For this post, I wanted to write about something that I wish I had read before I went on my trip. While there is lots of information on being an expat, and numerous posts about how to spend your one or two week vacation, there is a distinct lack of tips and tricks on how to maximize your lifestyle on a trip between one and three months. This is very different from a two week trip, especially when you're essentially going on six consecutive two week trips to different destinations. There is a lot of flux, and maintaining a rhythm becomes important. For a two week trip, you can throw caution to the wind and do literally whatever you want with minimal adverse effects. Three months, however, is a long time to change how you live, and because of this, maintaining a healthy rhythm and lifestyle becomes integral to enjoying your time away. I want to touch on what I believe to be the four pillars of a healthy lifestyle, and share how I learned to maintain them during my extended trip abroad. If you can take control of your rest, exercise, work and diet, you’re on the right path to maximizing the things you can do while abroad.
The first, and in my opinion most important pillar, is rest. It’s impossible to enjoy yourself during your travels if you are constantly sleep deprived. When you get the right amount of sleep, you have the energy to take on adventures you otherwise would find too difficult. When you are well rested, the world looks just a little bit more colorful. The thought of rest is great, but in practice… It can be very difficult. How can one be expected to not experience the nightlife of a place you're visiting? Isn’t it best to maximize your time in the place you're visiting? You can sleep when you’re dead, right? Well yes, and no. Remember, three months is a long time, so traveling this way is not the same as just visiting a place for a week or two. You are essentially adopting a nomadic lifestyle, emphasis on “lifestyle”. Engaging in the nightlife is important, and I’m not saying you shouldn’t do it. It's balance that’s important. Plan which nights you’re going to go out, and make them packed. But give yourself some rest on other days. Remember, waking up to go watch the sunrise, or exploring a city at dawn can be just as interesting as experiencing local bars and clubs. It will be very different, but since most tourists sleep in after a long night, waking up early can be the perfect time to go to normally packed destinations. Especially in SE Asia, where it gets swelteringly hot during the afternoon, morning hikes through the city can be a welcome respite. The early morning tends to be safer than night, so if you are traveling alone and want to walk through normally slightly unsafe backstreets, dawn is a great time to do it.
As you may have noticed, I called the pillar rest, and not sleep. Rest is just as important as sleep. Taking a nap during the hottest hours of the day can give you an energy boost for the night, or next early morning wakeup, while evading the scalding afternoon sun. It acts as a reset for your day, and can help you enjoy every waking moment. Even if you don’t want to go back to your room to rest, sitting down in a beautiful park with a good book (or kindle) can be just as relaxing. If it’s a safe location, even consider an open air nap. For me, relaxing with a book in the park is the perfect opportunity to observe the locals, and tourists passing by. Whether it's a group doing Tai Chi in the park, or children playing pick up soccer, you can learn alot about the real day-to-day lives of the locals just by relaxing in the same places they do.
Next, I want to touch on exercise. When on a short trip, working out abroad isn’t really necessary, but when going on a longer adventure, it helps you feel good every day. Obviously, if you’re staying in a hotel, finding a place to workout is easy, as many hotels have gyms included in your stay. Even if it's just a thirty minute treadmill jog in the morning, it can start your day off on the right foot. With the amount of food you will likely be eating, it helps your appetite stay normal and keeps your blood circulating. If you’re not staying at a hotel, finding a gym can be a bit difficult. I often stayed at Airbnbs, so I had to employ other means to get my workout in. The first thing I always try is to see if there is a large apartment complex with either an outdoor gym (more popular in SE Asia), or a shared gym you can manage to get into. Often just walking in shouldn’t be a problem (if they kick you out you can always play the tourist card). The next thing I would try is to do a little bit of research on the local gyms in your area. Most of these gyms have a week-long (or sometimes longer) free trial you can do. Don’t be afraid to use google translate to help, and don’t be afraid to go to multiple gyms in the area and use the free trials at each. Finally, I like to remind people that touring in itself is exercise. If you walk as much as I do while exploring a new place, you could easily cover 14 to 15 miles per day. That's a lot of steps, especially if you’re covering elevation or going on mountain hikes, this can sometimes be enough to keep you feeling good. One more thing, don’t hesitate to rent a bike! I rented a bike for one USD in each of the places I went on the first day, so I could go around quickly and get the lay of the land. This is a great way to get some exercise, and super fun as well!
I wish I didn’t have to talk about this (how great would it be if vacation could be free), but making the most of working while traveling is important to staying happy. There are two key things I want to emphasize for this pillar. First, you have to make time to work abroad, it won’t make itself. Second, do not fall into the trap of just working in your hotel room. For me, what worked best is choosing specific days to dedicate entirely to working. I found that time blocking within a day was hard, as touring always took longer than expected, and I would find myself stressed out, sweating to get to a place to work by the time I scheduled. It also forced me to go home and get my stuff, adding transportation time into the mix. I would definitely recommend choosing whole days instead of time blocking within them. While working abroad, I realized that if I stayed in my hotel room to work, I soon felt claustrophobic and unmotivated. My bed was so close, it beckoned me for a nap, I could watch videos aloud, or organize my things. There were too many distractions. I had to leave. The most common place I chose to work were cafes. The ambient noise helped with focus (it's hard to get distracted when everyone is speaking a language you don’t understand), and getting a drink and a snack allowed me to work for longer, without a break, while still trying some local cuisine. Another route I often took was sitting down under a tree at a park to work (or a temple park). It’s just as relaxing, but unfortunately there are fewer coffee options. If none of those sounded nice, I would go to a very boujee hotel, and work in the lobby! Free wifi and great furniture are the big draws here. Otherwise, I would go to a museum garden or courtyard, sometimes the most well curated of all the options. I did this in Amsterdam at the Rijksmuseum and really enjoyed it! To me, the place you work can decide how productive you are, so putting some thought into it is completely worth it.
The final element I consider a pillar to maximizing your lifestyle while on an extended trip abroad is diet. Diet can change your mood, and is a key factor in all travel. Here’s my advice. Eat everything and enjoy yourself. Three months is a long time, but the extra pound or two you gain will easily fall away when you switch back to your normal diet. You may never again have a chance to eat these local cuisines, so take advantage of it. Who knows, you might find your favorite dish while you’re away.
If you can take control of all four of these pillars: rest, exercise, work and diet, you will be able to maximize your mood, and the amount of things you can do while traveling. Best of all, it can help you feel at home away from home. A routine of any kind can be calming, and putting just a little thought into each of these pillars can ensure you have a great trip.