June is here and we are FREE!

I am sitting in Mons, Belgium writing this letter to you amidst my travels that are FINALLY able to happen for us. We’ve spent 14 of the last 16 months sitting in our home, starring at our same walls, rearranging the furniture time and time again, and purging all the belongings. Trust me when I say we all need to get out and experience some life again. Not to mention if I rearrange the living room again my husband might start having an issue with the ever changing layout. But what else was I suppose to do while in lockdowns?

We are back in Belgium at my in-laws home visiting for less than 24 hours. We were here last weekend for 4 days, home for 1.5 days, then off to Bavaria AJ and I went for three days. We will get home and have 2 days to wash, clean, and repack before heading out on our leave time in France… well at this moment it’s France. We have nothing booked, nothing planned, are still checking on the rules for entering that country and where to get PCR tests… but it’s all good. We don’t leave until Wednesday (I’m typing this all out right now on Saturday)… 4 days y’all! In 4 days we leave for a week long trip that isn’t booked or planned. I have MISSED this type of traveling so incredibly much that I am not stressed by this but so incredibly thrilled and joyful about the adventure. It will be blissful no matter what.

While our trip to Bavaria was so short, I got to spend time with friends doing very real life to do list things and catching up, celebrating a wonderful leader in the army as he moves onto his next job, seeing friends, and antiquing. Belgium has allowed for lots of walks, sightseeing, and spending time with family relaxing.

So how am I keeping up with any nutrition plan or workouts while I travel? In truth… a whole heck of a lot of grace and creativity! Yes I do pack some snacks, but I’ve also realized that when we are traveling, unpacking, repacking, and traveling some more… the coolers, proper snacks and all the veggies don’t always happen. So this time it’s Beachbar for each day for both AJ and I, my sticks of Energize for workouts, Bevvy so that I am filled with proper soluble fiber and able to keep the munching on fast food at bay, and a Shakeology packet for each day with my Collagen and Supergreens boost for the extra veggie serving.

In the car this last time I grabbed strawberries and blackberries with some meat and cheese. So as we drove I snacked on that. Stateside I would get the little cheese sticks, or squeaky cheese (can’t take the Wisconsin out of me) and good summer sausage. Here I get some precut gouda, or cheddar from the local store and salami milano. Bananas are a great way to get fruit and carbs on the go. I also always travel with almonds and cashews for easy healthy fats. When I travel I don’t measure, or log my food in all honesty; I enjoy the local culture, restaurants, and eat without stuffing myself. I also make sure I am properly hydrated so that I don’t eat out of dehydration.

As I finish this letter less than 24 hours after I started; our travel plans are still not booked, have pivoted to two different countries (thanks to boarder regulations that are ever changing), and am prepping my grocery list for our next road trip adventure.

Here’s what it includes: Strawberries, bananas, cheese, salami milano, apples, carrots, almonds, pumpkin seeds, cashews.

All of which requires limited refrigeration/cooler space and is easy to eat in the car.

How do I keep my workouts in for our trips? Simplicity and moving in ways that bring me joy! I love that my phone has all my workouts (1,500+) on it; but when traveling I also enjoy hiking, walking, and running in the local area. I bring tennis shoes when I travel…sometimes my BOD Ropes but nothing else. I choose workouts that require no equipment and minimal space or use our miles of walking and hiking we do for the day as my workout.

Like I said I stay on track with a whole heck of a lot of grace and some creativity. We enjoy our travels and aren’t very strict during them. But we also don’t over indulge. We enjoy the local food and culture and live in that as much as possible.

I hope this letter and travel tips for keeping on track while enjoying all that your summer adventures have to offer. Need more tips? Have a specific question? Want to see where we actually end up on this trip that’s in less than 72 hours with no concrete plan? Follow me on social or reach out via email.

Reading: I just finished Soup by John Gordon and loved it! I have more of his books coming and will be using them as gifts for my coaches in the future because reading, growing, and personal development is so very important. Now I’m starting “I am here” by Ashley Lemieux, she’s a beautiful soul and so inspiring and I’m reading it with my sister as a long distance book club of sorts. Below is the books I’ve read so far this year (through April 2021). Some are fiction some are non fiction and I loved them all!

Eating: This entire newsletter was dedicated to travel nutrition and what I do… so go enjoy life! Eat some greens! Take a nice walk! Fuel your body for health because you deserve it not because of some punishment you think you need. Love your body well!

Workouts: After taking a 9 week break from heavy weight lifting. I’ve put them back into my routine. But not daily. I’m currently doing a mix of MBF and Barre Blend from beachbody while using my traveling as time for walks and runs in different cultures. I’m following a calendar for it loosely and listening to my body for what it wants that day.

Doing: WE ARE FINALLY FREE! Well kind of. We are following the boarders that are open and on the road as much as we can be. It has to stay semi limited because of the hubby’s job, but we are making the very best of every minute we have. This month alone we are seeing Bavaria, Mons, and France wait no…Austria and Croatia… (still being planned… we leave in two days… it will all be fine and so so fun!)

Last month we chatted about our relationship with food and how it’s not the enemy! As well as some super yummy recipes I’ve been loving! Go check it out in the news letter feed where all the previous letters will be archived for you.

July will be full of summer fun, tips for parties and celebrations as well as information on a fun new workout sneak peek all about functional fitness and priming your body for REAL LIFE.

If you have enjoyed this share it! I’d love to help others I wouldn’t be able to reach on my own!

Share Happiness Unleashed with Samantha Mans

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