Episode 37 — Description

In October 2014, exhausted by dating and situationships that were going nowhere, I opened my journal and wrote down exactly what I wanted in my future husband.

Not just what he looked like or what he did — but the essence of him.

How I wanted to feel around him. Safe. Seen. Comfortable. Accepted. I wanted someone who could embrace my shadows, make me laugh, travel the world with me, work hard, stay open-minded, and build a life that could expand and change with us.

Then I closed the journal, planted the seed…and forgot about it.

Nine months later, I met Brian.

But what happened in between is just as important.

In this episode of Late Checkout, I'm sharing the full story of how I called in my husband — from the toxic relationship patterns and dating experiences that came before him to the manifestation list I wrote in 2014, the dates that followed, the person who seemed perfect but intuitively wasn't my person, and finally, the first date with Brian that lasted nearly seven hours.

More importantly, we're talking about what I think we get wrong about "manifesting" a dream partner.

This isn't about creating the perfect checklist, obsessing over when your person will arrive, or becoming some perfectly healed version of yourself before you're worthy of real love.

It's about knowing yourself.

Knowing your patterns. Knowing your shadows. Recognizing where you self-sabotage. Understanding how you show up in love. Getting clear on the essence of the relationship you want — and then surrendering enough to let life show you the way there.

Because when you plant a seed, it still needs to be watered.

And sometimes that watering looks like a bad date. A relationship that doesn't work. A trigger that shows you something about yourself. Or meeting someone who isn't your soulmate but teaches you something you'll carry into the relationship that is meant for you.

Make yourself the main character in that process.

Find the lesson. Find the pattern. Ask the why.

And remember: you don't have to be perfectly healed before you meet your person. Your soulmate will be a mirror, too. There will be parts of yourself you can only meet, understand, and grow through once you're actually in that relationship.

Plant the seed. Get clear on the love you desire. Bring your full, authentic self with you.

And then trust what unfolds. 🤍

🔗 Stay in my world: 

→ join the next Pour Back Into You 7 Day Challenge in October 

→ download your FREE 7 Day Pour Back Into You Guide

→ ⁠free newsletter⁠ 

→⁠ Book Casa Oliva in Porto⁠ 🇵🇹 

→ Follow ⁠@laurajanela ⁠+ ⁠@latecheckout⁠

→ Travel Clarity Call with me⁠

→ Let me Build your Intentional Travel Blueprint

What if the life you’re craving isn’t waiting for you in a bigger milestone… but in the small moments you’re living every single day?

In this episode of Late Check-Out, I’m reflecting on the incredible experience of leading my first Pour Back Into You 7-Day Challenge and the transformation that unfolded when women simply began paying attention to their lives again.

We talk about what it really means to live intentionally, how small daily rituals create lasting change, why so many of us end up on autopilot, and how to reconnect with your intuition, your joy, and the version of yourself that’s been there all along.

This conversation is an invitation to slow down, become more conscious of the choices you’re making, and remember that the quality of your life is shaped less by the big moments—and more by how you show up to the ordinary ones.

I also share what’s next: The Becoming, my new 3-week container designed to help you move beyond awareness and begin embodying the life you truly want to create, along with my one-on-one Pour Back Into You coaching sessions.

If you’ve been feeling disconnected from yourself, caught in the routine of everyday life, or simply craving a deeper relationship with the person you’re becoming, this episode is for you.

Because the goal isn’t just to build a beautiful life.

It’s to be fully present enough to experience it.

Download your free Pour Back Into You 7 Day Challenge guide here

Join Here for The Becoming co-hort starting August 17th!

You can always DM me on IG @laurajanela_ with any questions!

There are versions of ourselves that only exist because life completely unraveled.

In this episode, I'm sharing one of the most vulnerable chapters of my life—the loss of my dad, the panic attacks that followed, and the wellness practices that helped me slowly find my way back... not to the woman I was before, but to someone entirely new.

We often think wellness is about routines, habits, and feeling our best. But what happens when you're grieving? When you've lost someone you love, a relationship, a career, or a version of yourself you can never return to?

Together we'll explore:
• Why grief isn't limited to death
• What panic attacks actually are (and what helped me through them)
• How Traditional Chinese Medicine became a turning point in my healing
• The transformative impact of EMDR and Internal Family Systems therapy
• Losing faith—and unexpectedly finding spirituality again
• Why your darkest seasons may be introducing you to the exact tools your soul needs next

If you're moving through grief, heartbreak, burnout, a major life transition, or simply feel like life has pulled the rug out from under you, I hope this episode reminds you that healing isn't about becoming who you used to be.

