It’s officially 2017, which of course means many of us are setting goals and resolutions we invariably won’t keep – and some of them are travel-related. Visit ten new countries. Travel for the next three months. Drive across the country. Take a trip every weekend. Go to Antarctica…
If goals like that are in the cards for you, that’s wonderful! But since they’re obviously too lofty for many people, we wanted to propose some fun, realistic resolutions that shouldn’t be too hard to keep (and that don’t involve running ten miles every day…although you can do that, too). And if you’re looking for more, check out last year’s post on travel-inspired resolutions.
Contents
Take a solo trip.
This is a couples travel blog, but even we believe that sometimes you need to have an adventure by yourself. Solo travel forces you to develop independence, and it changes how you interact with local people and other travelers. Not having a friend or partner there pushes you to form relationships with the people around you, and it might make you more open to new experiences.

When you travel alone, you also gain a better understanding of what you love about going to new places. Are you someone who likes to visit all the city sights: museums, historical landmarks, shopping districts? Or do you prefer to chill at a café and get an understanding of the local culture through people watching? Or maybe you just want to get out of the city as quickly as possible? Take what you learn about your travel preferences on your next trip with a friend or partner; you’ll both be happier for it.
And yes, traveling alone is safe, even for women! The idea that people, especially women, should never travel alone is an old myth that’s based in fear, not facts. If you’re uneasy about the idea, check out the blog Be My Travel Muse for lots of great tips and resources.
Attend a film screening.
Sure, some might dismiss it as armchair tourism, but checking out a great film on a country you’re interested in can build up your anticipation for traveling there. And whether you’re watching a documentary on the war against ivory poachers, a celebrated foreign film, or even a popular Brad Pitt movie about Tibet, you’ll probably learn something new.

Don’t live in New York, L.A., or Park City? Don’t worry, many universities are home to aspiring filmmakers who screen really interesting content. And if nothing else, public libraries often show films and have interesting other travel presentations – plus they’re a place to meet other people interested in travel, and that’s always a good thing.
Save money.
Everyone wants to save more money and spend less; there are thousands of books on how to do it, and yet it often doesn’t seem to happen. But if you want to travel (and you don’t have a trust fund), it’s critical.
Start by examining your weekly spending habits, and be honest with yourself. What are your basic necessities: rent, utilities, food, student loan payments? What do you frivolously spend money on each week: fancy dinners, drinks out, that hot new track on iTunes? We’re definitely not saying you should cut all the fun out of your life; just think about which things are really making you happy and which you could easily do without.
Do you grab drinks a couple times a week with friends? Have one less: $7 x 52 weeks = $364. That could be a plane ticket somewhere. Dining out every week? Alternate with eating at home or inviting friends over for a potluck: $20 x 26 weeks = $540. You’ve easily got a week’s worth of accommodations in a budget-friendly country.
Once you figure out where your money’s going and whether it’s worth it, make a budget and savings plan – and stick to it by remembering what it could get you in terms of travel. If you’re not convinced, see how the bloggers behind The Minimalists did it.
Sell your stuff.
Yes, every travel blogger out there seems to be saying that you just need to sell some of your stuff, and then you’ll be able to travel the world. Not exactly – most twenty-somethings don’t have a home full of valuable possessions they can readily unload on eBay for thousands of dollars (and Cash4Gold probably won’t turn your junk jewelry into a trip to Europe).
But while this approach may not fully fund a round-the-world trip, it can still make a pretty good contribution to your travel fund. In preparing to leave Boston a couple months ago, we sold most of our furniture and household items on Craigslist, electronics and books on Amazon, and some clothes on eBay.

