2019 Travel Goals

Master the weekend getaway. 

I start my first “real” job on Monday, so finding the time to travel is going to be a challenge for me this year. The solution I have found to this problem lies within the weekend trip. I think taking weekend trips will not only work with my schedule and budget constraints but also allow me to see U.S. cities that have been on my list for a while.

Experience Michelin star dining.

I’ve wanted to do this for a while but this is the year I will make it happen! I’m obsessed with restaurants and cooking both in real life and in TV/Movies/Books especially when its done at an extremely high level. I’m fascinated by the art of what restaurants at this level are able to do. I’m probably most excited to accomplish this goal. On a side note: if you would like to know more about Michelin stars, Burnt is a great movie!

Revisit childhood vacations spots.

I’ve learned over the past few years how I like to travel. I enjoy local restaurants and more off the wall attractions. I’m constantly seeing cool things to do or places to eat in places I’ve been before. This year I would like to go back to some of these places and see them in a different way.

Go solo.

This year I would like to take more solo trips. I love traveling with people, but I also enjoy traveling alone. I love being able to wander around a place for hours if I feel like it. This year I hope to go on at least a few solo vacations and get lost in a place.

Spend less on stuff.

I’m a sucker for merch. If we’re at a cool restaurant or museum or attraction and they have a t-shirt with their logo on it chances are I’ll buy it. This year I want to spend less on stuff when we travel. I want to have pictures and memories and maybe a trinket from our adventures rather than just a ton of junk cluttering my life. This is part of my longtime goal of becoming a minimalist. I also think there are other places where I can cut costs when traveling. Mainly finding cheaper accommodation and walking more!

Learn how to Staycation.

I’m really excited to be living somewhere with so much to do. I want to see as much as I can. I sometimes have a problem with this. I think that I need to go somewhere to see something new or do something adventurous. This year I want to figure out how to be adventurous all the time not just when in on “vacation”. 

Visit a US National Park that I haven't been to, yet

                                 

Yellowstone National Park, 2010

We visited quite a few National Parks on our "road-trip" in 2010, including Yellowstone, Yosemite, Glacier, and Grand Teton. This year, I really want to go to a new one! Olympic and Zion are feeling like pretty strong contenders right now, but who knows...

Visit a UNESCO World Heritage Site

             

Robben Island, Cape Town, South Africa, 2018

I didn't even realize how many places were included on the UNESCO World Heritage List until I started to look into it for this post. Turns out, I've been to quite a few over the years without even realizing it. So, this year, the goal is to know before visiting the place.

Worry less about planning out small details

                                  

My Google Docs is basically full of travel plans, preparations, and budgets. While this is useful, and I do keep track of all of it, sometimes it can be a little too much. A few years ago when we went to New York, pretty much every minute of the day was planned out ahead of time. And that is not an exaggeration. This year, I'm going to try to be a little more relaxed when it comes to planning ahead of time, but I really don't know if I can even do that. 

Become more environmentally conscious while traveling

Village on Tonle Sap Lake, Cambodia, 2017

With the exception of using a multitude of water bottles in some places, I think this might be the hardest to do in the United States. The most aware I've ever been of trash was while we were staying at a private island resort in Indonesia. This beautiful place, with over water bungalows and reefs that you could see from your balcony, has so much trash wash onto their shores that they rake the beach every morning and multiple times during the day. 4Ocean has some cool products to help reduce trash in the ocean, if you wanna check them out!

Go on a trip with no checked baggage

I did pack for 3 weeks in this backpack, though!

To say I'm prepared is usually an understatement. I normally do have everything that I need, and then some, but sometimes it can get a little excessive. One time I packed 16 pairs of shoes for 4 days at the beach. This year, I'm going to work on packing lighter and only bringing things that I really might actually need. In all honesty, this one will probably only get done if it's for a weekend trip.