What Happened to the Athlete You Used to Be?
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Hello Reader, Heya Fit Travel Tribe, Here’s something I’ve been thinking about a lot lately: ⚽🏊♀️IDENTITY & FITNESS🏈🎾 If you were an athlete in high school or college, you probably remember what it felt like when being active was simply part of your identity. You had a schedule, practices, games, workouts, teammates, and a built-in routine. You didn’t really have to think about when you were going to exercise because it was just what you did. Or maybe you had a different period in your life when you were really in the groove with fitness. You had a routine, you felt strong, and being active was simply part of who you were. Then life changes. You move. You change jobs. You start a family. Your social circle changes. Your schedule gets busier. You travel more. And somewhere along the way, that routine starts to slide. Sometimes it happens so gradually that you barely notice. Then one day you look back and think, “Holy crap. When did I stop doing that? I miss that version of myself." I think this is one of the reasons fitness can be so difficult to get back into. It’s not always about motivation or discipline. Sometimes you’re trying to figure out who you are now and whether being an active person still fits into your current life. And I’ve been thinking about this a LOT because I recently realized I had started letting something pretty silly affect my own fitness identity. I was getting bothered by people staring at me when I did BodyCombat outside. And I thought: Wait. Since when do I care? Because "I’m the person who" will pack running shoes on a trip even if I only get out for one or two runs, who will do 30 minutes of yoga in a park, and who will go viral on TikTok for doing BodyCombat in an airport. So why am I suddenly letting other people’s attention change what I do? How do I feel about having less of that activity in my life. More importantly...what am I going to do about it? More on that below... 🇷🇴 Bună ziua from Bucharest! I’m currently on a business trip around Romania, which is a pretty fun sentence to say when you’re self-employed and technically assigned yourself the business trip. 😂 I’m traveling around to create new audio walking tours and just arrived in Bucharest to visit my sister-in-law. Since last Wednesday, I’ve made stops in: 📍 Sibiu I feel like I’ve finally hit my (very efficient) groove when it comes to gathering data in a city to make future audio walking tours. It’s a lot of early mornings, a LOT of walking, and plenty of time spent trying to photograph places before they fill up with people or get unbearably hot. Before Romania, I also had some nice time getting settled back into Sofia. I have my visa, I’m still working through the residency paperwork, and I even got to meet up with one of my followers who was traveling through Bulgaria. We took a BodyCombat class together, which was SO much fun. Truly, it re-invigorated my love for the class. 🥊 The “I Don’t Care Who’s Watching” ProblemI think my feelings about exercising in public actually started changing after my solo trip to Morocco. I got a LOT of unwanted attention there. I felt safe, but there was so much staring and being approached that I found myself constantly assessing what was happening around me. And I think that buildup has stayed with me more than I realized (even noticing people stare at me while walking at home in Sofia). Especially when traveling, sometimes I don't want to pay for a gym day pass (or take the time to look up logistics on which one to visit) and I'd normally jump at the chance to use the small space in a hostel living room or the park nearby. I want to be that version of myself again. 👉The one who started this blog and newsletter. So I decided I’m not going to let being stared at become a reason I stop doing something I enjoy. I’m going to put my headphones on, turn the music up, and tune out the noise. Because I want to be the person who doesn’t care. I like that version of myself. So, what about you? And what’s holding you back? Maybe it’s the lack of a routine, system, or accountability buddy. Maybe it’s not knowing where to start. Or maybe it’s worrying about the surprised look you’ll get from someone you know when you pull out those old running shoes. Whatever it is, try taking one small action that helps you reconnect with that version of yourself. And especially: don’t give a f*ck what anyone else thinks. Sometimes you just need to do the thing that makes you think: “Oh yeah. This is part of me. And it feels good.”
🎧 Three New Audio Walking Tours!July was a really exciting month for my audio walking tours: I published three new tours! 🎉 I’m especially excited that I’m getting faster at the whole process now. I can look at a destination, see whether there’s a good opportunity for a tour, and actually plan my own trip to go collect the content. I’m also starting to think more strategically about which smaller, less-touristy Balkan cities might have a good ROI, especially places where I already have some data or content collected. Coming up next: 🇷🇸 Belgrade Yes, I’m going from Balkan capitals to Rutgers. 😂 And New Brunswick is basically my hometown, so it’s pretty cool to eventually turn a place that feels so familiar to me into a tour for other people to explore. 👉 Want to explore one of my tours?
🇷🇴 Hiking in RomaniaRomania is a fantastic destination if you want to combine sightseeing with some actual exercise. ⛰️ Tâmpa — BrașovThis is probably the easiest one to add to a city trip. Tâmpa rises directly above Brașov, and you can hike through the forest to the top for beautiful views over the city. And yes, you can get up behind the giant BRAȘOV sign — basically Romania’s answer to the Hollywood sign. 😂 Perfect for squeezing a workout into a sightseeing day without dedicating your entire day to hiking. 🏔️ Piatra CraiuluiIf you want something more dramatic, head toward Piatra Craiului National Park. There are options ranging from easier walks through Zărnești Gorge to challenging mountain routes, so you can choose your adventure depending on your fitness level and how much time you have. 🏔️ Făgăraș MountainsAnd if you want the serious mountain experience, look toward the Făgăraș range. This is where you’ll find high ridges, alpine scenery, glacial lakes, and some of Romania’s highest peaks. Just make sure you’re actually prepared for a mountain hike before wandering up there because this is definitely not a “cute little walk before dinner.” 😂 🥡Bring the TupperwareThis may sound like unnecessary bulk until you actually start traveling with one. Bring a small reusable food container. When it’s empty, you can stuff something inside it — a T-shirt, socks, whatever — so you aren’t really sacrificing much packing space. And then you have somewhere to put: 🥞 Pancakes you made the day before I use mine constantly when I travel, and it’s especially useful on long transportation days. Plus, there’s something satisfying about opening your bag and realizing you already have food with you instead of spending €15 because you’re hungry at the bus station. 😂 Tiny travel upgrade. Big payoff. Always on my mind: More money for more travel! It's often worth a little homework for those savings 💸 Feel free to always respond back to this email with any thoughts and questions you might have or content you'd love to see in the future. Happy travels & healthy living, Heidi Note: Some images and GIFs sourced from Unsplash and Giphy. |