Finding Beauty (and a Bit of Myself) Through Slow Travel

June 16, 2025

I didn’t plan this trip to Florida for content. There were no must-see adventures or perfectly styled outfits packed in my suitcase. I just needed a break. From the uncertainty, the pressure to create, and from the weight of joining a new community across the country from everything I’ve ever known. I needed to heal through slow travel.

Sometimes you don’t know how much you need a reset until you’re in it standing barefoot in the sand, salty breeze in your hair, and for the first time in a while, everything feels still. This phase of transition has been hard on me. Not only the physical transition of moving, but the psychological and emotional toll are more than I expected, and affected areas of my life I thought were solid. This year has been a journey back to myself and this trip is exactly what I needed.

What made this trip even more healing was the people I got to spend it with. I started with a visit with my best friend who knows me better than I know myself. There’s nothing like those soul-nourishing conversations that leave you feeling lighter. Then time with my family, who always remind me who I am at my core. It wasn’t about where I stayed or what I wore—it was about returning to myself.

A Soft Reset: Slow Travel Rituals That Helped Me Heal

Here are a few gentle practices that helped me feel more like myself again—things I leaned into during my time in Florida and have carried with me since:

1. Slow, Intentional Movement
Yoga has become a daily ritual—sometimes just ten minutes, sometimes a full flow. It’s less about the workout and more about reconnecting with my body, my breath, and the present moment. Moving gently reminded me that healing doesn’t have to be loud or dramatic. It can be soft, steady, and sacred.

2. Morning Light & No Agenda
I gave myself permission to wake up without a plan. Some mornings I slept in way too late, others I watched Tiktoks on the balcony. There’s something about beginning the day slowly, without rushing into productivity, that feels like an act of resistance and self-love.

3. Creating Without Pressure
I took photos just because I wanted to—not for an algorithm, not for a campaign. Just because something was beautiful. That freedom brought joy back into my creativity, and reminded me of why I started in the first place. Check out my 2014 era coffee shot!

4. Quality Time with People Who Truly See Me
Being with my closest friends, then spending time with family, was like nourishment for the soul. Sometimes healing looks like laughter over wine, or silent car rides with people who love you unconditionally. It reminded me that I don’t have to carry everything alone.

5. Letting It Be Simple
No big plans. No glam. Just ease. I repeated this to myself often: Let it be enough. And surprisingly, it always was.

These rituals weren’t revolutionary. They didn’t fix everything or offer instant clarity. But they gave me space. Space to move through my emotions instead of around them. Space to create for the joy of it. Space to remember that even in the stormiest seasons, there is so much life waiting to be felt.

I came home with no grand revelations, no perfect photo ops, and no luxury travel tips to share. But what I did bring back was more valuable: a clearer mind, a lighter heart, and a quiet sense of strength that only comes from letting go.

Florida didn’t change my life, but it gave me a pause. A slow travel pause. Time with the people who love me. A moment to remember that even in transition, even in uncertainty, I am still me. And that is more than enough.

Have you ever taken a slow travel healing trip?

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