Travel is a literal ungrounding—leaving familiar land behind.

It throws our routines out of orbit. Habits that ground us—eating well, exercising, meditating—suddenly become harder to keep.

The key to returning to ourselves, even out of our element, is both commitment to ritual—and the tools to carry it out.

The ritual itself can be simple. Grind your beans and pour your coffee. Sit for a ten-minute meditation right after waking.

But it’s our commitment—and our preparation to follow through—that makes the ritual possible.

My grounding ritual is making coffee each morning. When I travel, I pack an AeroPress or a small French press, along with beans, a portable grinder, and a small scale. Most places have hot water. All the tools are there for the ritual.

Another is daily jump rope. I bring a rope, shoes, and a small pad. The gear makes it possible to follow through—even when it’s inconvenient.

And another is writing each day—opening my computer and finishing one post.

It's worth noting a particular characteristic of ritual: consistency. It is a repeated act. Yes, we can make our adjustments as needed. But it is following the same steps, day after day.

It is the repetition—the consistency across the boundaries of days—that makes ritual grounding. It is a returning to the same moment, even though we are in a new place.

Ritual is your anchor at sea. Your North Star. It is a point of orientation back to yourself. Back to your center.

Whatever your ritual, carry it with you. Let it be your haven when everything else feels unfamiliar.