In today's fast-paced world, finding balance is key to maintaining our health and achieving success! This balance is where wellness and travel intersect, creating a powerful formula for personal growth, rejuvenation, and breakthroughs in our daily lives.

Pack Up + Go is pioneering this intersection with Surprise Vacations focused on maintaining emotional, physical, and social wellness while traveling to pave the way for success.

Written by Corinne Hogge

Emotional:

Travel, especially when infused with elements of surprise + adventure, can be a profound emotional experience. Embarking on a Surprise Trip with Pack Up + Go provides an opportunity to step away from the routine, allowing for reflection, self-discovery, and emotional reset. This break from the norm can significantly reduce stress and anxiety, offering clarity and a fresh perspective towards personal and professional challenges.

Embrace the Unexpected to Foster Flexibility

Surprise travel by nature encourages adaptability. The excitement of not knowing your destination until the last moment teaches you to embrace the unexpected, a skill that translates well into the professional world. This flexibility can lead to more creative problem-solving and innovative thinking, qualities that are invaluable in any career.

While embracing the unexpected with Pack Up + Go, know that you’ll have access to our 24/7 Traveler Support Team if there is anything you need before, during, or after your vacation. You can also check out our Peace of Mind Refund Assurance, that we created to make your Trip as stress-free as possible.

It's like a safety net for your Trip, covering you if any unexpected surprises pop up that could throw a wrench in your plans. Whether it’s a sudden change of heart or something more serious, you'll have the option to get some of your money back or pick new dates for your Trip, no stress or extra charges involved.

Stress Less to Experience More

Even the most seasoned travelers can encounter pre-trip jitters - those nagging questions about forgetting something crucial, making the wrong choices, or not packing appropriately. It's perfectly normal to have these concerns, but they shouldn't cast a shadow over the excitement of your upcoming adventure. The good news is, that there are fantastic strategies and items designed to alleviate such stresses, ensuring you embark on your journey with ease and confidence.

Here are our top picks for keeping trip-related stress at bay, allowing you to fully enjoy every moment of your travel experience:

• Packing Cubes:

  • The last thing you want on a relaxing vacation is to add any stress! Make sure your packing experience is as easy as can be with organizational packing cubes. These small, zippered compartments will fit right in your suitcase and will help you keep everything in its place so you can find all your items with organization and ease.

• Toiletry organizers:

  • Small bottles for your favorite products so you can always have what you need of your coveted products + help to reduce your environmental impact by removing the needless waste of disposable travel-sized products.

• TSA PreCheck

  • If you fly a lot or prefer to know that you don’t have to gamble with security wait lines, we couldn’t recommend PreCheck more. As novice travelers, we had assumed that waiting in the security line was a part of the gambit and that those in the fancy, “fast-pass” line must be special or work for the airlines. What is this magical program that saves both time + stress during an already stressful task? TSA PreCheck.

Important Emotional Note:

The vacation planning version of ourselves is the most together version. We buy tickets, print things out, check-in, pick out our clothes a week in advance, organize our toiletries, empty our trash cans at home before we leave, and water the plants - we are ready for the trip. Our plans are perfect, but as seasoned travelers, we also know there are so many factors out of our control with travel - weather, traffic, mechanical issues, closures, etc. Unfortunately, our plans don’t get to control the unpredictable, and you should try not to waste your energy on feeling negative about dashed plans that are out of your control.

Take a deep breath and embrace the saying my mother instilled in me - “It is always an adventure”.

Physical:

The physical aspect of wellness travel goes beyond mere relaxation. Pack Up + Go’s recommendations encourage activities that invigorate the body and refresh the mind. Engaging in physical activities in new environments not only boosts energy levels but also releases endorphins, enhancing mood and overall well-being!

Dive into Mindful Experiences

Pack Up + Go emphasizes experiences that engage the mind and body in a meaningful way. Whether it's a bike tour to see a new city, a hike through breathtaking landscapes, or a culinary class to nourish the soul, these activities promote mindfulness. Being fully present during these experiences can improve concentration and productivity, enhancing your professional performance.

Staying Healthy:

When you're off exploring new places, you're bound to bump into some germs your body isn't used to, not to mention you might switch up your usual routine—eating differently, maybe skipping your morning workout, or not catching enough Zs. All this can throw your immune system for a loop. So, it's a smart move to double down on those good habits before you even pack your bags.

Make sure you're getting plenty of sleep, drinking lots of water, and eating well. By starting your trip on a healthy note, you're more likely to keep making great choices while you're away. Plus, you're giving your body a fighting chance to stay strong, meaning you can focus on the fun stuff without the worry!

Self-Care on the Go

Embarking on a journey brings with it the promise of new experiences and adventures, but it also presents a unique opportunity to prioritize your health + happiness! Understanding the critical role of self-care in travel is essential, as it ensures that you're not just exploring new destinations but also nurturing your mind and body along the way. This begins with recognizing the importance of maintaining daily routines or adapting them to fit your travel schedule. Whether it's continuing your morning meditation or ensuring you're eating well, these practices are pivotal in taking care of your well-being while away from home.

Our Self-Care Packing List: Pop these items in a purse, backpack, or personal item to refresh + stay comfortable!

• Eye drops

• Toothbrush + toothpaste

• Deodorant

• Ear plugs

• Cleansing wipes

• Hand cream

• Eye mask

Social:

At the heart of it, life is all about connections, right? We're wired to seek out meaningful interactions and build relationships. Whether you're sharing a laugh with someone from a completely different background or finding a moment of self-discovery in a quiet, unplanned spot, Surprise Travel opens up a world of possibilities for deepening connections with others and with yourself. It's these moments that transform a simple trip into a truly enriching experience.

Disconnect to Reconnect

The importance of staying present.

In an era of constant digital connectivity, taking a step back is more important than ever. Wellness-focused vacations allow you to disconnect from daily stresses and digital demands, offering a rare chance to reconnect with yourself. This disconnection can lead to deeper insights about personal goals, improved mental health, and a refreshed perspective on what success means to you.

Meeting the Community

Social wellness is all about encouraging us to contribute to our environment and communities.

Keeping up with your social wellness while on vacation doesn't mean you've got to become best buddies with everyone you meet or fill every moment hanging out with others. It's more about being mindful of the way you fit into the new places you're exploring. Just remember to be respectful of your surroundings, treat people kindly, and really soak in all the new experiences coming your way. And hey, taking care of ourselves—our wellness and health—is super important, but let's not forget about looking after the beautiful natural world around us, too. It's all about balance, right?

Support Local

Part of the way Pack Up + Go incorporates social wellness into each of our trips is by focusing on providing small business recommendations for our traveler itineraries.

These companies, which are run by members of the local communities, provide travelers with unique and honest perspectives of their towns. They help to introduce travelers to the new environment and forge new bonds between the individuals + the destination.

Wellness + Travel = Success is more than a formula, it's a total game-changer that flips the script on how we think about vacationing.

Pack Up + Go invites you to embark on a journey that prioritizes your emotional, physical, and social well-being, setting the stage for success in all areas of life. Let us guide you to unexpected destinations where the journey enriches your well-being + paves the way for a successful, balanced future!

Whether you are traveling on a whim, taking one of our Surprise Vacation packages, or planning a trip yourself, we hope that these tips help you be your best self when traveling!

We want to hear from you - what does maintaining wellness while traveling mean to you?