Traveling with a Bullet Journal has made all the difference.

I have very wise, very resourceful, very on-top-of-it female friends. I don’t know what I would do if I didn’t have a bunch of women smarter and stronger than me around at all times! One of these awesome women in my life recently introduced me to the idea of a Bullet Journal. This particular bestie is always developing and refining the best methods for productivity that work for her and when she first told me about the Bullet Journal, I wasn’t that into it, because the Bullet Journal system is analog and I’ve always been a digital girl. But then, two important things happened: the first is that I saw her using it and I was majorly intrigued. Even though my system has always been digital, I’ve done much long-form journaling in a notebook. And I like notebooks. And pens. And pretty papers.

The second was that she told me to look up some “Bullet Journal porn” – which is totally a thing – on the net. BuzzFeed had a few articles about it and Pinterest has LOADS of BuJo (the slang, of course) images. So, I listened to her, because she’s a wise lady, and I did look it up, and I got obsessed.

Before I go on, the first thing you should do is hop on over to the site of the creator of the Bullet Journal system, Ryder Carroll, at BulletJournal.com. Ryder has a brief but really informative video giving the basics of the system. I could explain it myself, but who could do better than the founder of the whole system? Jump over and take a look!

….waiting….waiting….eating chips while waiting….

Okay, now that you’re back, I can tell you why I love the system so much for travelers! As you saw in the video, the Bullet Journal system isn’t complicated. At its core, it’s about using a notebook as the ultimate customizable planner and task management system. You use a series of notations to distinguish tasks, events, notes and whatever else you may need and you create calendars for yourself based on what you want.

Pre-made planners never did it for me, because they never had everything I needed (hence why I was a digital girl – the internet actually does have everything I need!). But the beauty of the Bullet Journal system for me was that I could not only create a planner and task management system, I could also use it as my long-form journaling notebook when I go traveling. And I could keep EVERYTHING travel I wanted to in it. This is why I think the Bullet Journal is the best thing since sliced bread for travelers – we’re notorious memory makers and we also have to be at least a bit organized to hop from place to place. The Bullet Journal is a traveler’s best friend!

Because the Bullet Journal is totally, 110% customizable, it can become exactly what you want. Let me show you some of the ways I use my Bullet Journal (which is now the love of my life and goes with me everywhere) to keep my sanity on the road.

How I use my Bullet Journal to stay sane while traveling

1. I log simple, daily tasks

Excuse my terrible writing (you’re going to get a headache if you try to read it). As you can see, this is an entry for Friday, January 13, 201. In the middle of the page are my simple tasks for the day. When something came in my head, I wrote it down, and it helped get it OUT of my head. Which helped CLEAR my head. Which helps me not lose my shit all the time on the road.

2. I track habits

This is something a lot of Bullet Journalers do. It’s a simple grid with days of the month going across the top and habits goign down the side. As you get through each day, you check of the habits you managed well that day. Some of mine include “Meditate” (which I suck at), “Exercise” (which I don’t even know why I put on the list because I do it every day anyway – it’s who I am) and “Read” (which forces me to read something other than work-related stuff, if even just for a few minutes a day).

3. I have a place for gratitude

I couldn’t show you my completed gratitude log from last month (because it said things like “cute boys” and “chocolate all the time”), but this is what my gratitude log looks like – as you can see, it’s really simple! Just days of the month down the side, and then I write in each night a little thing I was grateful for that day. It works wonders for making me feel calm and centered and happy, and, well, grateful!

4. I have random pages of things that make me happy

Places (yet) to travel, books to read, movies to watch. I have spaces for all this stuff in my Bullet Journal – so I can get it out of my head! And it’s nice to have a book that’s my “everything book!” That’s one of the reasons its become the love of my life.

5. I calendar

I create the most basic calendars for my future planning in my Bullet Journal. It’s actually kind of calming and relaxing to sit down at the end of every month and have everything I need in front of me for the next one. I also really like the clean lines (cuz I’m a nerd).

