So my loves, I am bringing you behind the scenes with some words I uttered that stopped me in my tracks and led me to a realisation changed my life.

It got to a point where I didn’t actually like wearing much makeup and buying new clothes.

I questioned why I was doing it. I realised, I was trying to fit in.

My lightbulb moment was when I was happiest with a suitcase full of comfy clothes, my camera and a laptop.

So I made a change.

I started to ridding myself of belongings that didn't serve me and became more conscious in how I was living, more aware of what I was doing, what I was buying, from who....

To the point where we donated clothes that filled two wardrobes and reduced the clothing items we own to two under bed drawers and a chest of drawers each. It feels simple, choices are limited to what I wear again and again, it is easy to keep tidy and put things away, rather than deal with cupboards full of clothes I haven't worn in years.

This also impacted the way I was travelling. The destination, duration and mode of transportation. Because we get to be the change.

Read on for 5 tips to help you be more conscious in your travel:

1. Stay local.

Discover the gems in your local area and be a local tourist. We all know there are so many things local to us that we haven't explored as the dazzle of magical times far from home can often be the thing that we chase. But there is something quite special about staying at home and seeking out new experiences that are close to home.

2. Adventure for longer.

I am aiming to fly less and stay for longer when I do. Taking 2 week breaks was something I rarely did, but now I absolutely adore having a more immersive time when I am travelling and reducing a previously frequent flyer life to a few flights a year. {My only caveat to this would be if a volcano happens in Iceland, it is my life long dream to see lava and an active volcano!} And I make sure that I remove the carbon created by taking these flights. This goes for trips within the UK too. I love travelling to Scotland and it is such a long drive, that if we go, we aim for 2 weeks to maximise our time there on the fuel used. My only caveat to this would be if a volcano happens in Iceland, it is my life long dream to see lava and an active volcano.

This is all very logical. And on a spiritual level, there is something about longer trips where you get to connect with a landscape more, maybe you see so much more diversity in the weather moving through, get to do longer hikes and adventures or get to know the locals. It gives you time to see things and be slow and this is magic!

3. Take your reusables with you.

You can take empty coffee cups and water bottles through duty free in your hand luggage. Airports have as many refilling stations, as they do vending machines now. Think through all the things you use at home and take them with you. Tupperware for lunch, washable face pads, decant your products into smaller bottles to save on weight, the list goes on.

4. Respect the environment you visit.

If you're heading into nature, it is really important to learn about the place you're visiting. If these natural areas are popular tourist areas, locals will have undertaken work to manage the impact visitors have on nature. It feels like this should go without saying, but leave with no trace is so vital to our natural environment. I can't even begin to tell you how much my p*ss boils when I see folk stepping over small rope barriers to get a few meters closer to something, not to look at it, but to take a selfie. I just don't get it. It blows my mind that people travel into nature and then set about trashing the very nature they came to see. In Iceland, small rope barriers less than 30cm in height have grown over time, to ones that are now over 1m high, completely changing the experience of a space because folk won't respect a barrier, 'coz of their photo for the 'gram'.

There is a saying that 'one set of footprints creates the path for thousands to follow' and it could not be more true! So, if there are footprints where there shouldn't be, don't follow and don't be the first to leave any.

5. Only take the clothes and things you need - avoid overpacking!

I realised that I am happiest with a suitcase full of comfy clothes, my camera and a laptop. This realisation has changed how I pack, as I now only take exactly what I need. Being a nature gal, my holidays see me head to spaces where I just need to take basic functional clothing, that you wear all day. To cut down on what I pack, I try and book at least one place with a washing machine and take my own washing powder, so I don't need to buy and leave a massive box of powder there.

To make sure I don't have an ADHD brain fail, getting to excited about the trip ahead and not focusing super hard on packing, I have a failsafe method to packing! I crafted a spreadsheet that details everything I could possibly need that I run through when I pack so that I don't need to think about it for each trip. Often, I travel in remote subzero climates and so it is really important to me that I make sure that I remember all I need, so I don't have to make rushed purchases away for an item I don't need, just because I left it at home. This spreadsheet is the antidote to this and have I got a juicy bonus for you!

Join the newsletter and you'll get my 'Nature Gal Packing Spreadsheet'

This spreadsheet, just like my packing is about simple function over form. It has never let me down when I've packed for trips both home and away. It covers all eventualities for me, not all of the things come on every trip but it is there and ready to go whatever the set up is for the adventure I am packing for.

I'd love to know if there is anything you'd add!