The Art of Slow Travel: Returning to Yourself During Summer Travel
This morning, I prepare for six weeks of travel. And as I was reflecting about past travels, I realized that my favorite trips were not the ones that were the busiest, but the ones that offered me a moment to savor wherever I was at. There was a trip to Fort Walton Beach, Florida, and another one to Freiburg, Germany, and another one where I passed through Vicksburg, Mississippi, and all three of these trips had one thing in common: the pace was slower. I did things that locals do, went to local places, not chains. It all offered me the opportunity to immerse myself into the culture of each location while also being able to actually sit down and journal and reflect.
Places I remember in Freiburg, Germany — being able to do my laundry and go to the market and pick up strawberries with my friends who were on the study abroad with me. And on the side of the road, the strawberries were so sweet, and we sat, just the six of us, reflecting and being able to just sit in one another’s company with the doors open to the Juliet balcony and the breeze just blowing into the room. It felt like home. Even though I wasn’t home, I was halfway across the world, the feeling I had was a feeling of peace, like I was home.
It was the same with Vicksburg, Mississippi. I stayed at a bed-and-breakfast that was, I think, the most historic in town, and it allowed my dog to stay for free, which is just such a luxury. The bed-and-breakfast was quieter, and I don’t think I had very many guests that particular day, although it was usually booked. I remember being able to walk my dog around the neighborhood and have a delicious breakfast the next morning that was home cooked, and being able to watch the sunset over the Mississippi River. It was just a slower pace, and even though I was only stopping through, I extended for the night so that I could take my time instead of just rushing to the next destination.
And then there was a trip to Florida where I spent some time on a secluded beach that a lot of people don’t know about, but it sits between Pensacola and Panama City, and it’s called Princess Beach. I went out there and there was only one other person on the beach that day. It was right before a thunderstorm, and the sky looked like the clouds were forming waves. It was so beautiful and just perfect and serene and a little bit melancholy, but like in a good way.
Those are the trips that really have stuck with me over the years, and as I thought about it, it was because they actually gave me breathing room. I had hours where I wasn’t having to be at a destination; I was immersed in the destination. So as I began to take off for this summer, I planned itineraries that look very different than what I’ve done in the past.
One of the things I’m doing differently this year is I’ve noticed that as I travel, I love my mornings and evenings to kind of anchor the day. So even if I’m traveling with the kids, or whether I’m solo, whether I have the dog or don’t have the dog, whether I’m on a plane or on a road trip, having my mornings slow really helps me have a better day. I have a tendency to stay up a lot later when I travel; no matter how much I try to go to bed early, I am too excited. So being able to have a slow get-up, grab my coffee at a local place, get myself dressed, a walk in the morning, journaling, some quiet time with the Lord — all of that is really important to me. So that’s one thing that is kind of the carrying non-negotiable, whether I’m traveling with others or not.
And the other thing that is non-negotiable is giving myself time in the afternoon to also decompress. With a toddler, oftentimes I need to have a quieter moment, just because chasing after him all morning kind of wears us both out. So having the opportunity to either go to a low-key pool, a low-key beach, or just be able to rest at the hotel — those are all things that I’ve kind of planned into most of the days I’m traveling. Or if I am driving or flying during those times, giving myself permission not to feel like I have to be overly productive.
Now, one of the things that a lot of people are perplexed about, for those that travel frequently, is how do we get work done. Well, I’ll tell you: a lot of the work that I do is in small batches. So having my bare minimum, which is the Sunday Letter that comes out every Sunday — having my bare minimum and working a couple of weeks ahead really helps. The other thing that really helps is having an editorial flow to my week, just a couple of punctuations of series that I’m doing, like doing a series on Notes on Returning on TikTok and also a series of travel tips and travel posts. Those are things that, if I do them consistently, I don’t have to think very hard about them. So I went ahead, before the summer even started, and with the help of AI, we put together a calendar so that I could be able to travel and still keep up with the content that I create that allows me to continue traveling.
Lastly, I’m really making sure that I have time with the Lord, because with all of the new stimulation and the different cultures of everywhere that you go, it can be easy to kind of get lost in the hustle. And so one of the things that I’ve chosen is a key scripture that anchors my trips as well. Right now I’m really focused on Psalm 15. It’s a beautiful scripture about people who hold righteousness — they dwell in the holy place of the Lord — and that’s something that I’m carrying with me no matter where I go. As I meet new people and as I come across people’s stories, being able to stop and listen with intention and not be rushed to go do the next thing on my to-do list, making strong connections is really, really key as I continue through the summer.
To follow along my stories over the summer, make sure you subscribe to Sunday letters, where you will also receive my top five travel essentials that will just kind of help you get organized before you take your own trip. Also, I’d love to hear from you guys — where are you traveling this summer? So feel free to leave me a comment below, or where you would love to travel. If you have nothing planned, feel free to leave me a comment below, and who knows — I might take a trip towards that direction.
