In a 2018 survey, nearly one-quarter of the respondents listed “travel more” as one of their New Year’s resolutions.
However, since we already “travel more,” we decided to take that one step further with five resolutions we knew could make every experience away from home more enriching and memorable.
Resolution 1: Go somewhere new.
Yes, we get it, you love Palm Springs. It’s great. We love it too. But, you’ve been there a dozen times and there are so many other places in the world you’ve yet to explore.
Take the first step by jotting down a destination wish list. Be sure to include everywhere and anything that piques your interest. Of course, schedule and budget may rule out some possibilities, but even road-tripping one state over can be a grand adventure if you put your mind to it.
Resolution 2: Talk to locals.
No one will have better insight into where to go and what to do in a city than the people who live there. They can help navigate you away from underwhelming, over-priced tourist traps toward local hotspots you can brag about back home. Ask your server at breakfast where her favorite spot in the city is. Hire a guide to take you on a walking tour and pick his brain for the best places to go. Even the guys you chatting with you on Grindr can give you more than just xxx pics.
Bonus: You may end up making a new friend or two.
Resolution 3: Try one new thing.
Learn to make empanadas. Ride in a tuk-tuk. Stay in a hostel. It doesn’t have to be a grand gesture, but it should immerse you in local culture in some way.
Resolution 4: Then try one new thing outside your comfort zone.
Go to a nude beach. Speak only Spanish (even though it’s not your native tongue). Order Rocky Mountain oysters. Will doing this suddenly make you develop an appetite for bull testicles? Probably not. But, you will have a great story to tell.
Resolution 5: Be present.
You’ve come all this way, so go out there and engage with the place. Don’t experience your entire trip through an iPhone screen. Let yourself get a little lost. (“Little” being the operative word here.) And, did you really just fly 5,000 miles to eat at McDonald’s?
We didn’t think so.
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