Learning to Take Care of Myself Again

I don’t think I realised how much health shapes my travels until I started losing it. Not in a dramatic way, just in small everyday moments. The kind where your jeans feel tighter than they used to, or you realise you haven’t seen a gym in months.. or you start reaching for sugar every time you feel stressed.

I’ve been living abroad for years now, constantly moving between countries, apartments, and routines. It’s beautiful, exciting, fulfilling, but it’s also messy. Health isn’t something you can put on autopilot when your life keeps changing every few weeks.

Back home, it was easy. I had a rhythm, a gym membership, a kitchen I actually used. But once I started travelling full-time, everything became fluid. Suddenly there was no “normal.”

And in that constant movement, I slowly started losing track of what being healthy meant for me.

The First Time I Lost Control

When I was eighteen, I went on my first big solo trip. Seven months across the world — my version of freedom. Before that, I’d lived at home, eaten what my parents cooked, and played tennis almost every day. I’d never really thought about health because it was just there, quietly built into my life.

During those seven months of travel, I gained about twenty-five kilos. I drank too much, ate whatever I wanted, moved very little, and honestly, had the best time of my life. I came home with new stories, new friends, and a completely different body.

People commented on it, of course. Some out of surprise, others out of habit. And yes, it stung, but at the same time, I understood why it happened. I had lived. I had experienced everything.

And strangely, that weight gain became a turning point for me.

When I eventually lost the weight again, not through any crazy diet but just by returning to normal routines, I realised something that changed the way I saw myself. I had spent years being insecure about my body, even when I was thin. But after gaining weight, being forced to accept myself anyway, and realising that my worth had nothing to do with a number, I came out more confident than before.

The Second Time It Happened

Fast forward ten years, and I’m still travelling. But this time, there’s no home to come back to, no place where “normal life” waits. The road is home now, which also means the bad habits never reset.

When I was living in Germany, I had a routine again. I went to the gym three or four times a week, cooked most meals, and genuinely felt strong. I loved how it made me feel, clear-minded, focused, capable.

Then I left. I went back to full-time travel, and just like that, my routine fell apart again. Yoga mats in Airbnbs replaced the gym. Then came home workouts. Then the slow slide into “I’ll start again next week.”

It’s a pattern that sneaks up on you. You move too fast to build habits, you don’t prioritise the gym when you’re exploring new cities, and before you know it, you’ve stopped caring altogether.

Earlier this year, I lost most of my clients and most of my income. I was living off savings, stressed about work, and constantly trying to rebuild everything I had built before. The gym felt irrelevant. I told myself I was too busy to care, but really, I just didn’t have the energy.

When you lose control in one part of your life, it’s easy to let go of everything else too.

Health While Travelling Isn’t as Easy as It Looks

Social media makes it seem like digital nomads live the healthiest lives — sunrise yoga, smoothie bowls, long beach walks. The truth is that full-time travel often means unstable routines, irregular meals, and constant readjustment.

Every new place comes with new food, new supermarkets, new eating hours, and new temptations. In Italy, dinner starts late and ends later. In Greece, there’s always another round of wine. You meet people, go out, and say yes because connection feels more important than calories.

And that’s what makes it hard! Health becomes something you have to choose, every single day, instead of something that naturally happens.

The Real Work Is in Starting Again

Lately, I’ve been reminding myself that taking care of my health doesn’t have to be extreme. I don’t need to become a fitness girlie or start counting everything I eat. I just need to take ownership again.

That means booking Airbnbs near a gym. Cooking at home more often. Walking everywhere instead of taking taxis. Moving my body even when I don’t feel like it.

Because the truth is, I feel better when I do. I sleep better, I work better, and I feel more like myself.

I’ve gained some weight again this year, and I can see it on camera when I edit my videos. It bothers me sometimes, but I know it’s also temporary. I’ve been here before, and I know how to find my balance again.

It’s not about punishment or perfection. It’s about remembering that how I feel in my body affects everything else I do, my work, my energy, my confidence.

And that’s something worth caring about.

What Health Really Means to Me Now

I used to think health was about being fit or thin or disciplined. Now I think it’s about awareness.

It’s about knowing when you’ve been ignoring yourself.
It’s about taking responsibility without shame.
It’s about creating space for yourself even when life gets chaotic.

Travel has taught me that health isn’t a phase you complete. it’s a relationship you keep rebuilding. Some months, I’ll get it right. Others, I’ll get completely lost.

But as long as I keep coming back to myself, I know I’ll be okay.

Because feeling good in your body isn’t about control. It’s about coming home to yourself, no matter where you are.