New Year’s resolutions can be difficult to stick to, but it’s easier when you make them about something you love – like travel! Check out our top 10 ideas for unique travel resolutions!
1. Travel Solo
Traveling with friends and family can be an adventure in and of itself, and while it means that you’ll never have to dine alone, there’s something to be said for solo travel. You won’t have to accommodate anyone’s whims but your own, and you’ll probably be able to find a seat at the bar of even the most in-demand restaurant.
2. Staycation
You don’t have to stray too far from home to have a great trip. Is there a cafe you’ve been dying to try? A museum exhibit you haven’t had a chance to get to? Do you live in a city full of “tourist-y” things you’ve always been too cool to try? Now’s the time.
3. Travel by Train
There’s a reason it’s called “America, the Beautiful,” and while things have certainly changed since the song was penned in the 1900s, train travel is an amazing way to see the amber waves of grain and the purple mountain majesties. You won’t have to worry about checking a bag or buckling your seatbelt, either.
4. Unplug
There’s no denying it’s fun to document your trip on the plethora of social media available to us (especially if your friends back home are stuck shoveling snow and you’re sipping tropical drinks on the sand), but taking the time to appreciate your vacation as it’s happening is important. Make sure to take time to experience a new place with all five senses, not through a computer or phone screen.
5. Write About It
Whether it’s a blog, a journal, or even a scrapbook, help Future You remember the great time you had on your trip by writing it down somewhere. Take some time at the end of each day to recount your favorite moments; it won’t take long and you’ll thank yourself years down the road.
6. Take a Time-Sensitive Trip
Plan a trip around a music festival like Austin City Limits (October) or to see the Northern Lights in Alaska (wintertime). See the cherry blossoms in bloom in Washington, D.C. (April), or the hot air balloon festival in Albuquerque (fall). This will help narrow down a window for travel, give you a specific destination, and provide an event to occupy your time.
7. Start Saving
Maybe instead of actually traveling this year, you can take the time to start saving for an excursion you never thought you could afford. Create a savings plan and stick to it, and you’ll be on your way in no time.
8. Use All of Your Vacation Time
As Americans we tend to work ourselves ragged, but using all of your vacation time is a way to recharge and come back refreshed. Don’t answer work emails for phone calls unless it’s completely necessary. Barring any catastrophes, your job and all of the work that comes with it will still be there when you get back.
9. Go with the Flow
You might be tempted to schedule your trip down to the second to ensure you don’t miss anything, but be sure to give yourself some leeway for things that might not have even occurred to you before arriving at the destination. Is it karaoke night? Is there an art festival you didn’t know about? Most times the unexpected things that pop up are the most memorable.
10. Start a Souvenir Collection
In addition to pictures and journal entries, a great way to keep track of your adventures is through souvenirs. Whether it’s snow globes, magnets, shot glasses, or matchbooks, there are plenty of ways to have a tangible reminder of all of the fun you had.
