Apps that keep me grounded when I travel

The past year of my life has been a chapter filled with colourful characters, plot twists, and lots of travel. My feet have kissed the sandy dunes of the Sahara dessert, hobbled over cobbled streets in Madrid, bathed in the salty, lukewarm waters of Siargao, and cosied up under the familiar duvet of my home in Sydney. Whilst having the opportunity to travel is without doubt a luxury, clocking up countless hours on the road (or in the air) can be exhausting, and the lack of regularity and routine is often disorientating. Through a little trial and error, I’ve discovered a few apps that help me stay grounded and on top of things (whether it be my health or financials) when I’m away from home.

1. Splitwise

How often have you travelled in a group, accumulated a bunch of IOU’s, only to lose track of who owes who? Splitwise takes the hassle out of keeping tabs on shared expenses. Create a group, invite your friends or family, and enter your expenses on the go. At the end of your trip the app will help you calculate and square up without fuss.

2. Headspace

Recently I’ve been pretty vocal about how transformative meditation has been in shaping my mental wellbeing. It takes as little as 10 minutes of my day to sit still and just breathe, bringing about clarity of thought, peace, happiness, and you know, general good vibes. Headspace offers multiple modules for those who want to work on a specific aspect of their lives (from sleep to self esteem), or you could go for one of the mini meditations, perfect for people on the go. When you have hours to kill on a plane, why not spend some of that time doing something for your wellbeing?

3. Yoga Studio

One of the things I miss the most when I’m away from home is my yoga studio. I never felt confident enough to practise on my own, and it took me a while to find an app which I didn’t find boring or annoying. Yoga studio has a variety of pre-made sequences you can follow (from beginner to advanced), or if you’re feeling creative you can put together your own routine. Having a stretch after sitting on a plane for 12 hours is the best feeling!

4. Podcasts

I love the idea of staying productive in transit, but I often find myself sinking into a black hole of distraction (usually from browsing social media), only to hate myself for wasting my precious time mindlessly scrolling. I’d rather reignite my curiosity or learn something new, which often happens when I listen to podcasts. Some of my favourites include: Ted Talks Daily, Sincerely X and This American Life.