6. I food log (and keep track of how I feel based on what I eat)

I’m a delicate fucking flower. It’s unfortunate, but it is what it is. I get really tired or dehydrated or cranky if I’m not carefully watching what I eat. I’m still not very good at it, but the BuJo helps a LOT! All it took was creating a simple page like this to jot down what I’m eating and how I’m feeling. (Please don’t judge me for my shitty, all-over-the-place diet this week!)

7. I journal my heart out

At the end of every day of logging tasks, I sit down and write long-form journal entries with my Bullet Journal. This is one of my favorite things about the system: it’s built however you want! I don’t know a lot of other Bullet Journalers that do the long-form thing, but to me, it feels perfect to have everything I need or want or think right there!

As you can see, my Bullet Journal LITERALLY contains my life. I also have travel plans and doodles and loads of other things in it (but NOT doodles that say “Mrs. Anjali Timberlake or anything…). If you are at all a journaler or planner or even traveler looking for a new system, I’d highly encourage you to try it!

Essential oils are life. No, really, they are. I’m a big believer in natural and holistic medicine versus traditional western medicine, and essential oils play a huge role in my regular care routine. I use them for pain, stress, insomnia and so much more, but recently I’ve learned to love them all over again for travel. We already talked about how getting an oil diffuser necklace can help you calm your nerves on your next flight, but which ones should you carry with you? You don’t want to pack on extra pounds in your luggage, so picking the most essential (pun-intended) oils will help you travel light. Below are the six oils I think will serve nearly any purpose you’ll have on the plane, when traveling, or even when you’re hanging out back at your home base.

1. Peppermint Oil

Did you ever have a teacher tell you to suck on a peppermint before a big exam? That’s because peppermint is excellent at improving focus. It’s also known to relieve tension headaches, and it is my personal favorite oil for this exact reason. Just massage a few drops of the oil on your temples to help mitigate the symptoms of your pain. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center, peppermint’s active ingredient, menthol, has been known to thin mucus and loosen phlegm, making it a perfect sidekick for alleviating the symptoms of a cold or flu. It also has a soothing effect when applied topically to the skin, which can come in handy if all that traveling irritates your skin.

2. Lavender or Sandalwood Oil

It’s no secret that lavender oil is excellent at promoting relaxation and melting away your stress, but it can also promote deep restful sleep when used in aromatherapy. The compounds in lavender make it naturally antifungal, which means it is great to have on hand to ward off any on the road fungal infections, and can also be used to combat the symptoms of eczema and acne. Another essential oil that exhibits similar properties is sandalwood oil. This oil has been known to have strong antiviral and antiseptic properties, and is often touted as being one of the best first aid oils for travellers to carry around. Sandalwood also has antispasmodic and anti-inflammatory properties, making it great for anyone suffering from regular muscle spasms or nerve pain, or anyone who might experience regular skin and joint inflammation.

3. Cinnamon Oil

Cinnamon is one of my favorite smells in the entire universe, mostly because it reminds me of snickerdoodles and chai. But, it’s also pretty great to walk around with a little dab of cinnamon oil behind your ears and neck instead of a chemically-laden perfume. Aside from the smell benefits, cinnamon oil used in a diffuser or ingested orally can be beneficial in boosting heart health, controlling blood sugar and improving insulin resistance, fighting parasites, soothing a sore throat, and acting as a natural deodorizer for your person or your personal belongings more prone to icky smells (think: running shoes).

4. Clove Oil

If you hate bees and other buzzing, whizzing insects, you are going to love clove oil. Bees, wasps and even flies tend to hate the smell of cloves and will do anything they can to stay away from them. If insects aren’t your concern but you have been suffering from tooth pain, good news! Cloves have long been an ayurvedic remedy for gum disease and toothache. The oil also has tons of antioxidants which when absorbed via diffused molecules in the air can help fight off free radicals. For me, just like cinnamon oil, clove oil naturally makes me feel a little less homesick because it reminds me of the chai my dad used to make for me growing up. It smells amazing, and it will definitely help you with nerves if lavender isn’t one of your favorite scents.

