While the concept of home brings forth images of hygge to most of us, we live in an era where travel is pretty typical—whether for work, visiting far away family and friends, for adventure and discovery, or for pure pleasure. Travel can be stressful, especially when you start accounting for things such as traveling with children or passing into new time zones.
My husband and I have done two international trips with three kids under 6 in the past 4 months, so I can totally relate to the tough parts! But! There are things that you can easily implement to make your trip focus more on the memory making, cozy connections, simple pleasures, and all things hygge, no matter if you’re taking a quick weekend getaway or a longer voyage!
Here’s my tried-and-true tips for staying hygge while you travel:
Pack a comforting treat into your carry-on. This can be something you truly love and look forward to (such as a new book by a favorite author or a bar of your favorite chocolate), OR something you save only for when you travel. I love glossy magazines, and this is something I only splurge on while flying. It makes it a true treat to look forward to!
Bring cozy socks to change into for the flight/long drive. Having shoes on for your commute is so not hygge (assuming you’re not the one driving, that is!;-)
Stop at a cute, local cafe every day and enjoy a warm beverage and people watching.
Ask the hotel staff or your AirBnB hosts for their favorite off-the-beaten-path restaurants, and get recommendations on what you should order. Since our memory is so closely tied to our senses, this hack has truly made some of the best memories (i.e. hygge moments!) on our trips!
Jot down your favorite memories from each day. It’s fun to keep a travel journal specifically for this purpose—this way after a few years when the journal is filled, you have sweet anecdotes from all your trips (most of which you probably won’t remember if you don’t write them down!)
Buy postcards from museums or attractions and mail to family and friends with sweet notes on them. Buy a few extra and use them as bookmarks—giving yourself a little happiness booster as you remember your trip every time you see one!
Visit a local indie bookstore and find a book that is set in the location you’re visiting. You can enjoy your trip and reminisce long after it’s over.
Turn off your phone and rely on a good ol’ fashioned map. I ALWAYS do this when flying internationally (it started because I didn’t want to pay international phone usage rates—ha!) But it’s SUCH a pleasure to be disconnected from all things phone while away, and reading a paper map is exceptionally hygge!
Talk to locals! There’s so many places to do this, but I find elevators are a fun and quick opportunity to strike up a brief chat! Ask them what their favorite part of living where they live is, what parks they like to visit, any can’t-miss markets they would recommend…this is a fabulous way to get to know the area on a new level.
Block off an afternoon to get lost on foot, and thoroughly enjoy wherever the journey takes you.
I’d love to know…how do you stay hygge while traveling? Let’s chat in the comments!
A Little Something Hygge
I LOVE rewatching classic holiday films this time of year, and upon viewing Home Alone last night, I realized something extraordinary I never have before: EVERY single room in the house is decorated red and green, and there’s splashes of red and green in all the other scenes too! Give it a rewatch and pay attention—no wonder it’s a classic holiday film we just can’t get enough of!
A Hygge Haiku From My Week
Warm clothes straight from the
dryer. Bring to nose, inhale.
Domestic hygge.
A Cozy Quote To Leave You With
“There are years that ask questions and years that answer.” —Zora Neale Hurston