Hello Reader,
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Hey there Fit Travel Tribe 😅😅😅
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First off, I meant to get this newsletter out yesterday, but it was a big holiday weekend in Bulgaria and I didn't want to stay up past midnight. Nevertheless...
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I've got a hilarious anecdote on financial fitness and a different kind of pain: TAXES!!

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So this is mildly delayed content (like when my caramel latte gets room-temperature...but it's still quite good and I'll keep drinking it). When I was in Turkiye, I started doing my taxes *dun dun dunnnnnn*

Moreover, I had the most hysterical conversation with my Bulgarian partner when we did our video call that night.

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It went something like this... ​ Him: "And how was your day?" ME: "It was actually pretty good!! I made so much progress on doing my taxes. I'm not quite done, but I'm feeling really positive about it." Him: "You are not finished yet?" (like, come on, how long do they take?) ME: "No, it's quite new for me now since I'm unemployed/self-employed. It was much more simple when I had a full-time job. They'd send me the form I'd need and during the year I'd essentially somewhat guess how much I'd take out for taxes and hope I'd get a refund check." Him: ".....???" ME: "(Trying my best to explain how taxes work and you either take out too much and get a refund check or you might owe a little to the government later on.) It's pretty stressful and April 15th is the deadline." Him: "I do not understand....why doesn't the company just do this for you...?" ME: (pausing...dumbfounded...hmmmm that DOES sound like a dream) "uummmmm....yeahhhhh....that would definitely be nice....actually...that could make sense....it just doesn't work that way."

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(The photo is only funny/sad/funny for Americans, I think)

Explaining this to someone from another country is WILD. And quite tragic, honestly.

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You ever wonder how other countries do their taxes???

(In Bulgaria, your company just does it for you. Must be nice!!)

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Here's the list of 12 countries with the SHORTEST tax paying process: CLICK HERE ⏰

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FLASH FORWARD: I got an extension on my taxes so I could fully build out the details of my start up costs. Thankfully, I did a lot of the foundational work for the other items and it'll just be fine-tuning my Schedule C form!

And I hope y'all made it through okay too 💕

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Hello hello from Sofia!

I'm SO happy to be home and back to my routine. Additionally, I just celebrated a wonderful Easter weekend with my Bulgarian partner's family.

🐣🐰
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Here's a highlight:

I got to explain the Easter bunny and egg hunts we do in America, and I got to participate in their famous EGG WARS! Yes, they color their eggs too. But then they play a simple yet very fun egg tapping game. Check it out HERE!​
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My egg was victorious here. Though, I'm pretty sure his nephew won the most overall.

I always love coming back home to teach. We had an epic holiday session on Friday with a 75 minute Bodypump class and 45 minute Core class after!

наздраве! честит рожден ден! Cheers! & Happy birthday to my sweetheart 💙

I love how festive Sofia is. They plant flowers and have colorful, hand-painted eggs throughout the downtown

The city of Sofia is SO much prettier when all of the fountains are turned on. Here at NDK (where I teach), they are even beautiful at night.

Super exciting that I reached a new PR (personal record)!! I did one rep bench pressing 70kg (about 154lbs). It was weirdly fairly easy on that day haha

Also, on a distressing note...

Sharing for transparency (and maybe a little solidarity?): I’ve been dealing with some unexpected stress lately—hair loss.

I normally shed a bit—like, enough that hairdressers comment—but while wrapping up in Turkiye, it felt like triple the usual. I’m talking full-blown shedding in the shower, post-shower brushing, everywhere. It freaked me out.

Cue me turning into a part-time researcher (bless you, ChatGPT), and boom—Telogen Effluvium. Basically, hair loss triggered by a “shock” to the body.

At first, I was like, “I’m not even stressed?” But then I read it could be from 2-3 months ago, and it hit me: my new workout program. It’s intense—5 days a week, tons of plyometrics (jumping/high impact), and my joints have definitely been like, “Okay, chill.”

So yeah… my body rerouted resources: “Joints over hair, thanks.”