5. Lemon Oil

Most commercial cleaning products are jam-packed with lemon or orange as scent boosters, and it isn’t just because they are aromatically pleasing. Citrus based oils act as nature’s natural disinfectants and help keep the things around you squeaky clean. Aside from giving the toilet seat a quick once over with a little lemon oil and a rag, this oil can be amazing as a natural boost to your travel detergent. It’s also great for skin (especially for those who have been looking for a natural astringent that really works!) and can help you get stronger, healthier hair. Internally, lemon oil can help alleviate the symptoms of nausea and can work to help you get rid of your cramps and indigestion. It’s a natural immune booster, too!

6. Eucalyptus or Tea Tree

There are two types of people in this world. Those who love eucalyptus and those who swear by tea tree. Whichever group you fall into, having one of these two oils in your travel kit will be an excellent decision. If you’re prone to colds and flus, eucalyptus might be a better solution for you than tea tree. It’s known to help open up your airways, reduce mucus, and fight off the microorganisms that attack your body when you’re sick. It is also perfect for those who regularly suffer from sinuses, and work wonders as a natural wound cleanser. On the other hand, tea tree oil is just as potent and has been making waves in the beauty world due to its natural acne-fighting power. But, more than surface level solutions, tea tree goes deeper to help you ward off cold sores, fight congestion and respiratory infections, get rid of fungal infections, ease irritation from psoriasis and other skin conditions like insect bites and sunburns, and relieve your earache. Overall, these two oils are perfect as all-in-one first aid and wellness solutions, and you’ll be glad you kept one (or both) of them with you.

Essential Oils Are All About You!

At the end of the day, any of the above six oils (okay, maybe eight – I couldn’t pick!) will be great additions to your travel wellness case. If you’re new to the essential oil game, I suggest starting with eucalyptus, peppermint, and clove for a compact, works-for-everything kit. But, of course, building your essential kit is all about picking the oils that will work best for you, so take some time to consider how you’ll be using the oils in your travels!

Have you ever wanted to quit your job and travel the world?

I’m assuming, if you’re reading The LITMO Life, the thought has crossed your mind. 🙂

Since I’m so passionate about this lifestyle, I’ve just completed my first book designed to give you all the resources you need to actually quit your job and travel the world – and start designing the exact life you want, not the life you think you should be living!

So, why did I quit my job to travel?

Because I thought there should be more to life than going into an office, going home, and doing it all again until we die.

Traveling was, of course, an important part of the reason I felt I needed to be free of my traditional office job. It didn’t make sense to me that out of every 52 weeks, most of us got just 2 weeks of vacation. It also didn’t make sense to me that we worked 5 days out of 7, and we were expected to cram the rest of our “lives” into our evenings and weekends. In the few nightly hours after work and on the two days of a normal weekend, we were supposed to: see friends and family, do household errands, pursue hobbies, work on side projects, and get enough rest and relaxation to be ready for work on Monday again.

If this was the system, I often thought to myself, the system was broken.

Was it any wonder, then, that so many of the statuses on my Facebook and Twitter feeds were about sleeping, crying, or drinking through the work week?

It seemed that so many of us were unhappy with the way we lived our lives, but so few of us were willing to do anything about it.

So after I quit and started living the life of my dreams, I really wanted to help other people do the same!

In this book, you’ll learn everything you need to know to quit your job & travel the world, including:

• How to leave without burning any bridges
• The preparations you should be making three months, two months, and one month out
• How to pack and what you’ll need
• How to choose your first destination
• How to make a sustainable income to keep traveling long-term
• And so much more!

If you’ve ever considered traveling the world, full-time, on your own schedule, this book is a must-have.

Check it out now on Amazon – you can get it in Kindle or paperback!

Well! Hi! And happy new year!

Our past few months have been a crazy rush of travel, fun activities, and family time. We did Atlanta for Imagine Music Festival, then I did Alaska, then we did Atlanta for Hubs’ exams, then we did Dublin, then we did Fort Myers for Thanksgiving. All before our new year’s party plans! It has been nuts, but wonderful.

And the past two weeks, for us, have been about reflection and figuring out what should change for the upcoming year. Well, I should say, for ME, it has been a lot of reflection and for Jonathon, it has been a lot of random chats about life with his wife, who suddenly had a flurry of emotions about changing things for the new year and beyond.

And I want to tell you guys all about it.