It's about meeting the person you're becoming.

If this episode resonates with you, I'd love to hear from you. Share it with someone who may need it today, and connect with me on Instagram or through my newsletter linked in the show notes.

🔗 Stay in my world: 

→ ⁠laurajanela.com⁠ 

→ join the next Pour Back Into You Community Event

→ ⁠free newsletter⁠ 

→⁠ Book Casa Oliva in Porto⁠ 🇵🇹 

→ Follow ⁠@laurajanela ⁠+ ⁠@latecheckout⁠

→ ⁠⁠Book a Travel Clarity Call with me⁠

there's a shift happening.

you might already be feeling it — the relationships that suddenly aren't fitting, the habits you're outgrowing, the quiet knowing that something is changing in ways you can't quite name yet.

what if I told you it's not just you — it's the whole collective? 🤍

in this episode, I'm introducing you to the concept of the New Paradigm — the energetic shift moving us out of the collective era (where we're all meant to fit into boxes) and into the individual era coming in 2027 (where the whole invitation is to attune to who you really are).

and I'm giving you a framework to help you clean up stale energy that's currently in your orbit — what I'm calling an energetic audit — broken into 3 digestible ways to clean up your side of the street before the shift asks you to:

🧘🏼‍♀️ the consumption audit — the social media, friendships, TV, books, and inputs that are quietly draining your energy
🥕 the physical purge — the pantry, the food, the everyday nourishment your body has been begging you to prioritize
💫 the one question — the low-hanging-fruit question that will unlock your next season if you're honest enough to answer it

the masks are dissolving. the universe doesn't want us performing anymore.

and if you're hearing about the New Paradigm for the first time in this episode — friend, you have a leg up. 🤍

🔗 Stay in my world: 

→ ⁠laurajanela.com⁠ 

→ ⁠free newsletter⁠ 

→⁠ Book Casa Oliva in Porto⁠ 🇵🇹 

→ Follow ⁠@laurajanela ⁠+ ⁠@latecheckout⁠

→ ⁠⁠Book a Travel Clarity Call with me⁠

okay friend, this one is from my whole heart. 🤍

I've been in a season of deep reflection — building this brand, navigating motherhood, grieving my dad, healing my nervous system, learning what it actually feels like to be in lockstep with myself. and somewhere in the middle of it all, I realized that the through-line of every shift I've made comes back to one thing:

my relationship with myself.

so this week I'm sharing the 6 practices that have completely transformed how I love and meet myself in this human journey. these aren't theoretical — these are the daily, weekly, alarm-on-your-phone practices that have actually rewired the way I move through life:

🌿 getting clear on what actually brings you joy (and why your nervous system is begging you for it)

🎧 surrounding yourself with the right voices — the 3 podcasts that changed my self-love game

🙏🏼 building a gratitude practice rooted in science (the RAS explanation will blow your mind)

✨ learning your human design and meeting your energetic blueprint

🌑 the shadow work practice that lets you love even the version of you that you've been ashamed of

💛 the practice of being alone with your thoughts — and why your nervous system NEEDS it

and I close with one of the most grounding mantras I've been practicing from A Course in Miracles: I am love. simple. but it's everything.

if you've been feeling disconnected from yourself, if you've been moving through life on autopilot, if you've been wondering when it'll be your turn to feel good in your own skin — this episode is for you.

Chapters

• 00:00 — welcome back + last week's recap (travel is therapy)
• 01:40 — why I've been so reflective lately + the journey since losing my dad
• 03:20 — washing out the shoulds + embracing your individuality
• 4:15 — the era of self brands + main character energy
• 9:45— getting curious about yourself like you would a new love
• 13:15 — Practice #1: get clear on what brings you joy
• 15:45 — the science of joy + nervous system regulation
• 18:32 — Practice #2: surround yourself with expanded voices (my 3 favorite podcasts)
• 28:12 — Practice #3: the gratitude practice (and the RAS science behind it)
• 34:38 — Practice #4: learn your human design
• 39:05 — Practice #5: the shadow work practice
• 44:30 — Practice #6: be alone with your thoughts
• 47:05 — A Course in Miracles + ego vs. Holy Spirit
• 48:50 — I am love — the practice that changes everything
• 52:16 — outro 🤍

Show Notes:

→Align Podcast with Jenna Zoe

→Expanded Podcast - To Be Magnetic

→You Make Sense with Sarah Baldwin

→Find Out Your Human Design

🔗 Stay in my world: 

→ ⁠laurajanela.com⁠ 

→ ⁠free newsletter⁠ 

→⁠ Book Casa Oliva in Porto⁠ 🇵🇹 

→ Follow ⁠@laurajanela ⁠+ ⁠@latecheckout⁠

→ ⁠⁠Book a Travel Clarity Call with me⁠

okay friend — this one. this one. 🤍

if I had to pick ONE episode that holds the whole thesis of why I built this brand, why I left my corporate career, why I keep showing up to talk about travel like it's a sacred practice — it would be this one.

because here's my hot take: one trip can do more for your nervous system than months of therapy can do for your mind. and I'm not just saying it — I'm going to prove it to you in this episode.

we're getting into the 4 ways travel actually IS therapy:

🧠 how travel forces your nervous system to recalibrate — and builds self-trust at a speed nothing else can match

✨ how travel turns you into your own expander — the version of you that only shows up in a new country and never wants to be forgotten again

🪞 how travel surfaces "parts" of you that have been on autopilot at home — the conversations, the aha moments, the existential downloads that hit different at altitude

🌀 how travel leads to real-time integration — why people end relationships, quit jobs, and finally have the conversations they've been avoiding after a trip

I also share the line I used to throw at people in my 20s when they asked why I was spending every dollar on plane tickets: "I'm investing in my soul."

15 years and 46 countries later — turns out that bitch had it right. 🤍

if you've ever been told you travel too much, or that you should be "more responsible" with your money, or you've felt the soft pull of a trip you can't quite explain — pour yourself something slow and press play. this is for you.

⏱️ Chapters:00:00 — Welcome back (life update + why this episode is the thesis of my brand)

03:50 — the privilege + magic we forget about travel

08:00 — my hot take: one trip > months of therapy

10:46 — Way #1: travel + your nervous system (the self-trust muscle)

14:00 — Way #2: travel makes you your own expander

19:50 — Way #3: travel surfaces "parts" of you (internal family systems explained)

25:13 — Way #4: real-time integration (why people quit jobs and end relationships after trips)

27:59 — the "investing in my soul" story

30:15 — the 3-step framework to design your next trip differently

32:23 — what's coming next 🤍

🔗 Stay in my world:

→ laurajanela.com

→ free newsletter

→ Book Casa Oliva in Porto 🇵🇹

→ Follow @laurajanela + @latecheckout

→ ⁠Book a Travel Clarity Call with me

"You can turn off cruise control at any given moment."

Last week, Brian shared what it means to be in the driver's seat of your career — and this week, I'm taking that exact consciousness and expanding it into every other corner of your life.

Because here's the truth: most of us are on autopilot in at least one area — and we don't even realize it.

In this solo episode, I'm walking you through the awareness shift that changed everything for me in my 20s — when I realized I was responsible for the life I was building, that intuition is louder than logic when you slow down enough to hear it, and that every "ping" you keep brushing under the rug might actually be a divine nudge toward your bigness.

We get into:

→ how to turn potential energy into kinetic energy (a.k.a. how to actually move on the thing you've been thinking about)→ why intuitive hits aren't fleeting thoughts — and what they actually are→ the SUV analogy that explains exactly what stepping into your bigness feels like→ why the people, places, and patterns falling away might be the proof you're growing→ how to recognize when your nervous system is begging you to "settle" instead of expand→ the manifestation tool I've been using since age 18 (and how my approach has evolved)→ the one practice I credit with cracking me open more than anything else (it's not what you'd think)

This one's for the woman who feels the pull but hasn't taken the step yet. The one with the idea she keeps brushing aside. The one who knows there's more — and is finally ready to stop playing small.

You are in the driver's seat. This is your sign to take the wheel. 🚗

🎧 listen wherever you get your podcasts.

💌 subscribe to the Late Checkout newsletter for weekly notes on intentional travel, wellness, and conscious living.

—

mentioned in this episode:→ episode 30 with Brian (homecoming + working abroad)→ to be magnetic (the manifestation work I swear by — not sponsored, just love it) use code LAURA6202 for 15% off.

