5 Actionable Travel Resolutions

What are your travel resolutions? View this list for resolution ideas this year and every year to come.

I normally don’t like making resolutions, it feels like a setup for failure. Sometimes, picking up a serious lifestyle change like getting into a good exercise program, decluttering the house, starting a book club, and updating my wardrobe to look runway ready (maybe not in that order) is too much.

So, instead of thinking about the most common resolutions, like how much weight to lose, I am taking a different path.

I’ve reflected on my adventures in the last year and decided to make a few new travel resolutions that are meaningful, rewarding, and easy to stick with.

What is a Resolution

At the beginning of each calendar year, people make resolutions to carry out good habits, change undesirable traits or behaviors, reach personal goals, or otherwise improve their conduct.

There are tons of ways to achieve these changes and with the right plan and attitude, one’s resolutions can be accomplished.   

Why Make a Resolution

The tradition of making annual resolutions has been around since the 17th century. It’s like resetting the clock for actions not carried out in the past.

With a new chance and new outlook, resolutions give us hope to make positive changes, reach another level of excellence, and obtain the things that we want for ourselves or others.

Travel Resolutions

Learn a Foreign Language

There are lots of ways to pick up a language that won’t cost a dime. Apps like DuoLingo allow you to learn very basic sentences. You can spend about 15 minutes per day learning a new way to say “Thank you”, “Hello”, or “Good Morning”. And when you travel to the countries of native speakers, they appreciate the effort of conversing in their mother tongue.

Take a Cooking Class

Here is a travel resolution that doesn’t require snaking through the TSA line and praying you don’t end up sitting in the middle seat! You can explore your home town for a class where you can make an authentic dish with a chef.

Wear the Nice Clothes

I love being in comfort as much as the next person. When traveling, you’ll find me wearing jeans, a T-shirt, and sneakers (most of the time). And sure, it makes me stand out like “an American tourist”.  

On a recent trip, I packed a nice “just-in-case” dress thinking it would never be worn. I wore it with a pair of espadrilles. And you know what? I felt confident, graceful, elegant, and unstoppable! Believe me. Wear the nice clothes!  

Walk More

Seeing a city on foot allows you to get a true sense of what it’s like to be like a native in town. The passage from block to block is slow and deliberate. You will see things that would have been missed if you had toured by bus or car.  

Explore a neighborhood, take a stroll through the park, peek inside a local store, stop at the corner cafe and enjoy the slow pace of discovering new things.  Adding long walks to your travel resolutions will help you slow down and be in the moment.

Make New Friends

In trying times like what we’ve experienced in the last two years, friendships can make all the difference. The recent loss of celebrities and loved ones emphasizes that we need to check in on one another. 

Give flowers to please the senses, chocolates that melt in the mouth, and hugs so that people feel loved and cared for. Making new friendships throughout life keeps us connected. It allows us to express ourselves in different ways to different people. Who knows? You may find another best friend…it’s ok to have more than one!

Final Thoughts on Travel Resolutions

Wow, I am already excited about traveling again! Before I forget, let me share some travel resources that you may find helpful.

• Luggage Tips: 10 Terrific Ideas on How to Make Them Stand Out
• 18 Great Stylish Passport Holders for Women
• Top Essentials for International Travel

I love resolutions that are worth making (and keeping). These are fun, doable, and much more realistic than trekking to the gym for three days every week.

What are your travel resolutions?