As most of you know, I don’t believe in New Year’s Resolutions. I think they are stupid and generally set people up for failure. I mostly hate the idea that you need to wait for some arbitrary date to change things that you don’t like. But whatever, I digress.

I heard about a “word of the year” from one of my Bullet Journal groups. The idea is that instead of having a particular resolution or resolutions, you have a word (or words) that inform your year.

I immediately loved the idea. Instead of setting goals now which I may hate or want to change in a month or two (but then not be able to change because I have some weird sense of loyalty to things that weren’t working for me), I could choose a word or a few words that would help me stay on track for things I wanted all year.

I also felt drawn to the idea for another reason: I’ve been lost lately. In almost every arena of my life except my marriage and family. Time with my husband, is, as always, amazing. Which of course is perfect and lucky considering I spent almost all of my time with him. Time with our families has been great, as well. All of that makes me feel happy and centered and grounded, whether it’s traveling or just sitting at home.

Other than that, though, I feel like I’ve been running around all nuts, not knowing what’s important and what’s not. I’ve been taking on commitments I don’t want, I’ve been being there for people who wouldn’t do the same for me, I’ve been caught up in being a “helper” whenever people ask, I’ve been trying to maintain loyalty to stuff that I actually truly hate (and I’ve been telling myself I love it to get through it). Most importantly, because I’ve had so much going on in my head and life at the same time, I haven’t been able to prioritize what’s important.

So, I finally decided enough.

Enough of holding on to things that aren’t working for me just because I feel like I should. Things have to, finally, change. And Jesus H, I am glad as fuck because I was ready for a change.

One weird thing about me is that I have very strong intuition. And I always feel change coming before it does. And yet, I’m always resistant. I don’t know why – because the times in my life where I have intentionally decided to burn everything to the ground in order to rebuild in a new way (leaving a job that I – yes, loved – to find a life that better fits me, for example, or temporarily putting a hold on travel to marry the man of my dreams), things have only gotten better and better.

But yet, when I feel change coming, even when things are just going at a mediocre pace and when I feel like I’m just surviving, not thriving, I resist it.

Finally, after four days of holing up in my apartment with my husband, doing nothing but talking, eating, having sex and watching movies (more on that in a second), I got to the place where I let go of the resistance and embraced the things I needed to change.

Here are a few examples:

I’ve held on to friendships that should have fallen apart years ago – and without social media, would have fallen apart years ago. Twenty years ago, if you had known someone since you were 2, and you were close, the only way you would still know them at 30 is if you maintained that close friendship. Now, though, you can still know them because of the false familiarity of social media. They are your Facebook friend or your Insta follower even though they haven’t made an effort to contact you and ask how you are once in five years. It’s bullshit. And yet, people think unfriending someone or unfollowing someone is SUCH an aggressive move. What? What if it’s just clearing the clutter from my life of people who literally can’t be bothered to answer a text asking how they are – or send ME a texting asking how I am? Enough. No more scrolling and seeing people that viscerally piss me off because they have been shitty friends for YEARS. Instead, bai.

Speaking of scrolling. Social media in general. Like…okay, I know I am a person who has loved social media and I have felt like it’s a great tool to connect with people. Yes. I still feel this way. And yet, I haven’t been using it to connect with people in over a year. I’ve been using it to share happy photos of my husband and I, then getting criticized for those. I’ve also been using it as a time-waster when I have nothing to do. I have also been using it to help grow a blog and a YouTube channel that I haven’t cared about trying to grow in over a year. So…overall, the evidence seems to point to the fact that social media isn’t working for me.

Speaking of blog and YouTube. I have loved this blog and my YouTube channel. But over the past year, I’ve lost sight of why I love them. I’ve started writing things that I think will be successful, instead of just writing whatever the fuck I want on my blog about my life. It’s the LITMO life, FFS. I, somewhere along the way, stopped living in the moment. So, enough of that, too.

