2021 Resolution Time

Remember last year when my resolution was to travel more? Hahahahaha! I either really missed the mark on that or went above and beyond due to going everywhere on our Destination Date Nights. I managed one real trip (mostly for work), but a dozen destination staycations. We are going to continue to do that this coming year, and we'll be finishing out this year with a trip to Thailand and a Zoom NYE party. 

Photo by S O C I A L . C U T on Unsplash

So, what sort of resolutions can we make when it comes to travel if we are unsure we can even travel? This is when we basically just employ our "be flexible" skills and hope for the best, but expect everything to be cancelled or delayed. We have a bit of hope on the horizon with Covid vaccines rolling out, even if they are uncertain as to when they will be available for the rest of us.

In February we'll be going on a birthday road trip for my mom. We've booked an Airbnb up in the San Juan Islands where we can distance from people, drive around the island, and pick-up take out or make our own food. We're able to take the dog, there's a firepit and a hot tub, so we'll be living large for a few days away from home.

Depending on how well this road trip goes, we may take more, but it also depends on how the pandemic is faring. Even if we do, we still have a great list of destinations we'll be doing staycations for, including the following:

• New Orleans (Mardi Gras)
• Norway
• China (Chinese New Year)
• Dublin (St. Patrick's Day)
• Morocco
• Scotland
• Spain
• New York City
• Chicago
• Iceland
• Mongolia
• Tokyo
• Moscow
• Sydney, Australia
• African safari (Kilimanjaro) 
• Cuba

Please let me know what else you'd like to see on this list. We are looking to do 2-3 a month, so we'll see how many more we can cram in. These take us through July though. If you have suggestions, for what to see/do/eat in any of these places, or the place you want to add, let me know that, too. I'm looking for creative ideas to make each trip unique, even if we don't leave our house. 

This background made it look like I was wearing my Invisibility Cloak while taking this pic.

It's possible that we will be able to go back to having gatherings for real and I'll be planning our regular Harry Potter party for the end of July (or we'll be Zooming again like this year). It's equally possible we are still in this until September or December, which I feel is more likely, so I'm not planning any real travel until I know more. 

Do you have any New Year's resolutions? They don't have to be travel related even. Maybe you're looking to learn a new language or pick up a new skill, or open an Etsy shop, or start a family. I'm into hearing all your hopes for 2021. 

• I might start learning French again. 
• This past year got me back into podcasts. I made time for them. I binged my favorites over the last 4-10 years of content while working. If you're looking for recommendations:
• Sawbones - for weird medical history
• Wonderful - for just happy, feel-good content where they talk about things they like/love
• Minority Korner - for all things regarding people of color and representation
• The Adventure Zone - if you enjoy great storytelling and D&D (you don't need to know anything about D&D or other tabletop games to understand what's going on, but you might cry...sob even, because the stories are so good and moving)
• My Brother My Brother and Me - three brothers who give bad advice. The McElroys have gotten me through this year and I will be forever grateful
• Neat! the Boozecast - for all things bartending, hosted by a New York bartender and her dad
• Mission to Zyxx - a fun sci-fi storytelling podcast that's all improv
• The Beef and Dairy Network - a comedy podcast about beef and dairy products with fun fake news, but also some interesting facts
• I've gotten back to Twitter. 
• I'm also excited to see how travel changes after Covid. I hope that it will be safer and healthier. I know people don't love masks, but I'm happy to continue wearing them, especially on public transportation where people are crammed together (like planes and busses). 

That's it. This is my last  post for the year. Tell me how your year has gone and what you're looking forward to in 2021.