Wanderlust flows through my veins. I have been feeling too rooted recently. There are so many places I want to visit, explore and get lost in. So many that I have stopped having a wish list. I am more than ready to throw a dart on the map and pack my bags. 2016 has been a year with relatively less exploring and I am hoping 2017 would be different. Along with my other 2017 goals, I made a few travel plans. My travel resolutions don’t include destinations or locales. Instead they include experiences and promises. They are not meant to be followed always. I feel when travelling I am most spontaneous and I don’t want to lose that freedom for a set of resolutions.

[bctt tweet=”My travel resolutions don’t include destinations or locales. Instead they include experiences and promises.” username=”vinitha”]

Eat Local and Eat with the Locals

Over the past few years, I have been trying to eat local as much as possible. I want it to carry on to my vacations. I do not want to pop into a fast-food box or order a pizza delivery when traveling. Instead I want to discover places the locals rave about. I want to eat local and explore the bounty from the region.

[bctt tweet=”Eat Local and Eat with the Locals – My 2017 Travel Resolution” username=”vinitha”]

Eat and Travel Healthy

My travel resolutions include a lot of eating goals don’t they? I want to eat healthy when on the move too. I have been known to indulge when on the road and I am hoping to reduce that while traveling this year. I want to also add in some physical activity into my vacations. I may not be hitting the gym on my vacation, but I hope to explore the parks and trails in the area.

During my recent trip to Corpus Christi, we visited the Hans Suter Wildlife Refuge. It started as a foggy and grey morning as we walked along the trail, marvelling at the spiderwebs. As the fog cleared out, we watched egrets and ibises, herons and ducks. It was a perfect morning. This is the kind of experience I would love to recreate every time I travel.

I have also given thought to taking a “health” vacation. I know there are many vacations which focus on regular exercise and fitness regime. Hopefully, someday I might actually be brave enough to do one of those.

Staycations are also Vacations

Often these days, I myself staying at home when school and work is off. Schedules, budget constraints, weather and other such factors lead to this decision. In 2017, I plan to consider staycations as vacations too. I need to play tourist in my own city and discover places I have not explored. I have a bucket list for Houston. Most of them are simple – strawberry picking with the family, a visit Brazos Bend and walk around Rice University campus. They are just in my backyard and yet I never make time to do them. This year I will plan to explore my own backyard.

[bctt tweet=”Staycations are also Vacations. In 2017, I will explore my own backyard” username=”vinitha”]

Be more Adventurous

To date my biggest adventures have been packing and moving to new countries. I love to do it again. A lot of stars need to align and every piece needs to fit in before it happens. I am not sure when I would have the chance to do it again but beyond moving I am not very adventurous. On my travels, I tend to stay safe. I don’t try many of the local adventures. I am hoping my travels henceforth would push my limits.

[bctt tweet=”To date my biggest adventures have been packing and moving to new countries. I want to do it again.” username=”vinitha”]

So what kind of adventures do I want to try? I really don’t have an idea. I want to do something I have never done before. I doesn’t have to be sky diving but it could be sky diving.

Think about my Carbon Footprint

Often when booking tickets and reservations, I don’t think about my carbon footprint. I hope to be more aware of my footprint this year. Being more aware is the first step in reducing the footprint.

Plan a Bookish Stop

I plan to celebrate my love for books when I travel. I want to include a bookish stop during my travels. It could be a local bookstore, a second-hand book market, a book fair or a museum.

In 2016 when we were in Los Angeles, we stopped by the LA Central Library. It was one of the best parts of my trip. I hope to recreate the same magic at every destination.

I might also read a book set in the city/country I plan to visit or read works of a local author.

Attempt to Learn a New Language

See the size of this resolution? It is small for a reason. I am really not sure if it is a resolution just yet. I am tempted but I am not sure if I could devote the time and effort. I am not even sure which language I would pick given a chance. It is one of those things at the back of my mind. I might just do it one of the days.

So here are my travel resolutions. I have no clue how much and where I would travel to in 2017 but wherever I go, I would gather memories that last a lifetime.