How I keep cozy while traveling

In which our heroine journeys abroad

Hello from the highlands, my cozy friend!

I’m writing to you from a warm pink room in Dunkeld, Scotland that epitomizes the Scottish term, “coorie in” meaning to snuggle up or nestle. A cozy girl’s dream! Lucas and I have been adventuring around Scotland for the last nine days having such a special time. I’ve been soaking up all the magic and finding so much inspiration that I can’t wait to share with you all once we’re back. For now, I want to talk about the ways I keep my spirit cozy while traveling - an admittedly stressful and anxiety inducing endeavor.

We came to Scotland for the first time two years ago on our honeymoon. While it was filled with magic, it also coincided with the absolute peak of my anxiety. I felt sick for a lot of the trip and didn’t know what to do to make myself feel better. Since then, I’m pleased to report that I’ve developed a variety of tools to keep my mind and spirit well. So I wanted to share the practices I keep in mind to fight the overwhelm that often comes alongside traveling.

The five practices that keep my spirit cozy while traveling near and far.

Prioritizing comfortable and convenient lodging: Some people view their hotel room or Airbnb as “just a place to sleep.” Truly, could not be me - your girl is looking for an experience. Plus, I tend to get overstimulated and overwhelmed so for me, the place I’m staying needs to be a sanctuary where I can wind down or return to in the day when I need a break. If we can find it, I love to stay at boutique hotels that are well designed to give me interiors inspiration! Otherwise, I’m just looking for a nice, cozy place that’s in walking distance to the things I’d like to do. I do enjoy a good Airbnb, but all the options we looked at were truly bleak - wildly expensive and not even cute! I booked four out of five of our hotels with various travel rewards, so I’m feeling like fiscally responsible queen! (Let’s not mention all the shopping I’ve been doing…)

Packing a mini capsule wardrobe: I’ve wanted to be a capsule wardrobe girl for years. It just feels so simple and romantic to me! I haven’t quite achieved it with my everyday wardrobe, but this trip was a perfect opportunity to try it out for two weeks. Let me tell you, I’m never going back! It has made getting dressed everyday not only easy, but fun. Every piece can be mixed and matched together so I’m ready for any activity at any level of formality. Three outfits a day? Sure! Outfit repeating? Just call me Lizzie McGuire! I stuck to a basic color palette of brown, pink, green, and black, plus one tartan dress that I just had to bring. I love clothes and being creative with my outfits, but I also don’t want to be overwhelmed or to have to pack more than a carry-on. This is the best of both worlds!

Let me know if you’re interested in how I put it together - I could write a whole newsletter about it!

Finding cozy spots to rest: Especially on a trip like this with multiple locations and it being literally impossible to see everything we’d like to during our time here, it’s so easy to slip into a “go go go” mentality. This time around, we’re prioritizing moving slowly, picking one or two activities for the day and seeing where it takes us. Some of my favorite moments on this trip have been stumbling upon a sweet little cafe and stopping in for a latte while we sit and read our books. The cafe game is so strong here! So many cute little spots and the lattes are always delicious. (Plus they aren’t $7 like at home!) Since we’re not trying to rush everywhere, we get to appreciate these small moments. It also gives us space to pause, regroup, and plan what we want to do next.

Taking it one day at a time: On a related note, during this trip I’m really striving to stay present and focus on the current day instead of worrying about what’s to come. This also means that if something doesn’t go as planned - like say, when Google lied to me and every little cafe in the highlands was actually closed and thus we were subsisting on mixed nuts I found in the car - the next day I can start fresh and let it all go. Despite all the saved reels on instagram and the meticulous research, the truth is things will not go as planned. Rude! But sometimes, that means things turn out even better than I imagined, like the castle we visited on Loch Ness that had zero expectations for. That’s where the magic comes in.

Experiencing places on foot: I packed three pairs of shoes on this trip - my beloved rain boots, white sneakers, and some Mary Janes. The key factor I considered? Walkability. My favorite way to see any city (even the one where I live!) is from the sidewalk, moving slowly and noticing the small details. It lets me get outside and move my body, which always helps me feel more calm. It’s the best way to discover little shops I want to pop into and to appreciate all the beautiful front doors in the neighborhood. Cue Taylor Swift singing “I look in people’s windows / like I’m some deranged weirdo.” There’s only so much you can research and plan ahead of time, so I think simply walking around a neighborhood is one of the best ways to find those hidden gems.

Finally, your cozy inspiration for the week:

I will leave you with this photo of Hamish, a 13 year old highland cow who I had the pleasure of meeting on a farm tour. He is everything to me! I am going to name my next cat after him! I hope he lights your spirit and serves as proof that dreams really can come true.

Until next time, slàinte!