11 Travel-Themed New Year’s Resolutions to Add to Your List

I’m not really one for New Year’s resolutions.  I don’t think that making a list one night of ALL of the things I want to change or accomplish in life will actually make me do them.  Plus, many times, my goals are WAY to lofty for me to even see a clear path to achieving them – like establishing myself as a travel writer – let alone for me to do in a year.  Nevertheless, I’ve made a list of travel-themed New Year’s resolutions for you to add to your list.  These are all ideas that I think have added to my travelling experiences in the past, so I thought I’d share them with you.

Improve Your Packing Skills

When you learn to pack light, you can leave to go anywhere at a moment’s notice.  Just a couple weeks ago, I was about to head on a flight home.  It was literally three hours before my flight, and I was still in my dorm with a completely empty bag.  Most people would be freaking out in this situation.  Me?  Nah.  I knew it would take me ten minutes to pack.  Fifteen at most.  So, in the end, even though the airport was over an hour away, I still ended up at my gate with an hour to spare.​  So for some tips on packing light, check out this post.

Visit a New Country

Do you have a country that’s always been on your bucket list?  Or an cultural experience that you’ve dreamed of having ever since you were little?  Make it happen this year!!  If you don’t really have an extensive list, I’ve always thought it was the coolest thing when people would throw a dart at a map on a wall and just go wherever the dart landed.

Learn a New Language (Or at Least Try To)

Okay, I am terrible at learning languages, BUT I think it’s still very valuable to know multiple languages.  Duolingo is a great tool to use to learn foreign languages.  You can learn about a culture through the same language that the locals speak!  How cool would that be?

Eat Foods You Would’ve Never Dared to Try Before

Frog Legs?  Escargot?  Balut?  Molokhaya?  Crickets?  Squid-Ink Pasta?  Stingray?  Safflowers?  Poke Nachos?

Step 1: If you don’t know what any of these items are, or that they are edible, do a quick Google search.

Step 2: Decide which one(s) you will use to fulfill this newly-added New Year’s resolution.

Step 3: Find it.

Step 4: Eat it.

Develop a New Skill to Help You Experience More

Over the years, I’ve realized that having certain skills actually allows you to go on more adventures.  For example, knowing how to swim allows you to snorkel, scuba dive, and hang out with dolphins – and this same concept applies to many other skills.

Hone Your Artistic Talents to Help You Remember More

Many travelers use photography as their go-to method for capturing the special moments.  While I do think photography is the most efficient way to encapsulate a memory, there are other ways to do so.  Painting, sketching, and digital art are all alternative ways to do so.  One of my favorite moments I captured was when I was at the Matterhorn, and I spontaneously decided to sit down and draw it – and it turned out better than I could’ve expected.

Take a Solo Trip

Personally, I haven’t done this one (yet).  While I have travelled to other cities (using three forms of transportation, just by the way) to meet up with other people, I have never done an entire trip by myself.  I hear that it’s eye-opening.

Do Something with All of the Papers, Tickets, Brochures, and Souvenirs You Acquire While Travelling

I don’t know about you, but I literally have a box of these little papers that I’ve collected on my travels.  Every now and then I will make some sort of art project with them, like a scrapbook, collage, or adventure wall, but I wish I did so more often.

Travel Using a New Form of Transport

Cruise Ship?  Train?  Camel?  These were all very fun forms of transport I had the chance to experience in 2017.  And they all added to the overall journey and destination.

Pick a Specific Person to Travel With

Perhaps you’ve wanted to travel with a family member?  A close friend?  A significant other?  I definitely have quite a few friends that I think would be fun to travel with but simply have never had the chance to.  Make this year the year that it happens!

Take a Spontaneous Trip

I love spontaneous trips – remember my spontaneous road trip to San Francisco?  You don’t really plan, so you do things that others have never heard of.  You do things that you yourself may never have considered doing before.  It gets you a bit out of your comfort zone, but hey, we all need that every once in a while.

Any other travel-themed New Year’s Resolutions?  Write them in the comments!

 

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