The things that change your travel game don’t always involve travel itself. As a Gen X woman and a travel content creator, I’ve realized that for most people, achieving your travel goals is a holistic undertaking that requires more than collecting hotel or airline points.
There are plenty of websites that tell you how to earn free stuff, and make the most of your credit cards and frequent traveler accounts. And those things are great. But I’m here to go deeper.
1) The Absolute Best Hack for Travel as a Gen X Woman
Unsolicited advice and a potentially unpopular opinion from a Gen X woman to other women incoming!
If your New Year’s resolution includes traveling more, or taking that once-in-a-lifetime journey you’ve been dreaming of, there’s something that will 100% improve the quality of every single trip you take, anywhere in the world, at any time, and it’s totally free, but you may not have thought of it.
Work on your health, and get your steps in. I’m serious. Even if you have to walk laps around the house or apartment while you doomscroll, even if you park your car a couple blocks from work every day, or walk the dog more than usual, even if you start small but make small improvements, it all counts.
These photos of the stairs (top row) and the end result (bottom row) would not have been possible for me without some work.
Before you travel, try to work up to 8-10,000 steps a day on most days. Try to add some hills and stairs. Try to do some of it outside. And get yourself a solid pair of walking shoes with arch support and a wide toe box. (That’s on my list for this year!) And when you’re feeling up to it, do some strength training as well.
There is no amount of airline miles, or Black Friday deals, and no clever travel hacks that will matter if you are exhausted, in pain, or unable to do the things you’ve been dreaming of. Ask me how I know.
Starting from Zero
A few years ago I spent New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day, and a lot of other days, in the hospital. My awesome husband came with plastic champagne glasses and sparkling apple juice, and noisemakers, and little hats that said ‘Happy New Year.’ At that moment I think we were both pretty sure I was going to die. My resolution was not to. And I stuck to it.
But during those weeks when I wasn’t sure what the outcome was going to be, and after pondering all the big questions, I wondered what would happen to our plans of moving to Germany. There was a chance my husband would be offered a job there, and it had always been my dream – since I was a little kid – to live in Europe and travel. Everything seemed to be crumbling.
Long story short, my health outcome wasn’t the worst case scenario we had feared, but I was told to be as sedentary as possible for what turned out to be six months, until my condition resolved. It was a major effort just to move from one room to another. It was no fun, but it was way better than dying so I sucked it up and felt grateful I dodged a bullet!
The day I was able to unload the dishwasher I felt like Wonder Woman. The day I could walk up the stairs without having to stop to rest – double Wonder Woman!
We did make it to Europe in 2022 somehow, and then, there I was… with my dreams at my doorstep… totally out of shape, with no muscle tone, out of breath, no energy, no stamina. Ohhh, the irony.
So, I’ve been working now for two years, like it’s my full-time job, to build back up, get healthy again, and exceed the abilities I had before. And I’ve done it.
Other Travel Hacks/Coming Home Hacks That Made My Life Better as a Gen X Woman
Now, back to the hacks. After years of living and consistent traveling all across Europe, here are the things (some seem weird, I know) that have really made a difference in my life this year.
2) Packing Light
It became clear right away that hauling my giant full-sized suitcase, and my purse, and my carry-on, and my dog and her carrier, and her food and travel supplies… etc. etc. was not going to be viable. So each trip we took, we managed to pack less and less. My inspiration and lessons came at the end of a trip when I’d pull out all the things I never used. Then I’d take a good hard look at myself and my ridiculous packing strategy.
We’re now down to my husband and I sharing one medium sized bag, and Helga the frenchie having one small bag, and life is good. It means only one trip from the car to the hotel room, and a manageable haul up long flights of stairs (Italy, I’m looking at you!)
For trips longer than a week, it’s the same amount of luggage because… we wash clothes in the room. Which brings me to my next thing.
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3) Dr. Bronner’s Soap
Absolutely amazing stuff. Get yourself a tiny little travel-sized bottle, plus a big one to refill it, and you’ll thank me. Especially for summertime travel it has been a gift. We’ve used a bathtub to wash clothes in, when we’ve had one, or a sink with one piece of clothing at a time when we didn’t.
A little of this soap goes a long way. And many hotels have a clothesline apparatus in the shower wall where you can pull a cord across and hang wet things. We’ve also wrung hard, and then hung clothes on hangers in the closet, used towel bars, or backs of chairs. Just don’t hang your stuff out the window or on a balcony because you may get a call from the front desk!
