Bears Paw Mountains, Montana, Hasselblad Film Capture by Judith Rae. 

Life, Love & Photography :: Why you Need to Support yourself While Traveling

judithrae

I combine my love of fine art with my eye for storytelling to capture the beauty and wonder of your experience so that you can enjoy and share your soulful story for generations to come.

hi, i'm Judith Rae

Bears Paw Mountains, Montana, Hasselblad Film Capture by Judith Rae.

Four states in two weeks!

Traveling nationwide for two weeks has been incredibly inspiring, emotional and informative. All the things right … the idea of traveling alone and staying alone in new spaces. Trusting that I’m safe and taken care of. Tuning into my intuition as I explore and taking great care of myself all the while. When I’m traveling for work or personal I most often stay with my team or I stay with people I know. Traveling and staying alone felt new and a bit foreign to me.

 

My journey started off in my hometown of NYC

My journey started off in my hometown of NYC – this was the one place where I stayed with my daughter and that was a great sendoff. From NYC I flew out to Big Sky Country Montana where I drove past mountains and through forests – finding spots where gorgeous light and landscape meet, the perfect combination for photos. I drove along the indigo colored Columbia River and forest green pines of Portland making friends as I explored, feeling completely held and truly taken care of on this journey. Wichita Kansas greeted me with softer shades of sky blue and lighter green flatlands. Embracing the newness and culture of each place I found a greater appreciation for supporting myself and the kindness of strangers. Side note, Wichita is where Joanna Gaines co-owner and co-founder of Magnolia, a New York Times bestselling author, and Editor in Chief of Magnolia Journal (one of my favorite magazines), was born and raised for the first 12 years of life. Check out Jo’s latest book The Stories We Tell.

 

How I Prepared

For weeks ahead, I was feeling both ready and nervous for this journey. So I made a list of all the ways I would help support myself and below are some of the ways I supported myself while traveling.

  •  I stayed at Airbnb’s. Since I was traveling alone, I specifically chose to stay in small clean spaces that felt inspiring with plenty of natural light and a full kitchen. I prefer to find Superhosts as they are known for best hospitality and great experiences. Most likely they have top ratings and inspiring spaces.
  •  I brought this traveling diffuser from DoTERRA with me with some of my favorite oils (lavender, peppermint, lime and cardamom).
  •   I brought along spices and ingredients for my favorite morning smoothie (recipe below).
  •  I melted with the melt method. My big sis put me on to the Melt Method and I’m so thankful she did as it’s saved my life! A few years ago I was feeling aches and pains and it was painful to even do the dishes. With the MELT Method, therapist Sue Hitzmann shares breakthrough self-treatment to help eliminate chronic pain and erase the effects of aging and active living— I spend less than an hour on this each day or a few times a week.
  •   I journaled often. Not only do I enjoy making time for myself each morning but I’ve found it so incredibly helpful to journal too. Journaling helps me be present with what’s happening in my life and in dreaming ahead about what’s next and how else I want to experience the best of what life has to offer.  I made time for my morning practices each day. For almost a decade now I’ve supported myself with time in the morning – showing up with practices that help me thrive and feel loved and supported no matter what.
  •  I visited local organic grocery stores to buy fresh fruits and veggies in each state.
  •   I took classes at local yoga studios.
  •   I committed to eating super healthy – came up with a new version of our morning shake – Taste the Rainbow (recipe below)
  •   I spent time walking on trails in nature to recharge.
  •   I connected with my husband and our pup Teddy B over FaceTime – even when we were doing our own things – just hearing the sounds of home soothed my soul.
  •   I made new friends along the way. Truly felt the beauty of community as I connected with people and learned about their lives.
  •  I checked in with friends. even if it’s a short call it’s always nice to hear a friendly voice on the line.
  •   I took Calm – magnesium tablets to help ease my nerves and to support my digestive system I took probiotics and papaya pills.
  •   I tried a few local restaurants and made time to explore local shops. I especially love to support and feel inspired by local businesses.
  •   I made time to do what I love – capture the beauty of everything that called to me in photos.
  •   I drank more water than I thought I actually needed.
  •   I noticed all of the random acts of kindness happening all around me and made sure to do some too.

Reminders to self and Lessons Learned

Lessons learned – pack lighter.

Leave extra time to explore.

Listen in to fear and see if there is something more I need to know.

 

 

Recipe :: Taste the Rainbow Smoothie 

*I prefer to use all organic ingredients. Serves 2

2 cups of water

2-3 Brazil nuts

1 tablespoon of raw coconut butter

½ – 1 inch of fresh ginger

2 tablespoons of oats

8-10 pitted dates -or- 2 tablespoons maple syrup

1 teaspoon of turmeric powder

1 teaspoon of Cinnamon or Pumpkin Spice

1/2 teaspoon of black pepper

¼ teaspoon of ground cardamom

1 frozen Banana

1 handful of frozen Rainbow Swiss Chard

6 cubes of ice

 

Blend and enjoy!

 

My hope for this blog post is that it continues to inspire you to dream, to grow and to create in fabulously authentic ways. May we all deepen our sense of self-love, creativity, cultivate great change, fulfillment, peace and joy in our lives. May we take time to acknowledge all that we have to be thankful for and recognize that we are straight-up MAGIC!

As always, I truly appreciate your friendship, your continued encouragement and generous referrals. If you have any suggestions, questions or thoughts please call or email judith@judithrae.com. I look forward to hearing from you!

peace + love,

Judith

Comments +

Reply...

read the

blog

peruse the

GALLERIES

A place of culture, creativity, the local scene, and lifestyle inspiration. I know you're gonna love it!

stop by the

FINE ART PRINT SHOP

DISCOVER WHAT YOU'VE BEEN MISSING