This week was different than most, but IT IS is the start of the holiday season when healthy eating can elude us! We traveled out of town for a couple of days to Raleigh, North Carolina so my daughters could see a couple of music shows and we could make some memories. This type of trip has become something we do a few times a year as a way to nourish my youngest’s music interests. We also enjoy seeing new cities or at least different parts of cities we’ve already visited.
We left early Sunday morning, dropped off our Pug, then picked up my oldest in Columbia, finally making our way to Raleigh. It was a little after 2 pm when we arrived. We headed directly to The Lincoln Theater so my youngest could wait in the line that had already formed (yes, the prospect of front row outweighed the cold!). My oldest and I then checked into the hotel, relaxed inside (it was in the 50s), and then dropped off a sandwich to my youngest. We then had a nice dinner at the Raleigh Times Bar, which I would recommend!
Healthy eating on the road
So, this is where it gets tricky and a little hard to maintain a nutrient-rich diet while on the road. We had healthy snacks with us and there were some vegetarian and vegan restaurants in Raleigh, but those restaurants were closed on Sunday! So, we opted to a veggie pizza. We had a great time at the show and avoided unhealthy food options because there were none, which turned out to be good!
The following day we bought some healthier food, had a lovely relaxing lunch in a quiet nook in the hotel lobby, then headed to downtown Raleigh where we stumbled across the North Carolina Museum of Science. This was after we were simply looking for a place to kill time, but more importantly, a bathroom! We scored both and spent the next two hours in the museum, which was incredibly stimulating and fun (oh and did I mention, it’s FREE admission!).
That evening, I dropped off my girls at the second show and made my way back to the hotel, where the lobby was was lively with guests eating dinner and socializing. I found another cozy nook, pulled out my laptop and made myself comfortable. But being away from home and not having “planned” to pick up something healthy, I indulged. Yup! I ordered some fries and called that dinner. And this is the reason I’m writing this blog post!
Overdoing it wasn’t my intention
It gets better! Ha. Once I returned to Charleston from our adventure, I rolled right into four straight nights of a holiday party, birthday celebration, board meeting, and the one-year anniversary of my beloved yoga studio. (All of these events came up AFTER we confirmed this trip.) Needless to say, getting “back on track” didn’t happen right away. But this is the holiday season, right? Already in full swing, which woke me up to the reality that if I’m not conscious and diligent about self-care, I’m screwed! Haha, but seriously.
That’s why this weekend, I’m looking closely at my calendar, scheduling self-care first, then limiting the number of holiday functions on my calendar to no more than a couple each week to make this holiday season one that I exit feeling just as good or even better than the way I entered it!
How about you? What do you find challenging to maintain the most during the holiday season? Enough sleep, eating healthy, getting plenty of exercise? Scroll down and comment! 🙂
And you can link to these articles for more information on staying healthy during the holidays:
Self-care is Always the Answer
