You are amazing. Seriously. Believe it. Now. Say it out loud: “I am amazing.”

You are not perfect. You will never be perfect. Perfect does not exist. Do you know what this means? Freedom! You no longer have to chase perfectionism. The entire world is filled with imperfections. Your imperfections are what make you unique. They make you special. They make you, you.

The world loves you. You are surrounded by love. If someone makes fun of you, they are either joking and just want a good laugh (who doesn’t?!) or they are serious because they don’t have their happiness hat on in that moment. No one will make fun of someone without joking while wearing their happiness hat.

You are not perfect. You are amazing.

You are alive! Take a few deep breaths. Isn’t it amazing that while reading the words on your screen you were able to breathe without even thinking about it? And if you want, you can breathe consciously. Walking is the same way. You don’t have to think about putting one foot in front of the other in order to walk. You just walk. It’s automatic. But you can consciously walk too. Try it. Barefoot. Focus on your legs. Feel all your muscles moving. Squeeze your booty. Fun, eh?

Do you believe? Believing is the first step. If you believe that you are amazing then you are. If you believe that you can do anything then you can. If you don’t believe then action won’t follow.

Instead of sitting on the sidelines, get in the game. Once you’re in, you must take action. You must do something, anything. You will fail. This is a good thing. As a baby you first learned to crawl. You became an expert at it. Then you tried to walk. You stood up, took a step and then fell down. Uh oh! But you never quit. Next time you took 2 steps. Then three. You kept falling. But you never stopped trying. Eventually, you learned how to walk without even thinking about how to do it. All those baby steps added up to success.

If you forever believe that you are amazing (it’s the cold hard truth) then you will not be afraid of failure. You may not know what you want. That’s OK. Take action. Follow your heart. Life is a journey full of uncertainties. Full of imperfections. These imperfections are what make it beautiful.

You are not perfect. You are amazing. 

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One year and one day ago from today I had this crazy idea while sitting on my brother’s comfy black chair in Wrigleyville, Chicago. He was away in Dallas and so I had the entire condo to myself. With the peace and quiet I decided to take some time to just sit and think.

And so I thought. And thought.

Then, out of the blue, I thought about the crazy idea to walk across America. You know, from coast to coast. Either west to east or east to west. I had no idea how to go about doing it but Nate Damm, another kid my age, had just finished this feat last year. Dozens of others have done it too. Why can’t I?

The following morning, on May 1st, I took my first action step. When you want to do something, anything, especially something as big as walking across America, you need to take action. The first thing I did was I created a thread in the MDA forum stating what I was going to do. It started a great conversation that had lots of inspiration. People wanted to help. They offered their couch or spare bed or a place to shower. Some wanted to walk with me for a day or a few days.

A few thought about joining me for the whole trip. One dude was very serious about walking with me. The entire 3200 miles. I ended up flying to Olympia, Washington in late June since his roommate had just moved out. We were not friends from before so we were going to take 9 months to become friends and plan for the trip. But I left after 2 nights. There were many reasons of which included me not wanting to live in Olympia for 9 months. Also, it was difficult for me to commit doing something this crazy with someone that I did not know well from before.

I went back home to Grand Rapids, MI. I then lived with my brother in Chicago late last year and have been all over this year.

As I type the words that you are now reading on your screen (isn’t this world amazing?), I sit here in the basement of my parents home on a Wednesday night, thinking about how really awesome it would be if I was walking across America at this very moment. What if I had actually taken 9 months to prepare and then left on April 1 which was the Monday after PaleoFX ended? Nine months is a long time to prepare for something like this.

I wonder. I really wonder…

This does not mean that I can’t do this in the future. If I want something bad enough then I will go get it. I am just not sure if this is something that I want to do. But, it apparently costs around $5,000 or less. I could spend a little more or get by with a little less. For about a 7 month trip that would be very epic, why not walk across America?

Well, there are hundreds of reasons why I wouldn’t. But I don’t wish to go there now. Why not think about why I would do something so crazy? I’d walk across America from coast to coast…

• To face my fears. I could create a list of 1000 or more fears I’d have with this trip.
• To inspire others to face their fears (most are stupid ya know?)
• To meet awesome people and listen to their stories.
• To get unique perspectives on nutrition. On overall wellness. On life. What’s the meaning of it all?
• To travel in the slowest way possible that allows me to truly see all that my home country has to offer.
• To walk. I’m obsessed with walking after all.
• To learn how to slow down and appreciate all of life’s precious moments.
• To gain the experience of “roughing it.”
• To show how nice people are across the country.
• To take gorgeous photos.
• To know what it’s like to be engaging in physical work on a near daily basis for hours on end.
• To challenge myself and see how many miles I can walk in a 24 hour period.
• To learn more about myself. How could I not if I walked alone for most of it?