IG Handles:

Late Checkout

Laura Janela

Okay guys, welcome back to Late Checkout — and welcome back to Brian. 🇨🇭

If you caught the last episode (episode 5) he was on (spoiler: it aired the literal day we got the offer to move back to the States — the universe is WILD), this is officially Part 2. And honestly, we could talk about Switzerland for dayyyss, so Part 3 is already loading.

In this one, we're pulling back the curtain on the decision that changed everything — why, after six years of building a whole life in Zürich, we said okay, it's time to come back. We're talking:

– the real motives behind leaving (spoiler: one of them was me seeing this brand through)– how Brian willed this move into existence (a masterclass for anyone feeling stuck in corporate)– having our second baby in Switzerland and the 5-star hospital experience I still dream about (those omelettes, the Ayurvedic massage, the lake view — I'm not kidding)– the chaos of packing up a whole life while postpartum with a newborn and a toddler– buying our Airbnb in Porto (say hi to Casa Oliva 🇵🇹) and every plot twist along the way– the reverse culture shock of landing back in New Jersey with two kids, a dog, and a completely different version of us than the one that left in 2018– the one thing I miss the most about living in Europe (and how I'm soothing the wound)

If you're someone sitting on a corporate job dreaming of an expat life, a parent mid-transition, or just someone who loves a behind-the-scenes relocation saga — this one is for you. Take it all with you, put it in your back pocket, and let it be your expander.

Pour yourself something slow. Let's get into it.

Tchau Tchau,xx Laura

⏱️ Chapters:00:00 – Part 2 setup (and why this aired the day everything changed)05:30 – The real reasons we left Switzerland14:00 – Having baby #2 in Zürich (and the hospital that served)22:00 – Brian on willing your career into existence34:00 – The bittersweet slow goodbye42:00 – Buying the Porto Airbnb (Casa Oliva)56:00 – Landing in NJ with two kids and a dog1:05:00 – What I miss most about Europe1:12:00 – Ciao ciao

🔗 Stay in my world:→ @laurajanela→ Newsletter + Travel Pocket Guides→ Book Casa Oliva in Porto

In this episode, I’m sharing 5 places around the world that deeply moved me — not just beautiful destinations, but places where I had experiences that felt spiritual, grounding, and transformative in ways I didn’t expect.

Travel has been more than just seeing new places for me. It has been healing, eye-opening, emotional, and at times completely life changing. In this episode, I talk about the destinations that left a lasting impact on me, what I experienced in each place, and why some places just feel different when you visit them.

This episode is for anyone who feels like travel is more than vacations and photos — it’s connection, growth, healing, and sometimes even spiritual experiences.

I’d love to know if you’ve ever traveled somewhere that changed you or moved you in a way you can’t fully explain.

TIME STAMPS:

0:00 - Intro, How traveling has moved me from a deep place13:00 - what makes you go inward and go deep?14:49 - FIRST STOP: KENYA21:27 - SECOND STOP: BRAZIL27:30 - THIRD STOP: EGYPT33:00 - FOURTH STOP: IBIZA40:55 - LAST STOP: CAMBODIA

Some links from the episode:

• Skyscanner - where I've explored flight deals for the last 10 years
• Memphis Tours - this is the exact tour we used in Cairo
• Build Your Own Retreat- Guided episode to building your own mini or major retreat
• For my fully detailed Ibiza Retreat Itinerary DM me RETREAT on IG - @latecheckout._

Other Travel Episodes You'd Like (Spotify):

1. Four Ways Travel & Wellness are Symbiotic + Winter Getaways
2. WTH are We Still Doing in Switzerland? w. Brian Janela
3. Not Your Average Summer Travel Recap

Other Travel Episodes You'd Like (Apple):

• ⁠Four Ways Travel & Wellness are Symbiotic + Winter Getaways⁠
• ⁠WTH are We Still Doing in Switzerland? w. Brian Janela⁠
• ⁠Not Your Average Summer Travel Recap⁠

Want to learn more about Late Checkout?

• Join the email list for a monthly newsletter with more links, tips and insider updates.
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• Listen on Spotify
• Listen on Apple Podcasts

Guys - I took an Expansion Workshop last week with Sarah Baldwin, that completely opened my line of sight into my nervous system.

I gained knowledge around how we can better nourish our nervous systems so it can help us step through and change old habits to fulfill our greatest purpose and wishes.

I also experienced a big 'aha' moment drawing a big connection between nervous system regulation and my pour back into you method I recently introduced to my brand.

Take a listen if you're interested in ways to build your toolbox to pour back into self and pour back into your nervous system.