5 Herbs I Never Travel Without
You know that moment when you unzip your carry-on at airport security and pray nothing embarrassing pops out?
Yeah… well, I’ve fully accepted that TSA is going to get a front-row seat to my apothecary lifestyle. My bag smells like a woodland fairy lives inside it — and honestly, I’m not mad about it.
Herbs are my travel buddies. My ride-or-dies. My “oh hello, yes, I will stay regulated in this chaotic airport even if everyone around me is melting down” squad.
Below are the herbal allies that never — I repeat NEVER — leave my side when I hit the road.
✨ 1. Lemon Balm Tincture: The Nervous System Whisperer
If my nervous system had a therapist, it would be lemon balm.
This is the herb I reach for before flights, after flights, during flights, and basically anytime I meet a stranger named “Brad” who wants to tell me his entire life story in the boarding line. This happens to me way too often lol.
Lemon balm instantly shifts me from “tight shoulders, shallow breath” to “oh, right — I have a body and she’s allowed to feel calm.”
It’s like dropping into the first minute of meditation where everything softens.
When I use it:
Pre-flight jitters
When I’ve been over socializing like an enthusiastic golden retriever
Jet lag brain fog
✨ 2. Ginger Chews: The Tiny Heroes of Stomach Drama
My stomach and I have an agreement: I take care of her, she doesn’t turn traveling into a dramatic saga.
Ginger is warming, grounding, and perfect for motion sickness or that moment when you realize airport sushi was a questionable choice.
Plus, chewing on ginger feels like nature’s version of the mindful grounding practice I teach: slow, sensory, present. The same way I guide breath in meditation, ginger guides digestion into “it’s okay, darling, we’re doing great.”
✨ 3. Lavender Oil: Instant Peace in a Bottle
I’ve used lavender roll-ons in rental cars, hotel rooms, Airbnbs, and once… in an Uber where the driver kept braking like it was a competitive sport. (If you’ve gone though Providence or Boston traffic you know!)
Lavender is a portable nervous system regulation. A fast-track to the exhale. A reminder that peace is a choice we can return to — breath by breath — even at Gate C19 next to a crying toddler and someone loudly eating chips.
My trick:
Rub a little on my hands → cup over my nose → 5 deep breaths.
A tiny, rebellious act of self-regulation.
✨ 4. Digestive Bitters: The “I’m On Vacation and Eating Everything” Support Crew
Listen. I love food.
Travel food? I love it even more.
But my digestion sometimes needs an herbal pep talk.
Bitters help turn on all the digestive lights, bells, and whistles so everything flows more smoothly. (Your stomach will thank you. Loudly.)
✨ 5. Sleepy Tea Bags: Because Hotel Pillows Are liars
Hotels tell you their pillows are “luxurious.”
Hotels lie.
I pack 2–3 sleepy teas with herbs like chamomile, passionflower, or oatstraw because traveling makes your brain do that thing where it says:
“Let’s think about EVERYTHING WE’VE EVER DONE… right now.”
A warm mug of herbs is my invitation back into presence — just like in meditation — softening the edges, slowing the breath, returning to the body.
🌿 In summary:
Does my carry-on smell like a forest?
Yes.
Do I regret it?
Never.
Do I think TSA needs more herbal education?
Absolutely.
If you want to travel with more groundedness and less chaos-brain, herbs are the little allies you didn’t know you needed — but will never travel without again.
