Monday Sept. 7, 2026

Hello To You,

I Just Took My First Big Trip of This New Chapter — Here's How It Went

Nine days. One car. Two totally different settings. And my son Jake sitting shotgun for almost all of it.

I'm back from Folly Beach and Charleston, South Carolina, and I have to tell you, this trip turned into so much more than I expected when I first put it on the calendar.

We drove down from Cleveland, split our stay between a beach condo on Folly Beach and a hotel in downtown Charleston, and packed in more sunrises, more history, and more real conversation than I could've planned for even if I tried.

Some highlights: touring Magnolia Plantation, which has been open to the public since 1870 and is considered the oldest public garden in the entire country. Standing under the Angel Oak Tree on Johns Island, which is somewhere between 300 and 500 years old, maybe older. Walking through the Powder Magazine downtown, the oldest public building still standing in the whole state of South Carolina, built all the way back in 1713. History was everywhere on this trip, and I loved every bit of it.

But honestly? My favorite part wasn't a landmark at all. It was the long drive there and back with Jake. No phones buzzing, no distractions, just hours of real conversation with my son before this next chapter of his life really kicks off.

I wrote up the full day-by-day itinerary in one blog post which I posted this past weekend, and everything I learned as a still-pretty-new traveler in a second one coming later this week, packing, safety, saving money, and what it's actually like traveling with a grown adult child instead of a little one. Check out my blog if you want the full details.

This was my first big trip of this new travel chapter, and it will not be the last. My list keeps growing — Boston, Savannah, New Orleans, Quebec City, and a bunch more are already on the horizon.

If you've been thinking about traveling more but weren't sure where to start, let this be your sign. You don't need years of experience. You just need one trip on the calendar.

Keep glowing. Keep growing. You've got this.

— Jax

Tips to Romanticize Corporate Life

1. Drink coffee out of a real mug, not a travel to go.
2. Listen to podcasts or music in ear buds while working.
3. Pick an outfit that makes you feel like the woman running the show

Mindset Tips to Take

1. Practice the pause — Add ten seconds between trigger and reaction; that gap is where change actually lives.
2. Retire the word "should" — Replace it with "I choose to" and notice how much lighter your to-do list feels.
3. Journal the CTFAR way — Circumstance, thought, feeling, action, result — trace one frustrating moment back to the thought that started it.

Wellness Tips to Love

1. Prioritize protein at breakfast — Aim for 25-30g in your first meal to help steady blood sugar swings hormone shifts can cause.
2. Strength train through the transition — Resistance training helps offset the muscle and bone loss that accelerates with declining estrogen.
3. Watch alcohol's amplified effect — Many women notice hot flashes and poor sleep worsen with alcohol after 40.

Money Tips to Try

1. Try a 24-hour cart rule — Add non-essential purchases to your cart and wait a day — most impulse urges fade by morning.
2. Automate a "no-spend" day weekly — Pick one day a week to spend $0; it resets your money mindset without total deprivation.
3. Negotiate every recurring bill annually — Call your internet, phone, and insurance providers once a year and simply ask for a better rate.

Time & Systems to Apply

1. Time-block your calendar in 90-minute focus chunks instead of hour-by-hour tasks.
2. Use a "3 Must-Dos" rule each morning — pick three non-negotiables before anything else gets added.
3. Batch email and message checking into three set windows a day instead of all day long.

P.S. Full podcast episode posted today, "Midlife Charleston Travel Diary's With Adult Son" Give it a listen on your walk this week.

​The Midlife GlowGetter Podcast​

Visit my newly updated website + blog — everything has been refreshed for 2026:
​www.JaxStys.com​