It’s great if you can make some money off the things you don’t need, but this resolution is also about considering the way you use the things you have. Which things are really important to you, and which are just adding clutter to your life?
Going through your stuff will force you to think about what you value, which can also help you prioritize what you want to spend money on in the future. Bonus: having fewer things means packing is a lot easier!
Do some volunteer work.
This isn’t really about travel, because we don’t mean voluntourism. Instead of jetting off to Africa and spending a couple weeks doing work you’re not really qualified for, carefully consider what your skills are, and then donate your time and effort to a project near where you live. Look for organizations in your town that are working in a field you really care about.
Do you enjoy spending time outdoors and wish more people shared your passion? See if any organizations near you run outdoors activities for kids. Interested in health or medicine? Many hospitals have volunteer programs. Committed to conservation? Join a trail clearing crew, or donate your time to a non-profit like The Nature Conservancy.
Still itching to volunteer overseas because you want to experience another culture? Try volunteering with an organization in your town that assists recent immigrants and refugees in their transition to living in your country. They can often benefit from having another contact in their new home, and you can use the time to learn a little bit about their homeland.
If you want to make a difference overseas, donate regularly to the global causes you care about, but leave the actual work to professionals. When it comes to volunteering, you’ll do the most good by working where you have the skills and cultural understanding to make a difference.
Incorporate fitness into your travels.
For many of us, travel is associated with eating lots of exciting food, which isn’t always great health wise. But we would never suggest missing out on all those delicious meals; just consider including more physical activity in your itinerary. It doesn’t have to mean hitting the hotel gym, though. While that will help you stay in shape, it’s probably not going to help you enjoy your travels.

A more interesting option is to see if there are any good paths or trails near the place you’re staying, where you could go for a walk or run each morning. Even if you’re just surrounded by city streets, heading out for a walk or run can be a great way to explore a new place.
Or, consider what activities your destination is known for: windsurfing in Aruba, cross-country skiing in Finland, yoga in India, or bouldering in Boulder (yes, really). Wherever you go, try to make staying active part of your travel itinerary.
Use the sharing economy.
While Uber is probably the most recognizable name in the sharing economy, the term encompasses all peer-to-peer services – whether it’s riding in someone’s car, eating at someone’s home, sleeping on someone’s couch, or even renting someone’s sports equipment. The sharing economy is especially great for travel because it allows visitors to interact with local people, learning about their culture and way of life.
In our travels, we’ve booked through Airbnb over twenty times now, and had positive experiences pretty much every time we’ve used it. While Airbnb lets visitors rent a room or a house/apartment, Couchsurfing hosts offer their couches or futons to visitors for free. We’ve actually never Couchsurfed, but we can’t wait to finally try it soon.