4) Kizik shoes
I loooove these shoes. But you can find any sneakers you like that are comfortable, cushioned, and here’s the real magic – slip on! I don’t know how many hours of tying and untying I’ve saved with these shoes, but I’m sure it will be substantial by the time I wear them out.
These are the perfect shoes for moderate levels of walking. They can be dressed up or down, worn with jeans or dresses, and come in a wide variety of colors and styles. I have the Irvine in black and white, and I’m thinking about more…
On my list for next year is a true hard-core walking shoe with a wide toe box. I will report back.
5) Comfortable Dog Shoulder Bag
Toting a neurotic french bulldog through airports, train stations, and hotels will not make your shoulders happy. Helga walks on a leash sometimes, but other times she’s either not allowed, or she’s just being too crazy. So instead of using her airline carrier with handles, we picked up a sweet little cross-bodyshoulder bag with a big ol’ padded shoulder strap. Game changer.
She likes it too because she can snuggle up against us as we carry her around like the Queen she knows she is.
6) These Bed Sheets in Particular
I know this sounds ridiculous, and no I don’t bring them with me when I travel, but one of my favorite parts about coming home after a long trip is my own pillow and these sheets. They are the softest, buttery-est, easiest-to-make-the-bed-with sheets I’ve ever had in my life. And they are incredibly affordable! I’ve bought three sets this year, and even put them in the guest room.
Sleep is another thing that is essential for all-around good health and maintaining energy, and as I’ve gotten older I’ve realized this more and more. I treat my sleep space with great care, and make sure my mattress, my pillows, and my linens make me happy.
7) These Laundry Sheets and Dryer Sheets
I thought I couldn’t love my bed sheets more, but I just discovered I was wrong! Last year I switched up my old laundry pods with a giant jug of detergent, and this year I kept going in an ecological direction and ditched the jug for these cool little soap sheet thingys! Just throw them in with a load and somehow they turn into soap in there, and that’s it. Super cheap, eco-friendly, no plastic, no giant heavy laundry jugs, no nasty chemicals against my skin, no artificial fragrance, no micro-plastics, no mess.
Then, while I was high on feeling all environmentally friendly and health conscious, I also switched out my old dryer sheets to these dryer sheets that are scented with real lavender essential oil which actually calms you and helps you sleep. What a difference, omg!
I’m pretty sure between the sheets, the sheets, and the sheets, my whole sleeping experience is pretty perfect.
8) Banana Toothpaste (Don’t judge me!)
Stay with me here. A flood of scientific research in the last few years has confirmed that oral health is not just oral health but can affect many other aspects of your physical wellbeing – even your heart!
And I’m sure I’m not the only one out there who hates “minty fresh” toothpaste and feels like it’s causing chemical burns on my gums every time I use it.
For me, finding a toothpaste that I actually like means that I brush my teeth longer. And if you brush your teeth longer, then you improve your health. And if you improve your health, you are able to do more, and see more, and travel more. Six degrees of justification for my awesome banana toothpaste from HiSmile! Yes, I feel like I’m brushing with Laffy Taffy and I’m ok with that because I actually look forward to brushing, and do it for a long time.
And let’s face it, as Gen-Xers we’re beginning to realize that we aren’t immortal and sometimes, small little things that make us happy are just worth it for that reason alone.
HiSmile has all kinds of unlikely flavors, one of which is sure to be the perfect match for you. They also have mint for some reason.
Content Creators Who Have Made My Life Better This Year
9) Schellea Fowler and Her YouTube Channel
A huuuuuge thank you to YouTuber Schellea Fowler who is a travel creator, without even knowing she’s a travel creator. She has a series of amazing exercise videos that are not made for 19-year old endurance athletes 🙌, but cater to the GenX woman, and are pretty customizable for duration and skill level.
When I began consciously to work on regaining strength and health in 2022, and after many false starts, I finally found this YouTube Channel. I started out with stretches. Then 7 minute stationary walking workouts. Then 15, then 30-minute full body exercises. Then I started adding her weight training videos, and when I tell you that this has been the biggest game changer for me and being able to do the things I want to do when traveling, I mean it.