There are many more reasons. I just thought of these just now. If you have thought of any more reasons as to why anyone would want to walk across America feel free to share with a comment below.

I fly to Houston on Saturday for the Low Carb Cruise. This will no doubt be lots of fun, especially since I’ll be celebrating my 25th birthday on the last night we are sailing at sea! Then I come home on Mother’s Day.

Then what? I’m thinking about moving to Chicago for up to 6 months. With both of my sisters pregnant and due in July, I don’t wish to be far away from home (Grand Rapids, MI) this Summer and early Fall. These will be my first nephews (I don’t have any nieces either). I LOVE kids! With nearly all of my close family members residing in West Michigan and Chicago (my lone brother), I don’t see myself living too far away. But you never know with me. It depends on how life unfolds.

Maybe, just maybe, I’ll begin planning now to walk across America next year. Shall I?

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The following is a guest post from Paul Austin. Enjoy!

It’s another wonderful Monday, and you’re headed to the office. Before grabbing a cup of coffee off the counter, you search wildly for your car keys, unable to recall their last location. After 5 minutes of flustered effort, you finally manage to find them. Unfortunately, you’re now: A) Late to work and B) Stressed out.

Hopping in the car, you suck down your cup of coffee while driving like a coked-out maniac, somehow making it work in record time. Sitting down to begin another week of corporate life, you spot the bowl of M&M’s across the room. “Sheesh,” you think to yourself “if only I wasn’t SO tempted by sweets every time I come to work. Being able to control my environment would make life so much easier!” Thankfully, your willpower “reserves” are still high, so you’re able to resist the temptation you normally give in to.

Fast-forward to lunchtime. Your co-workers want to swing by the nearest fast food place/lunch cafe/restaurant and ask you to come along. Due to a rushed morning, you didn’t pack a lunch. The horror! Since hunger signals are driving you up the wall, you weakly oblige to join your co-workers at the nearest fast food joint.

Woops.

By time you get back from lunch, your body is screaming in quiet desperation to make sure you never eat the toxins in fast food again.

But at least you got out of your chair and did a bit of walking! And since you’re so swamped at work, you didn’t have another chance all day. Eight hours of sitting does wonders for a back (not). By the end of the day, stand-up desks sound like a gift straight from the heavens.

Thankfully most of your workdays end around 5. At this time, you hop back in the car to get home. You’re so glad to be back in a place of comfort and security where you can finally control all the aspects of wellness in your life.

Pastured meat and fresh vegetables in the fridge? Check.
Cute golden retriever puppy to walk? Check.
No need to set foot in a car for another 12 hours? Check.

Now that you’re home, you can finally live how YOU want to.

Definition of travel

I just described an example of what the average worker goes through while trying to live a healthy lifestyle within a society that emphasizes convenience and sickness.

If you can relate to this story in any way, shape, or form, I have good news.

You have hope!

First, ask yourself if you do any of the following: go to the grocery store, pick up your kids from school, go to zumba class, drive to work, drive to socialize, or leave your house to meet friends at the bar.

Since it’s likely that you do ONE of these things, I now “knight” you an experienced “traveler”.

Sure, you’re not jet-setting across the world to swim with dolphins and take tequila shots, nor are you summiting Mt. Everest or snorkeling the Great Barrier reef. But you’re still away from “home”, aren’t you?

And while you’re away from home, normal everyday things like eating, exercising, and sleeping become a challenge.

Ever try sleeping while driving a car? I hope not!

Or workout while having a drink with friends at the bar? That’d be awkward…

No matter where you go, routines carried out while at “home” are difficult to maintain while on the road.

No more travel trouble

So, now, do me a HUGE favor:

Imagine, if instead of “traveling” for 8 hours, you were “traveling” for a week straight…in another country…where no one knows your language.

Some major issues would present themselves. In order to circumvent these issues, you’d need to learn a few new hints and tricks.

