traveling | Chocolate Covered Race Medals

And just like that, my mini vacation is coming to an end. I apologize that I have been a tad distant from the blogger world the past few days.

When I walked out of the office Wednesday afternoon, I knew I had a jam packed schedule ahead of me. What I didn’t know is how exhausted I would be by the end of it because it was just Such.A.Blast.

My Mini Vacation Highlights

running with my favorite boys

Drinks and celebratory sushi

A night in the mountains

A mentally and physically challenging hike in the mountains

The most fun race I have ever participated in

And some time catching up with old friends for an old fashioned Sunday Funday.

While I don’t think I could have packed too much more into my mini vacation, I wouldn’t change a second of it. I woke up this morning, and slowly enjoyed my coffee while I started thinking about everything that I have ahead of me.

I really don’t know what’s going to happen at this new position. I know it’s going to be challenging, I know it’s going to be emotionally harsh at times, and I know the hours will be long.

But more importantly, I feel like I am joining what seems to be an amazing agency that really cares about their employees and the work that they do. I have an amazingly supportive family that I know will have dinner on the table for me after long days, and fully support me when I choose to hit the gym for an hour after a 10-12 hour day, just for my own sanity.

What I want to prioritize during the next couple of weeks is staying level headed during such a huge time of transition. I want to continue to prioritize my family, my health, and my overall balance that seems to be the first thing to drop when times get busy.

Of course, I fully intend for that to include my LOVE here at Chocolate Medals, so bear with me while I mumble and share with you all my ups and downs of this little roller coaster I’ve been on. The support I get from you all means more than you know — so I hope you stick around 🙂

And just because. . .

Scenes from my morning bike ride. . .

The beautiful Sloan’s Lake, just part of my bike ride this morning that may or may not have ended with me stopping at a cupcake shop for “final celebration treats” to wrap up my mini vaca. Gluten free mexican chocolate for me, and I can’t wait 🙂 Life is all about balance, am I right?

Any advice for me going into all this?

If you are an avid reader of Chocolate Medals here, you know that myself AND my husband have been traveling a bit lately…and that isn’t going to stop anytime soon.

Here’s our upcoming schedule

Mid November (undisclosed location for the time being. Sorry for the cliff hanger, I’ll definitely chat about it when it gets here 🙂
Thanksgiving: North Carolina
Christmas: Saint Louis, MO
February 1: HONEYMOON – Austria

And that’s only the trips we’re flying to. Now that it’s ski season, Zach and I are CONSTANTLY on the go, and are known to escape for weekends on a minutes notice. While most of these are driving, the challenges of road trips and short weekends run similar to those of flying.

With all this traveling we HAVE done and WILL be doing, and knowing that many of us will be traveling through the Holiday’s, I figured it was a perfect time to share some of my favorite healthy snacks and tips!

Plane/Road Trip Snacks And Tips

I don’t know about you all, but I an a bored eater. So when I’m traveling, I need to have access to snacks at all times. This is good and all, but can be a problem when it’s a good 4 or 5 hours I may be traveling. So, here are a few things I snack on, and a few things I do to try and do to keep from overdoing it on the snacks.

Favorite Snacks

My go to snack for traveling is a GOOD trail mix (meaning it’s got a wide variety of sweet and salty) and a good bar of DARK chocolate. These fulfill my sweet tooth and salty tooth, with a healthy spin. Because of the high quality of ingredients, I normally don’t NEED to eat much to be satisfied. The important thing for me: giving myself WHAT I know will satisfy my body so I don’t overdo it on something else.

And for me, I ALWAYS bring my own snacks — I like to know what I’ll be eating, and I don’t like paying an arm and a leg for a sandwich or snack that I can make MUCH better myself!

To KEEP from Snacking Away You’re Travels. . . (especially on LONG flights or road trips)

When I know I’m going to be traveling through meal times, I make sure to bring something light but substantial with a balance of carbs, protein and fat to keep me from getting hungry and tempted to eat my weight in trail mix.

Sandwiches are my favorite go-to for this (no matter the time of day). I try to focus on protein and good quality bread or wrap, and less cheese for these. I have a quasi sensitive stomach, and don’t want to risk bloating up with TOO much cheese (I said TOO much, not none at all, 🙂

HYDRATE

A major key to staying healthy during traveling is staying hydrated. If you’re good with getting down your H20, then just bring an empty bottle and fill it up when you cross security AND before you get on the plane.

If you’re like me and maybe not so good at it, but know you should, I go for coconut water or sparkling water. Both are delicious and easy for me to get down!

I will be the first to admit that I’ll order a glass of wine on a flight if we’re going somewhere for fun or celebration periodically. It’s fun and it’s a good way for me to get into the vacation mindset. With that said, having alcohol makes it THAT MUCH MORE important that you are hydrating properly otherwise…as it dehydrates you in an already very dry environment.

Comfort

I always try and dress comfortable and warm for flights. By nature I am cold, so a scarf, whether it’s Summer or Winter, is a given.

I normally like to take a large one, that can double as a blanket when I undoubtedly get cold.

Lululemon is pretty much my go-to for traveling. They have a compression element to them, they’re nice looking, and super comfortable.

But arguably my most important piece of clothing for traveling are my compression socks (or calf sleeves in the Summer).

I almost always run when I’m on vacation, so I’m going to need my compression socks anyway. Why not wear them on the plane or car and help alleviate the swelling that happens from traveling.

And if you’re traveling for a race, I CANNOT STRESS THIS ONE ENOUGH! I might even add wearing your running shoes to the air port as well…I know as a runner we’re taught not to wear our running shoes for anything OTHER than running…but you’re not going to forget them if you’re wearing them, that’s for sure!

Distractions and Entertainment

Whether I’m flying for an hour or for 10, I always bring MORE than enough reading material to keep my mind occupied. Both to distract me from the time and boredom, and to distract me from snacking!

(there’s my scarf, sparkling water, and book for my trip to St Louis for the race. You better believe I was wearing my compression socks as well!)

Another tip for those traveling for a race, bring inspirational reading. I bought a Runner’s magazine a few days before the flight, and I had a Self Magazine that I held onto for traveling so that when the pre-race nerves started coming up, I could pump myself up with some good quick reading.

And most importantly, try and enjoy your travels. However you can.

Zach and I have traveled together so much by this point, that we have it down to a science…and that really helps as far as planning and NOT forgetting things, getting there on time, etc. We’re good travel buddies, and have learned how much more fun traveling really is when we have each other 🙂 We don’t talk very much on the planes, but it’s still nice to have someone there to chat with when you want to, or to fall asleep on 🙂 And to grab a beer or glass of wine with when your flight gets delayed ;)…

Question of the Afternoon: Where’s your next trip planned?

Can’t say. . . but will soon 😉