Eating Well While Wandering: A Different Way to Travel

I’m often asked how I manage to eat “restaurant food” every day while travelling for months at a time, and whether it affects my health or weight. It’s a fair question, especially if you enjoy home cooking and simple meals as much as I do.

The truth is, my eating changes depending on where I am. Asia was very different from where I am now. I usually eat two meals a day, a late breakfast and dinner, and I gravitate towards lighter foods like salads, tofu, seitan, and fresh seafood when it’s available. I’m mindful of how much bread, pasta, potatoes, and rice I eat, but I don’t obsess over it.

When I stay with friends, like in parts of Indonesia, New Zealand, or soon in São Paulo, I enjoy home-cooked meals. If my accommodation has a kettle or mini fridge, I can do quite a lot with very little. That said, I’m not interested in replicating my home life while travelling. This journey is about experiencing something different.

Because I slow travel without staying in one place for long, buying groceries in bulk often doesn’t make sense and can be wasteful. South America is also far more expensive for food than Asia, whether eating out or shopping. My overall budget reflects the kind of travel I’m choosing. I value privacy, peace, and comfort, so hostels and shared spaces aren’t for me. Where I stay matters, especially on days when I want solitude and stillness.

As for movement, I walk a lot, often around 10,000 steps a day. I swim when I can, hike hills, and occasionally practise tai chi, yoga, or stretching. In Asia, I actually lost or maintained weight. In more Western environments, I have to be more mindful. The only place I truly gained weight was on a cruise, despite all the activities!

This journey isn’t about ticking off destinations or living like a local. It’s about sondering and sauntering, giving myself freedom and flexibility to stay, leave, change plans, or take detours. I don’t travel with a fixed itinerary, and I’ve changed course many times, adding countries, skipping others, or simply pausing when needed.

My purpose is simple: to experience life differently, to learn, meet people, try new things, and create memories. These are my “go-go” years. I have the health, the curiosity, and the ability to travel now, and that in itself is a privilege.

This isn’t about finding myself, but about reconnecting with who I already am. I’m grateful to be ageing, grateful to be alive, and hopeful that I’m growing wiser while still ready to play, laugh, and live authentically.

We are not our age. We are our energy. Namaste 🙏🏽

Gail Hughes