Well, here we are again. It's a new year and therefore another opportunity to start fresh writing the pages of our next 365-page book. Every year, many of us make a list of resolutions to tackle for the new year, whether it be to lose weight, spend more wisely, or improve a relationship that you have in your personal life. However, when it comes to the wanderlusters, our goals slightly differ. Our goals revolve around satisfying our urge to travel, whether it be within our own country or somewhere in another part of the world.
Now that you've had a day to recover from whatever New Year’s activities in which you chose to partake, it's time to start making a list of those travel resolutions and begin to tackle them. Here are a few ideas to get you started:
Get a passport (or get your existing one renewed).
If you don’t yet have a passport, what are you waiting for? Your passport is your ticket to see the rest of the world. Without it you’re missing out on what could be several opportunities of a lifetime. Make it a point to put some money aside and get your passport. They may seem a little expensive up front, but considering an adult passport is valid for 10 years (5 years for young children), it’s a very small investment that you will never regret. If you do have a passport, now is a good time to look at the expiration date and consider getting it renewed, as most countries will not allow entry with less than 6 months left before your expiration date.
Visit a place that you have never been to before.
Often times we find a place that we enjoy visiting and then get stuck going to that same place each and every year, sometimes multiple times. There’s nothing wrong with this, but considering the time, money and energy it takes to plan a trip, make the effort to visit at least one new place each year. Seeing and experiencing new places and things gives us a refreshed perspective and more opportunities to learn something that we didn’t know before. Who knows, you may even find a new favorite place!
Go on at least one solo trip.
Traveling with friends or family is fun and keeps you company, but traveling alone is life-changing. Even if you don’t go far or for long, make it a point to try something new and get to know yourself more with at least one trip alone. Need more motivation or reasons to travel alone? Find out why solo travel is the best.
Try new foods from other cultures.
It’s so easy to get stuck in a comfort zone with the foods we eat, only consuming what is familiar to us. Even if we don’t have the opportunity to travel to a different country to explore different cuisines, we can always start with what is at home. If you live in or near a major city, there’s a huge chance that you have a variety of international restaurants nearby or ingredients for international cuisines available in your grocery store. Make the effort to try something new once every week or two to give you a taste of staple dishes from other cultures.
Commit to learning a new language.
Even if you don’t plan to become fully bilingual, taking the time to learn even just a few words in a different language will open up your mind and put you much further ahead than those who only know one language! Not to mention, learning a new language will spark your interest in and greatly increase your knowledge of other cultures (and also give you a reason to travel somewhere new for practice)!
So, what are your travel resolutions for the new year? How do you plan to tackle them? Please feel free to share them in the comments below!
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