There are other sharing economy options for meals, like EatWith and BonAppeteur, which let visitors eat a home-cooked meal at their host’s house. And to help you find the “real” side of your destination, Withlocals and Showaround give travelers the opportunity to go on a tour or do an activity with a local person or just sign up to have someone show them around.
So next time you travel, step outside your comfort zone (and your hotel), and consider using the sharing economy to get a more local perspective.
Learn some of the local language.
We believe that making an effort to communicate with local people in their own language shows respect. After all, nobody wants to be the Ugly American who expects everyone around the world to speak English with them. But learning languages is difficult and time-consuming, and if you’re planning to travel to lots of different countries, it’s going to be impossible to learn every language you might encounter.
So we’re not suggesting you should try to become a fluent speaker of Thai or Chinese or even Spanish while you travel. Just knowing a few basics can go a long way toward building rapport with locals, and it’s pretty feasible to do. If you’re planning to travel abroad this year, resolve to learn phrases like “Hello,” “Thank you,” “You’re welcome,” and “Good-bye” before you go.
Check out the website Fluent in 3 Months for lots of language-learning inspiration and great resources. Bonne chance !
Our biggest resolution yet – Travel the world!
Okay, this is lofty and vague (which makes it a terrible resolution), but it is our dream, and probably a dream of many people reading this. After months of fantasizing, planning, and saving, we’re finally (almost) set to start a new life of traveling long-term and working full-time as bloggers and freelancers. We’ll be working for ourselves and for clients as we travel slowly, often spending weeks at a time in one place before moving on.
First stop? Thailand, a place that we loved visiting a few years ago, that’s budget-friendly enough that starting a new career isn’t a huge risk, and that’s home to many, many other “digital nomads.”
What are your New Year’s resolutions for travel?
PIN IT!
ramie1970 says
Always good to set goals and resolutions going into a new year. Thailand is Amazing. I’m married to a Thai and lived in Thailand for two years – it’s a great place to live and work. I loved every minute of it. I’ve set a few goals for 2017 in regards to my blog and writing projects, also set a few for travel – Barcelona and Nepal, and I’ve set a few, like you, in regards to health and fitness. Hope you achieve your dreams in 2017. Chok Dee.
Jen Ambrose says
Really glad to hear about your experience in Thailand, thanks for sharing!
James Smith says
It’s funny you mentioned fluent Thai as I am fluent in Thai! You sure do need to learn some of the local language wherever you visit, the locals appreciate it and make more of an effort with you! I love going for a run whilst traveling, it’s hard to keep muscle mass whilst traveling though!
Jen Ambrose says
That’s so impressive! 😀 How long have you been studying Thai?
Barry says
Great ideas. I’m a big fan of making resolutions and for this year I decided to read 52 books or a book a week. I love Couchsurfing and have been using for years as bother a host and surfer.
Jen Ambrose says
Glad to hear the positive review of Couchsurfing, we really can’t wait to try it! And good luck with your reading goal 🙂
Travel Lexx says
Some awesome resolutions – couldn’t put it better myself! Keeping fit while travelling is very important to me and I always try and do some exercise or physical activity when I am on the road. Good luck on your new adventure!
Jen Ambrose says
Thank you!
PackYourBaguios says
I love the resolution of screening a film. Nothing gets me more excited about travel than seeing a movie set in the area!
Jen Ambrose says
Glad you feel the same! We’re actually planning to watch a movie related to our next trip tonight 🙂
Lisa (Simple Sojourner) says
I’ve done quite a bit of solo traveling and will continue to. These are realistic and doable for sure. Don’t forget that seeing things in your own country can be inexpensive and rewarding.
Jen Ambrose says
So true! You really don’t have to go far to find adventure. 🙂
Angie (FeetDoTravel) says
Loving your resolutions and we intend to definitely follow some of these as we are just at the beginning of our full-time travelling journey so will be trying out volunteering and couchsurfing! We will also be heading to Thailand at some point as well as most of SE Asia so yes, our new years resolution is definitely to travel more 😀 #feetdotravel
Jen Ambrose says
Thanks! Good luck with your travels (and your resolution!) 🙂
By Land and Sea says
One less drink adds up that much? Wow! We don’t go out a lot for drinks, but I will keep that in mind when we do!
Jen Ambrose says
Right?! Well, I suppose that’s mostly true in expensive cities where drinks are $7 a piece (cough, Boston)… 😉
livein10countries.com- Danni says
Good luck on your big goal for long term travel! Can I ask how you are handling getting a visa for Thailand as a digital nomad? Friends have struggled with that as entering as a tourist is not really legit, but then they could not get a work visa without jumping through hoops that digital nomads don’t have (like contracts)- I feel like the whole visa system is out of date for online work. Love the goal of taking a solo trip too, well worth adding to my list.
Jen Ambrose says
Thank you! We’re still figuring out what the best option is in terms of visas – it’s so complicated, and it sounds like they’ve made some changes to the policies recently.
Garth says
Great resolutions and tips. Solo travelling is something I’ve never thought about, but why not?! good idea. I also love movies so great idea to find films shot in certain countries and watch them to get inspired. I’m looking forward to the upcoming movie, The Great Wall having been there 2 years ago. It’s expected there will be a huge surge in tourism to China after this it’s released ..
Jen Ambrose says
Thanks! I hadn’t heard of The Great Wall movie, will have to check it out. I’d love to go back to China – I had a three-day work trip there a couple years ago, and it made so curious to see more.
Midori says
Great resolutions! Is there already a year that I’m selling all things that I don’t really need (just after reading Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up!)
Jen Ambrose says
Thanks! I’ve heard great things about that book – good luck with your sales 🙂
Anna | slightly astray says
These are great resolutions :). I plan on going on some solo trips this year (kind of nervous ,but I’m sure I’ll love and learn from the experience!). Volunteering is another great one that I have yet to do, but I think it’s a great way to give back. Another good resolution is to just travel locally, for those who may not have the means for big international trips. Because who says that travel means you need to fly on a plane?! There are tons of backyard adventures everywhere you look. 🙂
Jen Ambrose says
Thanks! I’m sure your solo trips will be great! 🙂 Where are you headed? I love your point about traveling locally too, it’s so true that there are adventures everywhere if you just look for them.