New Year’s resolutions are made to be forgotten by February, right? Well, maybe not. I can admit last year’s travels got a little out of hand, and in the coming year, I intend not to make the same mistakes. With a little more planning and a little more resolve, we can all make 2020 our best travel year yet!
I resolve not to let Instagram determine our travels.
The Great Moroccan Debacle of 2019 was entirely my fault. Because I let Instagram determine our travels. I knew it wasn’t Steve’s thing. It’s a place I’d been interested in, but it was an Instagram hot spot, and I was basically desperate to grow my Instagram so I can be more respected in my chosen field. But you know what? I got sick for the first time in 10 years there. We had the worst hotel experience of our lives there. It was incredibly stressful because things just kept going wrong.
I knew I was trying to force something that wasn’t meant to be, and it made both Steve and me absolutely miserable for two weeks. There were some high points, of course. And I got a lot of helpful information for the blog, but it was definitely not worth it for the ‘Gram, at least not for me. I’m done allowing Instagram to determine my travels, my photos, my experiences, my time, and my life.
But please, feel free to follow me anyway! My Instagram mission is now to find the positive, all on my own.
I resolve to travel for others.
In a world that tells us to put ourselves first, I’m resolving to put others first more often. While I like to think my blog is helpful and that I write it for others, I have sometimes let myself put my blog “needs” ahead of those I’m traveling with. So, while I’ll still be blogging about the new places I go with the people I love, I won’t let the blog disrupt their good time.
My parents will celebrate their 40th wedding anniversary in 2020, and Steve and I will be taking them to Mackinac Island! It’s also Steve’s year to pick our “Trip of a Lifetime,” so he’ll choose and I’ll be along for the ride. It’s not about me. It’s about letting them enjoy the experience.
Read more about my “little” brother’s dream trip here:
White Star Line Trip of a Lifetime
I resolve to travel more slowly.
I probably won’t be giving up quick weekend trips whenever the opportunity presents itself, but I will resolve to do less when I travel to be able to enjoy the things I really want to take time for. That might result in more “Top 5” blog posts than “Top 10” blog posts, but that’s ok. Quality before quantity, right? By slowing down, I hope to travel more meaningfully and more purposefully, and I encourage you to do the same. Stop and smell the roses. Stop and smell the sea air. Stop and chat with a local. Slow down and enjoy the ride. You don’t have to make it “go.”
I resolve to travel in awe.
I used to do this. I used to be excited and surprised by the things I saw and did and discovered in my travels, but I’ve lost a little bit of that over the years. So this year, I resolve to be the traveler who finds the excitement in every element of travel. I’ll be the traveler who lets things surprise me. And I’ll be the traveler who looks at the world with fresh, awe-struck eyes.
For a bit of my young and inexperienced awe, check out a few of my original blog posts about living and working in Japan!
I resolve to be a kind traveler.
This is an American Presidential election year. If the last election year is any indication, this year’s election season will be a doozy. We can all use more kindness in every aspect of our lives, both on the giving and receiving ends. So I resolve to take kindness opportunities as they present themselves. When traveling, that might be showing respect for the local culture. It might mean smiling at a stranger on a plane. It might mean acknowledging and thanking someone who was kind to me. So I hope you’ll resolve to be a little kinder this year, especially in your travels!
For more travel resolutions, check out New Year, New Opportunities: Travel Resolutions.
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