Travel Goals for 2012
This January 1st, I found myself in Valparaiso, Chile for one of the biggest New Years celebrations and fireworks displays on the continent. It was a moment. Everything I’ve opted out of, foregone, postponed, paid, sold, and traded off in order to make travel my current modus operandi, for that moment, made sense.
Valparaiso, Chile (pre-fireworks)
The fireworks “moment” actually lasted for about 25 incredible minutes. The trip to Chile also involved some long, pensive bus rides with solid hours of time to think about the balance of it all. Can I do this for another year? Do I want to? Where is it all heading?
They’re the kind of angsty questions I’ll be asking no matter where I am or what I’m doing. I didn’t come up with many grand answers, but I did come up with some goals for life and travel, at least for the upcoming year. Here are a few:
* Fly less. Fewer long-haul flights, more buses and ground transportation whenever possible
* Join the 21st century. Update to a mobile device, figure out what an app is, and see how it changes the travel experience
* Read more. Update to an e-reader, explore new authors and new publications
* Reach print publication. Not sure which, or why, really. The excitement of seeing the byline on a real paper page?
* More perspective photos. I’m not necessarily looking for world mega-monuments — my favorite shots are of the unlikely and the unexpected
* See more of the States. Plan a trip or two within the great 48
* Resist the urge. Maintain one physical mailing address for more than four months, even if it takes a 12-step program for travel addicts
