I had every intention of getting this Substack – a reminder about all of the amazing stories of women we met in London and featured in our latest episode of The WTAF Show – out the door before U.S. Memorial Day weekend.

But as tends to happen, life got in the way.

The mundane details of my own crazy schedule and interruptions over this weekend aren’t that important; likely, most women can relate to them. That said, I’ve had a few moments where I really wished I was elsewhere with a fresh stamp in my passport.

But as I sit instead in my home office, finally getting these thoughts down, I’m reminded that we’re nearing the end of May – an entire month filled with social observances that should matter to women.

Beyond Mother’s Day, did you observe any of them?

Over the past decade, we’ve seen the zeitgeist narratives center on women when March comes around. Women’s History Month and International Women’s Day are the dedicated moments when we talk broadly about the needs, gaps, issues, crises, priorities and opportunities for women and girls worldwide. I’m grateful for it, because we need front-and-center conversations about the role of women in culture, and how we expect women and girls to be treated, respected and valued – by men, by employers, by governments, and by society at large.

But we all know that our lives don’t exist within the confines of a 31-day window each year: our careers, social lives, relationships, family and friends and self-care and wellness call on us daily. Being a woman is a 24/7 job. And let’s face it: it’s a tough time for women everywhere, especially when it comes to our privacy, our health care and our personal freedoms. (If you’re a U.S. citizen, I hope you’re already looking ahead to November. Please don’t skip the vote.)

May is usually – at least in the U.S. – known for two observances: Mother’s Day and Memorial Day. But did you observe any of these? May is also:

·       Women’s Health Week (U.S.)

·       Mental Health Awareness Month

·       National Physical Fitness and Sports Month (U.S.)

·       Menstrual Hygiene Awareness Day (May 28)

·       Better Sleep Month

·       Family Wellness Month

·       National Blood Pressure Month (U.S.)

·       National Arthritis Month (U.S.)

May in general trends toward personal wellness: physical and mental. (I find it an interesting juxtaposition with Mother’s Day.) We all could stand to do a better job taking care of our own mental health, our physical wellbeing, our bodies and our minds.

Fact: May 28 is Menstrual Hygiene Awareness Day. We spent time in London talking tampons over pub grub and pints with Here We Flo co-founder Susan Allen.

If you’ve ever been on a flight, you’ve heard the crew review the safety features and remind passengers that, in the event that air masks drop down, “secure your own mask before assisting others.” It’s a great lesson for day-to-day life: we can only show up in the best ways for others if we’re taking care of ourselves first.

So what do health and wellness have to do with travel, art and food?

At the risk of sounding hyperbolic… everything.

When we travel for ourselves – to feed our curiosity, to explore different places, different cultures, and different cuisines – we stretch our minds and our bodies in myriad ways. Think of how we feel just at the suggestion of taking a trip: the mere thought triggers excitement, pleasure, anticipation, endorphins racing to our brains about the good times we’ll have in a new destination. Perhaps it’s an escape, a reason to rest and unplug, or an expansion of our world view.

Sometimes, the ground beneath our feet can remind us to take care of our wellbeing. Mosaic tile floor, National Gallery, London.

And if you’re looking for more reasons to travel for your own good, consider the emerging industry of wellness tourism. Defined by The Global Wellness Institute as “travel associated with the pursuit of maintaining or enhancing one’s personal wellbeing,” this powerful intersection of tourism and wellness is growing rapidly as more people now expect to continue healthy lifestyles and wellness routines when they’re away from home.

While primary wellness travelers take trips specifically for wellness (think a yoga retreat in Belize), others – like me – seek to maintain our wellness while traveling. Fundamentally, travel is taxing physically, and fighting jetlag is priority 1 whenever we land in a new time zone.

For me, it’s about movement. My first priority once I’m off the plane is a good amount of steady walking and, if time allows, strength training, which I can usually do while on the road thanks to my Anytime Fitness membership: as a member, I can access any of their 5,500 club locations worldwide. I also have access to my coach and personalized plan via the AF app, which also includes full integration of Apple Fitness+ content.

Friends take other approaches when they travel. Diana O’Gilvie, who owns and operates Urban Sass Travel, went for a traditional Asian medicine (TAM) treatment when we visited London earlier this year in Kentish Town at Touch Tuina, which tackled both her jetlag and menopausal symptoms.

Mariana gives Diana a traditional Asian medicine treatment for her jetlag and menopause symptoms. Touch Tuina, Kentish Town, London.

Granted, travel can be stressful – but remember, especially as women, we have adaptability as a superpower. Plus, with travel communities and tour guides like Solo in Style and Urban Sass, excellent information and tips from trusted sources like Conde Nast Traveler, and (I hope you’ll agree) inspirational stories of travel like those we share via The WTAF Show, it’s never been easier to build up one’s confidence and get inspired to take that trip.

Even with all these terrific options and the wellness advantages of travel, however, some people simply cannot – for whatever reason – travel themselves. But I wouldn’t discount the benefits of virtual participation in travel, even if just watching (ahem) a food & travel show. The stories from far-off locations can inspire us in endless ways, opening our minds to new ideas and ways of living that can touch our own lives.

Above all, we have to give ourselves the gift of wellness, and sometimes that means saying yes to our own wishes to take the trip.

Back in 2019, our son (a junior in high school at the time) had a winter baseball scrimmage that fell on my birthday weekend. As much as I love watching him play, I didn’t find the prospect of turning 48 sitting poolside in a Wisconsin hotel in subzero conditions all that appealing. So I said aloud: “I’d like to use some of my miles and go to London for a long weekend.” Both son and husband smiled – they knew I’d have a blast. And I did. I didn’t travel extravagantly; in fact, I kept my daily spend under $100. But I spent five days walking everywhere, riding the tube, paying my respects to Elizabeth I (a fascinating woman of her time), eating a Cornetto in Hyde Park, touring the Serpentine Gallery and the Tate Modern, and digging into a Welsh rarebit at the bar at the legendary Covent Garden restaurant, The Ivy. I came home refreshed and inspired.

Happy solo travel birthday to me: Welsh rarebit, ruby port and a surprise plate of truffles from the bar staff. The Ivy, Covent Garden, London, February 2019.

Wellness is a running theme across all of our episode trips – New York, Jamaica, Los Angeles, Ghana, Atlanta, London. Earlier this month, we wrapped filming in New Orleans, which will drop this summer, and that theme continues there. In fact, I can’t see how we can make The WTAF Show without an emphasis on wellness because travel itself is an act of wellness. True, it can be expensive, whether in time or money or both. But with a bit of resolve, planning and adaptability – even if just watching a food & travel show - it is possible to gain the wellness benefits of travel experiences.

Perhaps you can’t travel right now, but our stories are a nice way to close out this most excellent month of health and wellness observances.

And if you get a chance next year to ask for a Mother’s Day gift, skip the flowers and bath bombs. Get that plane ticket – or ask for a day bingeing all of the great food & travel shows. (Like ours!) However you do it, #travellikeawoman. Your body and mind will thank you.

KG

Eat the Cornetto. Hyde Park, London, February 2019.