I have always been a big creator of New Year’s Resolutions. But mine are never lame, and I usually accomplish them (except those healthy ones in the link. I fell off of those partway through the year!).
As travel takes increasing priority in my life, I think about what I want to do this year.
1. Travel Solo
I’m not afraid of traveling alone like I used to be, and now that I’m a single gal, it’s inevitable. When I spent a few days in Greoux-les-Bains in Provence a few years ago, I delighted in being able to mold my itinerary around my whims and not having anyone to bicker with. So I’d like to take at least one trip alone this year.
2. Do Yoga in Provence
My travel eyes opened at the yoga retreat I attended in Tuscany in 2016. I didn’t know how much I would enjoy having someone else plan the itinerary, as well as having yoga baked into the plan. And the friends I made, I truly treasure. So I’m ready for more. The same company, Mindful Fitness, is holding a yoga retreat in Besse-Sur-Issole in Provence this fall, and I’m all over it.
3. Travel with Friends
Just as delightful as traveling solo — in a completely different way — is traveling with friends. I have a few gal pals who are up for escaping the doldrums of everyday life, and traveling together is such a great way to bond. I tend to be the travel organizer, but sometimes it’s fun to let someone else take the reins and show me something I wouldn’t have otherwise experienced, the way Debbie did in the Dolomites.
4. Let Go of the Plan
I’m getting better at this, but years ago, I didn’t really enjoy traveling all that much because I tried to control the experience. If things didn’t go my way — which of course, they didn’t — then I would get stressed out and no one would have fun. But I’m learning to appreciate serendipity: those moments that happen when you let go of expectations. I remember being in New York City with my friend Cordula and stumbling upon a food market in Madison Square. Had we had firm plans about where to eat that night, we wouldn’t have ended up there.
Bonus Long-Term Resolution
I’m not sure I’ll be able to achieve this one in 2017, but I have the goal of expanding my travels beyond Europe. The problem is that I love France and Italy, and with opportunities like the yoga retreat always popping up (as well as a handful of friends who beg me to visit them in Europe), it’s been hard to brave new journeys. India and Nepal are high on my list.
So that’s what I’m aiming for in 2017 with regards to my travel! What’s on your list?