By the time this lands in your inbox I'm on my way to Greece. Milos and Sifnos first, both new to us and then Mykonos, which we haven't seen since our honeymoon in 2018. I've been looking forward to this for months!

Here's what I've made peace with after a lot of years of doing this the hard way. A trip isn't the time to run my whole routine perfectly but it's also not the time to throw all of it out the window either. There's a middle path and finding it is the difference between coming home refreshed and coming home feeling like I have to dig out of a hole.

So this is my actual travel plan, not the aspirational version. The one I really use.

Protein first, everywhere. I anchor one solid protein source at each meal and let the rest be what it is. Travel makes carbs and wine easy and protein the thing you have to think about, so protein is where I stay deliberate. Greek food makes this simple, between the grilled fish, the lamb, the eggs and all that yogurt. The yogurt....ahhhhH! If I know my target, I can hit it just about anywhere.

Move because it feels good, not to burn anything off. I walk and hike, a lot. One thing I'm not doing is hunting for a hotel gym to recreate my usual split. Walking a new place for hours does more for me than a forced workout and if there's a chance to swim or hike, even better. On a trip, movement is for my head, spirit and heart as much as my body.

I protect sleep like it's the main event. This is the one that shifted most for me in the menopausal transition. When my sleep goes, everything else goes with it. Time zones make that harder, so I get onto local time fast, chase morning light and skip the afternoon naps. Plus, it IS vacation...a little extra sleep and relaxation should be one of the trip goals. I've worn an Oura ring since 2022 and on a trip it's less about chasing a perfect score and more about seeing honestly how my body is handling the time change and the late dinners, so I can adjust instead of guess. Jet lag is the tax on an international trip and a few small moves make the cost smaller.

Water before wine. Travel is dehydrating before you add a single glass of anything. I front-load water and electrolytes (I'll be taking my new favorite Paloma flavor from Instant Hydration) through the day so the evening glass or two of wine is a pleasure and not a next-morning problem.

Decide in advance what you're letting go. I don't track every bite on vacation and I'm not stepping on a scale in a hotel bathroom. I pick the few things that keep me feeling like myself, which are protein, movement, sleep and water and I let the rest be loose. Rigidity on a trip doesn't make you healthier, it just makes you miss what could be a once in a lifetime trip.

None of this is about control. It's about coming home still feeling like me, that's my whole goal.

Speaking of coming home with your sanity intact, I just finished updating my Europe packing list. It's everything I carry in one bag, the capsule pieces I actually rewear, a carry-on size chart for twenty airlines and the island-specific notes for Greece. It's the most useful thing I've written for travel and it's what I packed from this week.

If you want to virtually come along, I'll be posting in my Instagram stories every day while we're there. Milos and Sifnos are both new to us, so you'll get my honest first impressions as they happen, and probably more photos of food than anyone needs :)

We're also staying at a few places I've partnered with on this trip and I'll be writing those up properly once I'm home, what was worth it and what wasn't. Look for that in October.

One quick heads-up before you go. My next free High Protein Kitchen meal plan lands in your inbox on Wednesday while I'm away. Nothing to do but watch for it and if you're not on the list for the free version yet, just click here to be added.

Hit reply and tell me where you're headed next or where you'd go if you could. I read every one, and I'll be answering from a Greek balcony if the wifi cooperates.

Have a great weekend!

P.S. If you want to make the protein-first part easy, my protein calculator gives you your daily target in about 30 seconds, free and no email required. Know the number and you can hit it anywhere, even a Greek taverna.