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"We are what we repeatedly do. Excellence, then, is not an act, but a habit."
— Aristotle
I'm writing this from Hamburg, a week after returning from Tenerife where I hiked volcanoes, trained daily, and came home feeling better than when I left.
A note before you start reading
This article is for people who have built habits they care about and want to keep them alive while traveling. If you prefer to fully switch off on vacation, that is completely valid. But if you have ever come home from a trip feeling sluggish and frustrated with yourself, this is for you.
We all know how it starts.
You book the early flight because it is cheaper. You leave the house before your body has woken up properly and arrive at the airport with your stomach growling. So you grab a croissant and an orange juice at the gate, things you never eat at home, just to get through the morning. On the flight you order an overpriced panini and another coffee. By the time you land you are hungry again and the first place you see is a Burger King. You tell yourself it is just this once.
You arrive at the hotel and the fridge is full of minibar alcohol. There is no kitchen. The gym has two treadmills and a broken elliptical. You forgot your running shoes. And somewhere in the back of your mind you already know: the next two weeks are going to be a write-off.
You tell yourself you will make up for it when you get home.
I lived this many times. Then I got serious about changing it.
Before my four week trip to Australia in 2025 and again before Tenerife this year, I sat down and made a proper plan. Not a vague intention to eat well and exercise but a real preparation process that made keeping my habits the path of least resistance rather than the exception.
The result was that I maintained every single one of my habits for the entire trip. Running, weight training, stretching, supplements, sleep, reading, writing. The same way I do at home, just in a different environment, with the hours I would normally spend working now free to explore.
Here is exactly how I did it.
Why most people fail before they even leave
Habits do not break on vacation because of temptation or weak willpower.
They break because of poor preparation.
When the environment is not set up to support your habits, the default becomes whatever is easiest in the moment.
No kitchen means you eat out for every meal.
No gym means you do not train for two weeks.
No running shoes means no running.
No yoga mat means no stretching.
The environment wins every time. The solution is to control the environment before you arrive.
The preparation starts way before your vacation
Step 1: Visualize your day from the moment you wake up
This is the most important step and the one I always underestimated. Before booking anything, I sit down and mentally walk through a full day of my vacation as if I am already there.
I wake up. I want to make my own breakfast. That means I need a kitchen with a stove, basic utensils, and a fridge. I need a supermarket within reasonable walking distance that carries oats, yoghurt, berries, and eggs.
After breakfast I want to write for an hour or two. That means I need a reliable internet connection and a comfortable place to sit with my laptop.
Around 11am I want to train. That means I need a gym with at least enough equipment for a proper session. Not two treadmills. Actual weights.
After training I want my protein shake and a snack. That means I need to either bring my supplements or find a nutrition shop nearby.
Lunch and dinner I cook myself. That means the kitchen and supermarket matter again.
In the evening I want to stretch or do yoga. That means I need a yoga mat and enough space to use it, indoors if the weather is bad.
At 10pm I want the lights off and to sleep well. That means I need a quiet area, a comfortable bed, blackout curtains, and working air conditioning.
Going through this exercise makes your actual needs completely visible. Most people skip it and end up improvising on arrival.
Step 2: Research the location
Once you know what you need, you can research intelligently rather than just booking whatever looks nice.
Start with the supermarket. This is non-negotiable. I check which major supermarket chains exist at my destination and find their locations on Google Maps before I choose where to stay. In Tenerife that was Mercadona. I chose Los Cristianos specifically because there was one within walking distance.
Small grocery stores are not enough. They rarely carry everything you need and the prices are significantly higher. A proper supermarket within 30 minutes on foot is the minimum.
Then find your accommodation around the supermarket, not the other way around. The kitchen is the most important feature. It needs a stove, pots, pans, a fridge, and basic utensils. Read the listing carefully and check photos. If it is unclear, message the host directly.
For the gym, photos in listings are almost useless because hotels always photograph the one corner that looks good. Instead I search through reviews specifically for comments from other people who actually use the gym. A small gym with proper weights is better than a large one with only cardio machines. If the hotel gym is not good enough, search for a nearby commercial gym. Just make sure it is close. A gym that requires a 40 minute commute will not get used after a long day.
Check the neighborhood for noise. If the hotel is in the middle of the nightlife district your sleep will suffer regardless of how well you planned everything else. Read reviews that mention noise specifically.
Finally, if you rely on supplements, search for a nutrition or fitness shop near your accommodation. I do not travel with large bags of protein powder if I can avoid it. One search on Google Maps before I leave tells me whether I can buy what I need on arrival.
Step 3: Pack with intention
This is the easiest step because most things can be bought at your destination if needed. But bringing the right things eliminates unnecessary spending and the risk of arriving unprepared.
My non-negotiables: running shoes, sport and gym clothes, chest strap for heart rate monitoring, running cap and sunglasses, stainless water bottle, a shaker for protein, one or two physical books, laptop, and my dental care kit. Everything else I can source locally.
The deeper reason this matters
You could read all of this and still ask: why bother?
Is the whole point of vacation not to escape your normal life?
That is exactly the question worth sitting with.
If your habits feel like obligations you need a break from, then yes, vacation becomes an escape from them. But if you have built habits that genuinely serve you, that make you feel strong, clear, and like yourself, then you do not want a break from them.
You want to take them with you.
In the last four years I built a life at home that I genuinely enjoy. My habits are not a burden. They are the reason I feel good every single day. When I travel I do not leave them behind because they are part of who I am, not just part of my routine.
I came home from Tenerife feeling better than when I left. Stronger, clearer, more energized. Not despite keeping my habits but because of it.
That is what good preparation makes possible.
The right habits do not need a holiday.
Build the life first.
Then take it with you wherever you go.
Thank you for reading.
It means a lot that you spent your time here.
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