Now I’m deep in the vitamin rabbit hole (iron, vitamin D, the works) and honestly, I’m feeling hopeful. Not surprised I needed a little extra support—especially around my cycle—but glad I caught it.

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Which brings some questions to my mind...

This most recent blog post was so exciting for me to write. Why?

Because in the last 2 years I've experienced a myriad of gyms abroad through my heavy lifting program and now my athletic movements program. And....
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There is no real blog post like this one on the Internet that I've found.
So I made one.

⬇ ⬇ ⬇

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Given that each gym offers different equipment, I've had to learn through trail and error, creativity, and some genuine frustrations on how to accommodate. I also list some specific accessory items that are portable (and yes, I've definitely traveled with them).

You'll see some Reddit thread pop up, but that just shows lack of official content published on weightlifting while traveling!​

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I also created another post almost simultaneously with the one above!

Most folks talk about protein powder, but as I've learned throughout the years, building muscle isn't just the occasional scoop of protein powder.

It's about timing, quality of the protein, and how MUCH protein you should consume overall.

And there's waaaaay more than just protein powder to play with.

My new favorite would be my electrolyte powder. I've found in my recent workouts, that I may not realize how much I'm sweating and I need to focus on consistently replenishing my electrolytes (including salt) to stay well hydrated. I love water, but sometimes it's just NOT enough.

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But, Heidi, don't other countries have protein powder you can just buy on arrival?

For sure, that can be the case. It might be not only very inconvenient logistically, but then you're relying on the quality and variety of supplements abroad. In my personal experience, the quality can severely suffer.

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I'm excited to try out continued ways to best plan, pack, and stack supplements to keep myself satisfied on the road; even if it's just for one weekend away from home.

Especially now that I have my new vitamin game plan 🍊💊

• ​Fewer Tourists COMING to the USA? - (Personally, I'm not surprised)
• ​Prosecco Hiking Trails in Italy - (Wine, dine, and hike with some bubblies).
• ​9 Underrated Places in South America Where You Can Live for Under $1,000 a Month! - (I'd def go there for the food)

• ​Exercising for your current age...or your future one? - (Something to think about. Pay your fitness dividends now)
• ​Is your workplace toxic AF?? - (Might be time to build a safety net and peace out)
• ​Tips for treating your hair with care - (I find it challenging to tie up my hair for when I'm exercising and can't afford to have my bun slip out)

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Balance exercises, lateral movements, and weighted step-ups build the functional strength that regular walking simply can't touch. ​ Here's a great article with targeted exercises: ​ Find your exercise plan HERE!

Travel gets a bad rep for "being expensive." It definitely can be.

Regardless of your budget, you never want to spend EXTRA money just for trying to USE your money.

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When you withdraw money abroad using your debit card, you'll often have TWO PROBLEMS:

1. Domestic bank charge (from YOUR bank charging a foreign transaction fee)
2. International ATM charge (from the ATM in your destination charging a fee to use their bank)

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SOLUTION? Use a debit card that's made for travel so you KEEP all of your money.

THE BEST TRAVEL DEBIT CARD: Charle Schwabb​

The Charles Schwabb debit card is FREE to setup and it is an international card. There are NO foreign transaction fees (aka it solves problem #1).

If you DO get hit with an ATM fee, no problem. At the end of the month, Charles Schwabb reimburses you those international ATM fees! (solving problem #2).

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I am a firm believer that everyone who travelers abroad should have this debit card. There's no reason not to, plus you're avoiding wasting precious travel money on fees.

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(In a future newsletter, I'll talk more about dynamic currency conversion")

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Always on my mind: More money for more travel! It's often worth a little homework for those savings 💸

“ Self care isn't always about bubble baths and meditation. Sometimes it's about reading supplement labels and remembering your vitamins. ​​ ​ — Unknown

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Happy travels and healthy living,

Heidi​
​Heidirunsabroad.com​

Note: Some images and GIFs sourced from Unsplash and Giphy.