development, pausing on all of it to build a corporate career, take a break from a 9-5 to work on yourself again, but time and time again, nothing taught me more about myself than when I traveled to a completely brand new place where I didn’t know anyone. Traveling isn’t the only way to do this of course, but it’s the idea of unplugging. Whether that’s taking a hiatus from social media or taking an FMLA from work, you need a way to observe yourself for an undisturbed timeframe.

After prioritizing travel into my self-care routine, I learned:

1. You won’t be able to have clarity on how fragmented you actually are until you start to become whole again.
2. Being witnessed by complete strangers helps you see your uniqueness that you, and even your loved ones, forget about.
3. You’ll always surprise yourself with how you move through the world when you’re alone.
4. Merging the not-so-great parts of your identity into who you present yourself to be gets easier and makes you so much more beautiful.
5. There’s always a theme to your old habits and finding that theme chooses the vehicle in which you change under (mine is very clearly freedom lol).

I initially started this journey as a way to share stories about my trips, favorite gear, solo travel tips, and everything in between. But as I wrote my newsletters I noticed a little breadcrumb in all of my drafts: personal transformation. I do believe that for the ones who feel stagnant, tied to responsibilities, both the ones you did and didn’t sign up for, feel confused no matter how much therapy or journaling they do, traveling might be the secret ingredient for you like it is for me. I know what you’re thinking:

this is the classic ‘running away to escape your problems’ thing

but if you do this right, it’s a way to run towards yourself, not away. You add air and movement to all of that unprocessed garbage because a change in environment forces you to evolve. Your vices are harder to reach for when you’re not at home. All you need are a couple of rituals before and after your travels, smart planning, and you can do this too. I’d like to show you how to start solo traveling if you haven’t done it before, in awhile, or feel like you can’t because of kids, partners, or work.

And if you don’t care for the invitation, all good. Stay for the stories on my favorite places.

Thanks for reading the first post on Nomad’s Nook, connect with me if this resonated. I’d love to hear your stories.

-Cindy

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I’ve been solo traveling for about 8 years now in between work and life. My aim now is to be able to focus all of my energy into enjoying my trips to the fullest. That means no more heavy luggage, over-packing, under-packing, or worrying about my safety when I’m alone. How I’ve been able to do this is by focusing on multi-functional gadgets and swapping out lunky items for more low profile pieces. Here are the things I no longer pack and have never looked back.

6 Things I No Longer Pack for Travel: 

1. A Hair Dryer

Or any other tool that takes up that much space. If your hairdryer is a security blanket for you, then by all means pack it! But with all of the ways you can style your hair with heatless methods, I no longer pack this no matter what kind of trip I’m taking. I’ve also learned how to style my natural hair pattern so that I can get up and go on my more fast paced trips. 

I have low porosity, frizzy curly hair. This is the curling cream duo I use for the most low maintenance routine – https://amzn.to/4ndyIVK

2. Pepper Spray

I’ve found that whether I’m taking a trip in the states or abroad, my trips are relatively safe during the day. Since I make a point to book stays in safer neighborhoods or camp at formal campsites, pepper spray has become something that’s actually unsafe for me to use in crowded areas and not practical when traveling through stricter airports. 

The time that I usually feel the most unsafe is heading back to my stay a little later in the evening and when I stay at a hotel. For some reason, having a ton of rooms around me feels less secure than staying alone at an airbnb. What I pack now for extra safety is a strong door stopper with an alarm. It fits in my bag and is adjustable to fit any kind of door. This way, if someone tries to break into my room the alarm will sound before they can even get the door open (if they even can). Luckily the alarm on mine hasn’t gone off yet, but I sleep so much more soundly knowing I have this bad boy set up!

Grab yours here –  https://amzn.to/3FCsLk7

3. Large Hats

Hear me out. I know if you’re planning a getaway to the beautiful Amalfi coast or to the beautiful French countryside, a wide brimmed hat seems like a must. But all the times I’ve ever packed a cowboy or large brimmed hat, I only wear it on the way to somewhere. Just on the way! Not in the restaurant, not on the plane, train or car ride. Unless it’s a trip for editorial photos, the large hats become so tiresome to transport with you.

Opt for bandanas or large hair accessories instead! Bandanas have been an all time favorite for me because they work as a neck accessory, a way to add color to my jean belt loops or to keep my hair out of my face on long hikes too. I’m currently rocking this one I found on Amazon – https://amzn.to/4jVk9TG 

It’s 100% cotton, has a great mix of dark and light colors for a lot of outfits. Bandanas are also my go-to souvenir from international trips because I get to easily wear the memories attached to them. They’re also usually an item local artists carry and make!

4. RFID Blocking Purses and Bags

For my first few trips, I spent a chunk of change on purses and wallets with built in RFID blocking functions in them. Unfortunately, 8/10 times, I would take my cards and leave the purse at home because it didn’t go with my outfit, was inconvenient to carry along on my excursion, or just not functional enough. Instead, I bring along a simple, low profile daypack that I can carry at the front of my body or around my waist and place RFID blocking cards in the zipper pocket or directly into my wallet of choice for that trip. They sell these in packs of 2 or even 6 so you won’t have to worry about forgetting to switch them out of your bags. This has been probably my favorite swap in the last few years!

They come in many colors but I like black the best – https://amzn.to/43Ilfwi and they really do work!

5. Leather or Bulky Tote Bags

They’re cute when you’re running errands around town or packing your laptop to go work at a coffee shop. But for travel, they’re not really practical for any kind of trip besides work related ones. If you need a more casual bag for farmers markets, road tripping, hiking, etc. I usually pack one that can be tucked away when not in use. This is super handy when you’re at the airport because it’s one less bag to carry en route. 

I’m currently in love with my cotopaxi backpack. She’s perfect for traveling along coast cities, hiking, and is the perfect colorful accessory for structured outfits but casual ones too! Here’s a link to the exact one I have – https://amzn.to/4kG1BYW 

Just know that it has very little structure when empty. But the breathable straps and lightweight design is perfect for tucking away.

6. Heavy-weight luggage

With my travels so far, there are not many hotels that have a ton of room in them like in the states. Even if you’re staying at an incredible resort or in a larger suite, tourist-heavy countries can have really tight free space. Japan was the trip that made me realize that I needed to make some changes in my luggage choices. All of my suitcases could never open all the way and lay flat without taking up precious walkway. But since I’ve switched to the top-open suitcase it’s been a game changer! These suitcases basically have the zipper towards the top. Instead of having half of a suitcase leaning against the wall, it’s a much thinner flap, making all of your items super accessible!

Check out how these work and grab your own here – https://amzn.to/4koNKGv 

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Every trip has different packing specifics but these are my top 6 travel tips that I absolutely love since I made the swaps. Mexico City, Oregon, and Banff were incredible because my focus was on enjoying the trip, not heavy luggage or my safety. 

Thanks for reading. 

If you want more tips, travel guides, or itineraries, sign up to my newsletter for more like this directly in your inbox!

– Cindy

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As a side note, every now and then, I may absolutely love something so much that I share a link to the product. Please know that it’s an earnest review even though it may be one I benefit from if you make a purchase through it. In an attempt to consciously consume, I only recommend things I trust would make your next trip easier so that you don’t have to buy 4 different versions of something, like I frustratingly have.