I often think back to my time in the hospital as I’m heading up a 300-stair tower in Italy, or looking at my Fitbit and seeing that I made it over 20,000 steps, or heading up a hill that would have left me winded and resting half way up. You may find another channel that works for you, but Schellea and Fabulous Fifties is pretty… well, fabulous! And you should definitely at least check them out.
The bottom line is, find a person and program that you like, set your intention, start small, increase bit by bit, and go! You will thank yourself a million times. Believe me, if I did it, starting from zero, anyone can.
10) Dr. Mary Claire Haver
Here’s another amazing woman who is on a mission to empower the GenX woman or any woman who is going through, or has gone through the menopause transition. She’s all over social media with informative videos, and this is her comprehensive website called thepauselife.com.
Let’s just say that feeling depleted, defeated, worn down, and like you have no idea whose body that is in the mirror may be “normal,” but normal is not optimal, and it’s not something you just have to accept. The list of symptoms associated with perimenopause and menopause is actually staggering, and the research done on it in the past is basically nil. If you’ve heard, “oh that’s just part of getting older” when you talk to your doctor, remind them that so is deteriorating eyesight but that doesn’t mean you don’t treat it!
Dr. Haver is an absolute font of wisdom, information, and enthusiasm, and you should check out her social media accounts. One of her most valuable messages is giving women the tools to know how to advocate for themselves, what questions to ask, and when to dump your provider. I dumped mine with a smile on my face and moved the heck on!
She also has a recently released book called The New Menopause. Inspirational.
Hormone health is HEALTH!
11) Find Your Message
I’m not usually one to hang up motivational messages on the wall, but this year I made an exception. I had this image framed and used it on a table at my and my husband’s wedding. Now it’s on the wall in front of my treadmill. It reminded me of why I roll out of bed in the morning and make it a priority to keep going, to get on the treadmill, or do the workout.
Because this is really what it’s all about for me. It’s about being able to go, to do, to see, to be, and to experience life and adventure with the person I love. So find what your thing is, or steal this one. But make it something that matters. The real reason you want to travel, and be healthy, and explore.
Resolutions for Next Year
Well, that’s it for this traveling GenX woman for this year.
Next year, my resolutions for improving my life and my travel experience are to find the perfect walking shoe for longer walks, add a few more pieces to my capsule mix-and-match wardrobe, check out merino wool which is supposed to be amazing, get a better, larger, more comfortable backpack than the one I have, and maybe even find a frenchie-friendly backpack for a certain someone.
And of course, I intend to stick with this year’s exercise program and keep improving bit by bit.
I hope you have a great year, I hope at least one of these tips helped you in some way, and I hope you make a lot of your own discoveries that improve your body, mind, and spirit!
Travel on!
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I’m a fellow gen-x’er who went through a similar experience following Covid in 2020, and had to patiently fight my way back. It makes climbing that hill or mountain, or hard set of stairs all that more meaningful. Wishing you a wonderful and healthy year of travels.
I’m sorry about that… I think COVID and its long-term ramifications hit a lot of people hard. Wishing you healthy and happy travels as well!
Congrats on a great year and better health. When my husband and I travel to Europe, we often walk 10+ miles in a day. Definitely a great idea to become acclimated to lots of walking before you leave.
Thank you! Have fun logging all those steps in the new year!
Love this post! An an older millennial (or a Xennial as some say), I can relate! Never heard of banana toothpaste – I’m all for ‘strange’ scents so this is something I would totally try.
Thanks! Life is short – try new things! 🙂
YOU ROCK. I agree about getting your steps in. Also, I got my knees fixed (replaced). So now I can hike up the pyramids, take the stairs and walk the extra mile!!
Thanks, Scott! You are one of my travel heroes! Hooray for new knees and new adventures! 🙂
The trouble with stairs regarding fitness, is that no matter how many you go up, you have to go back down! So whatever exercise value there is in going up, it seems to me it is reversed when you relax going back down. So exercise value equals zero! Think about it! (also, seeing how narrow many of those stairs are, what happens when people going up run into people going down?)
Dogs on a plane. None of those ideas work if the dog is bigger than you are. Saint Bernards, for example.
I love my Keens. I am such a fan. Very pricy, and worth every cent. I have hiking boots, water shoes, sneakers, and my everyday walking shoes. Excellent toe box! I will send you a picture of them. Clunky, but then, so am I. They are heavy, but I can walk for miles in them.