That’s why I’m here. To help guide you through the hassle of staying – primal/paleo/healthy/invincible/whatever you want to call it – while away from home.

Although the following tips are tailored for those travelling across the state/country/globe, they can also be applied to more local “travel”.

Eating

Plan: The ONLY way to stay on top of your nutrition while on the road is to plan ahead. It doesn’t matter if you’re going across the state or across the world, planning is critical to setting yourself up for success. When traveling abroad, include a few items in your suitcase to help ease the initial adjustment. Items I recommend include coconut oil, dark chocolate and beef jerky. Check out my definitive guide to Backpacking Nutrition for more ideas.

Be Flexible (to a point): You may have to integrate part of your “20″ of the 80/20 Real Food/Indulgences balance while traveling. Hell, you might even have to go to “25″. That’s OK. Be flexible with yourself, throw out the bread (and any other empty calories), and eat as much Real Food as possible. If nothing else, you can always intermittent fast.

Try New Things: While traveling abroad, you’ll be faced with an array of new options to choose from. Keep your Primal/Paleo/Real Food principles in mind, but branch out and give new dishes a try. One of my favorite dishes in Turkey is Hamsi, which is whole anchovies dusted in corn flour and pan fried in olive oil. Completely Primal/Paleo? No, but still incredibly delicious, and very, very healthy. Part of the reason we travel is to learn by immersing ourselves in new cultures. A culture’s cuisine is an important aspect of learning more about its roots and history. Don’t fret about it – just keep the experience in perspective.

Exercise

Keep it Simple: Unfortunately, it’s impossible to pack the local YMCA in your suitcase. That’s why traveling is the perfect opportunity to brush up on bodyweight exercises: push-ups, ab planks, body squats, sprints, burpees, pull-ups…the list goes on. The most important part of a workout is not necessarily WHAT you do, but instead, your mindset and WHY you’re working out

Easy does it: Traveling by itself is stressful. Dealing with traffic on the road, hassles in the airport, and all the confusing aspects of a new location is enough by itself. Don’t kill yourself by implementing a complicated exercise routine. Stick to a few sets of push-ups or squats in the morning, and light stretching before bed. Simplifying your fitness routine is a great way to exercise at least a little every day.

Explore: Remember, you’re in a new place! With new sights, people, music, food, and tons of other things! Go out and explore your new location the old fashioned way – by walking. When I traveled around Western Europe a year and a half ago, my buddy and I almost NEVER used the metro system. Instead, we explored each city on foot, day after day, soaking in all the sights at a slow and measureable pace. I returned from that trip in excellent shape! And I only did (maximum) 5 minutes of intentional fitness every day. Get some barefoot shoes (VFF’s, Merrels, Minimus) if you don’t have a pair yet, and set out exploring.

Stress

Sleep: Bring four items on the road with you to ensure a peaceful night’s rest anywhere: earplugs, eye mask, supplements, and blue-light blocking glasses. Follow this protocol to sleep on an airplane and/or beat your jet leg into submission: ingest supplements thirty minutes before bedtime while donning stylish blue-blocking glasses; read a book in as dark of an atmosphere as possible; throw in the earplugs and throw on the eye mask, and head to bed. Supplements to consider for sleep are valerian root, magnesium, and, if crossing a number of time zones, melatonin.

Meditate: I meditate in the morning to help nurture a zen-like focus throughout the day. But if I’ve had a tumultous day and have a lot on my mind, I’ll also meditate 5-10 minutes before bedtime. Considering how crazy every day is while traveling, mindfulness meditation before bed will calm your nerves and clear your mind.

Get Outdoors: If you want to make your traveling experience even more “primal”, take a day to explore a local national park or work on a WWOOF farm. As so many health gurus are now talking about (Mark Sisson first comes to mind), reconnecting with nature is critical to living a life of personal wellness.

If you follow all of these suggestions while simply enjoying your time on the road, balancing your personal wellness and traveling excursion won’t be a problem at all.

Readers: How do you stay healthy while on the road? Are there certain tips and tricks you’d recommend for eating, exercising or eliminating stress?

This post is by Paul Austin. Paul writes at Travel ‘n’ Wellness and is devoted to helping and motivating any type of traveler live a Primal/Paleo lifestyle while on the road. Download Paul Austin’s Free e-Guide, Health On-The-Go - a concise and practical guide packed with tips on how to have abundant energy and get more out life while on the road.

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