I’ve not let myself do what I want without beating myself up. I’ve been heeding people’s bullshit advice about things or reading stupid articles on the internet and letting them get in my head. One example: time with my husband. I have wanted, more than anything in the world, to stop worrying about social commitments and just be attached at the hip with my husband and do everything with him. And I know he feels the same about me. And I know we DO do a lot together. But I haven’t let myself just go into hiding with him because, well, I’ve felt some weird sense of loyalty to people that don’t seem to care one way or another about me. And I’ve also been telling myself “balance” is important in marriage. Sure, balance is important, but OUR balance doesn’t have to look like someone else’s balance. So we are one of those couples who only likes to hang out with each other and be attached at the hip. So fucking what? It makes us happy.

I’ve been there, consistently, for people at the expense of myself. I’ve said yes to helping anyone that asks, I’ve been there emotionally for people that call me all the time, and I’ve gotten freaked out about not answering a call or text if I think someone needs me. It all came from a real and noble place, but I’ve realized, it’s just not working for me anymore. I don’t want a life where everyone I know thinks I’ll be there for them at the drop of a hat, anymore. I like being a good friend, but I haven’t been able to find a balance with it. It has stressed me out and exhausted me and not left energy for me. I need to remember my introversion. I want a life where I do exactly what I want, when I want, including if that means holing up with my husband for WEEKS at a time and never speaking to another human. I want, finally, to focus on ME.

So, I’m starting a new year with a new outlook. The year is going to be one of saying NO. Saying no to people and activities and situations that don’t serve me. It’s also going to be a year of letting things go, intentionally, to make way for new things. It’s going to be a year of a lot less – hopefully almost NO – social media (so if you’re reading this and I haven’t responded to you on a social platform, shoot me a text – and if you don’t have my cell because we don’t know each other that well, well then, I’ll get back to you whenever I do!). It’s going to be a year of writing what I want, when I want, and not writing for stupid publications that peddle trash or writing to grow the blog.

It’s going to be a year of doing what I want and focusing on MYSELF, first and foremost and before anything else.

More than anything, it’s going to be a year of having faith in myself above all else. Faith that saying no to things won’t be bad, and will instead clear room for other things that I love. Faith that I can do everything I want, including continue to build my life exactly as I want. And faith that I don’t need to please anyone but myself, because it’s my. fucking. life.

So what did my word of the year end up being? Well, true to form, I didn’t want to pick just ONE word and follow the rules of the project. So I picked a few. Unsurprisingly, they match up in every area with the things I want to improve: intention. intuition. determination. And faith.

So, with all that reflectiveness out of the way, let me tell you about our new year. It actually started early, on Dec 28 here in Orlando. We went to see Slander, an EDM twosome, play at Gilt nightclub with a bunch of people we know from the rave world. It was AWESOME. Such a good show. I wish I had gotten to spend a little more time with my husband that night and a little less time socializing (normally, at EDM shows, it’s just me and him and I spend all night attached to him like a parasite = a cute little rave-bunny parasite – but this night, because, I, of course, felt that I needed to be nice to people and spend time talking I hung out a little more with other people that we know – I’m glad I did, but I realized later I really just wanted to cuddle up inside my husband and dance with him all night – see what happens when I don’t listen to myself?), but it was still awesome.

After Slander, though, we couldn’t sleep. We were up until 7 AM hanging out with friends and then we just couldn’t get to sleep. So we hung out and talked and lazed around and ate all day Friday. Then we fell asleep that night…and did it all again Saturday…and Sunday! Lol. It was honestly so fucking cool just to spend time with my husband doing absolutely nothing and exploring each other’s brains. We do it pretty regularly but a solid three days of that was amazing.

Sunday we packed up and headed to Tampa for another EDM show, our NYE plans, Slushii. That night WAS just me and him so all the time I missed with him from Slander I made up in spades. It was amazing and fun. Then we came back and just hung out all day Monday again, doing nothing but eating, talking, cuddling and sexing. If you’re jealous of my weekend, you should be because it was awesome.

And this morning, I finally felt compelled to write again. Not for any purpose or listicle or social. Just because I wanted to.

I’m looking forward to 2018. 2017, though it was a shit year in the world of American and world politics and though it was a year that proved how terrible people are, was the year that I started to discover even more of what life can offer – including, more importantly than anything, my husband and the amazing partnership and life I have with him.

So here’s to 2018!

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