I left yesterday on a two week road trip/book tour. My route includes Eugene and Medford, Oregon, the Mount Shasta region of Northern California and then the Bay Area where I have a number of speaking engagements.
Leaving was bittersweet. It actually might be the longest time Jon and I have spent apart since we’ve been together (7.5 years). One part of me was excitedly loading up the CD player with music that I could sing along to as I sped south on I-5. The other part of me wished that Jon were coming with me or at least meeting me somewhere along the way. But, absence makes the heart grow fonder — eh?
You would have thought with the amount of food I packed, that I was heading off into the wilderness, never to see a grocery store or restaurant for 500 miles. The truth is that I like to eat healthy and that’s not always easy on the road. I’m prone to wanting to check out local restaurants (particularly if there’s an ethnic population in the area) and bakeries. Couple this with not having a regular exercise routine and I end up feeling out of sorts and putting on a few extra pounds.
So, I have a little cooler filled with apples, carrot sticks, grapes, Goldfish (I HAVE to have these on every road trip) and homemade ginger cookies that my friend Lillian gave me the day before I left (thanks, Lillian!).
And, unlike my roadtrips to Moscow, ID and Bellingham & Vancouver, I’ve vowed to stick to my regular routine as much as possible. On those short little jaunts, I “slept in” most mornings (ooooh, I didn’t get up until almost 7:20 one day) and got very little exercise.
Since this trip is longer, I’ll be a good GirlScout and do my best to:
1. Wake up as close to my “normal” time as possible — generally this is 5:15 but I’ll give myself a little bit of a break.
2. Exercise. I go to the gym 4 or 5 times a week normally and get in lots of walks during the week. I’ll instead get into a routine of exercising in the mornings; situps, leg lifts, yoga. And, taking a 45 minute walk once a day, weather depending (I’m in the Northwest, remember, fall has hit early and the rain has already set in).
3. Eat well. Rather than feeling compelled to try all the restaurants, cafes and bakeries in a town I’m visiting, I’ll stick to eating like I do at home. Light, healthy meals with lots of fruits and veggies.
4. Blog in the mornings. Drive. Work on my India book in the afternoon at a coffee shop with Wifi.
Sounds easy enough. Let’s see how it really works for me…
Happy Travels!
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kristen says
Good luck on your journey…and to keeping to your list! Keep us posted! And, of course…enjoy the moment. ~Kristen
Meg Noble Peterson says
No wonder you get so much done. At 5:15 some days I’m just getting to bed. I think of 7.20 as an early day. I’m also glad to know that such an organized person makes lists and resolutions. Hey, maybe that’s the secret. I’ve been doing it ever since I was six and vowed at New Years to be nicer to my parents and sisters. It’s a good habit…if you look at the list.
Happy Travels, Meg
http://www.megnoblepeterson.com
Beth says
It IS the secret Meg. Lists, lists and more lists!