[MM]: Ruck, Plog, Repeat: Nature’s Coolest Gym 💥🌲

Hello Reader,
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Heya Fit Travel Tribe!

Today's Momentum on a Monday....time to get a move on with....rucking and...plogging...? Wait wat?

Ever strapped on a backpack and stomped around your neighborhood like you were training for Everest? 🏔️ That’s rucking—hiking with added weight.

🪖 Rucksack + marching = a concept rooted in military training
✅ And yes, it’s a thing.

So, if you love walking and want to level up your game without turning it into a run… this might be exactly your vibe.

💡 We’re already walking—why not habit stack it?​
🧠 Low-friction wellness win: just add a weighted backpack to elevate your existing routine (no need to cram more into your already-packed Google Calendar).

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Now add picking up trash as you go, and you’ve just leveled up to plogging. 🗑️🏃‍♀️

🇸🇪 Jogging + “plocka upp” (Swedish for “to pick up”) = out on your feet collecting litter
✨ Even if you do it once, you’ll walk away with the good feels.
💪 Plus all the bending over, reaching, stretching is great cross-training!

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It’s like the🌈Color Run’s🌈 earth-conscious cousin—less glitter, more good karma. 🌍

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And speaking of doing good while moving your body… what if you could take that mindset with you everywhere you go—even when you travel?

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🌍 Travel + Sustainability + Fitness = Power Combo 💪🍃

Not sure how to make your travels more sustainable? It doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Sometimes it’s just about doing a little extra research—especially with all the “eco-friendly” claims floating around.

Because let’s be real: not all that glitters is green. ✨

My friend over at Eco Wander Woman is helping travelers cut through the greenwashing with this super handy Travel Greenwashing Checklist. 👀

Because who says your next 5K—or vacation—can’t help the planet too? 💚

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TRAVEL Update: ​Newark airport finished their runway project early - But is EWR good to go? Personally, I had a direct early morning flight landing in EWR just last week and it went off without a hitch!

I'm BAAAAACK in Jersey!

After a wildly hot and humid week in Playa del Carmen, Mexico....I'm all about this weather....even if it's rainy most days.

Cut to a full week of family and friends time + multiple doctor visits for maintenance 🤣🤣

Here's what else (in semi-chronological order):

• Slightly heartbroken over my favorite credit card’s new policy—fewer lounge guest perks for additional card holders 😩
• In Playa, I scored a random cat-sitting gig through a friend-of-a-friend (Couchsurfing is wild like that). Covered 4 nights of my stay though the cat was kind of a diva.
• Took a snorkel trip in Cozumel, home to one of the best reefs on the planet. It lived up to the hype! Though, it feels impossible to NOT get sunburn! ☀☀☀
• Also test-drove “working remotely” from an island beach club! Waaaaat?
• First day back in NJ, I got a cortisol shot in my right shoulder (my fave sports medicine doc still remembers me 🥹). Turns out I’ve got rotator cuff syndrome… oof!
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Up next are 2 super cool things:

1. CAMP!!!!!!!!!! Adult summer camp 👉👉👉 check out the hype!
2. I'm taking a business trip around the Balkans! 12 cities in 6 weeks and full-force audio walking tour research.

Let's GOOOOO!

Let's keep talking about unique remote work locations....

I mentioned an island beach club but how about....

At a 24-hour Korean Spa?!?!

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Yep yepppp, I landed in Chicago and went straight to the spa for my overnight. Great way to beat jet lag!

Click here to learn more about how I paid almost half the price of a normal day pass and why sleeping there overnight was cheaper than stay in the downtown!

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🛠️ Tiny Newsletter Tweak! Just a quick heads-up: I’m retiring two of the usual sections you’ve seen here— 💎 Travel Gems + 🔎 Fitness & Wellness Finds ​ Why? Honestly, I found myself scrambling last minute to dig up links I didn’t always feel excited about. And if you’ve been around here a while, you know I’m more of an over-share-a-story-give-you-a-deep-dive-on-one-thing kind of person anyway. 😅 ​ So moving forward, expect more focused, anecdotal nuggets up top — and fewer scattered links. Quality over quantity, always. 💌

📍 Annapurna Circuit, Nepal — the trek that changes you 🏔️🛕

If you’ve ever dreamed of hiking through the clouds and into a new version of yourself… Nepal’s calling. The Annapurna Circuit is one of the world’s most iconic long-distance treks — and for good reason.

Why go?

• 🥾 100+ miles through jungle, mountain, and desert landscapes
• 🕉️ Hike past prayer flags, Buddhist temples, and yak herders
• ⛰️ Cross Thorong La Pass at 17,769 ft — the challenge of a lifetime

Bonus perks:

• 🍜 Warm up with dal bhat (lentils & rice) and endless cups of chai
• 🏔️ Teahouse trekking = no tent needed, just a warm bed and local hospitality
• 💸 High impact, low cost — Nepal is crazy affordable once you arrive

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Intrigued and wanna read more? 👉 👉 CLICK HERE​

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Want the visual vibes of a video?? Check out this comprehensive video blog by my friends Helen & Tim Travels! 👇👇👇

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✈️ Surprise Taxes? Budget Them In!​
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​So you paid with points....but why do you still owe some money and what does it mean?

Here’s the deal: even when you score a "free" flight with points, you’re still on the hook for taxes and fees—and some countries charge way more than others.

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😜I promise I'll share more about other money hacks, but credit card hacking is always on my mind. Especially since I was SURPRISED recently.

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Yo, leaving Mexico has a BIG departure tax....

Let's look more closely at Mexico, for example. Leaving Cancun cost me nearly $60 in departure taxes alone — one of the highest in the Americas. 😅

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✨Here's my recent direct flight from Cancun to EWR booked with United points✨
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I did a cost comparison with other countries around the world and YES, Mexico’s departure tax is on the higher end globally, especially for a country that’s such a common short-trip destination for U.S. travelers. It's not extreme, but definitely noticeably pricier than most.
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🧠 Takeaway: Departure taxes are often bundled into your ticket price, so you don’t always see them—but they’re real, and they can add up fast.

💡 Travel Hack: When booking with points, check the cash taxes/fees before confirming. Some "sweet spot" redemptions look great until you realize the taxes are half a paycheck.

📌 Pro Tip: Budget $50–75 in exit fees for international trips, especially when leaving places like Mexico, Costa Rica, or parts of the Caribbean.

Because a “free” flight that costs $90 in taxes doesn’t feel so free anymore, right?

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

“ Working on a problem relieves the fear of it. ​ It's hard to fear a problem when you are making progress on it - even if progress is imperfect and slow. ​ Action relieves anxiety. ​ ​​ ​ — Tweet from @JamesClear

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Happy travels and healthy living,

Heidi​
​Heidirunsabroad.com​

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