Why are these my 11 travel goals for 2023?

Last year around this time I wrote an article. A journey awaits. Defining my travel goals for 2022. It was the first time I set goals like this. I don’t think they’re important to everyone, but in my case, they helped me think about and not just about. where I wanted to go, but how is. What did I hope to find when I reached my destination?

Although I failed at each one, looking back, I realize that setting goals helped me think more. In the year My goals for 2022 (and how I did them)

1. Strengthen my relationships with people while traveling (yes)
2. I continue to work on my Spanish (I do, but not as much while traveling).
3. Overcame my reluctance to approach strangers (yes, significant progress).
4. Explore the archaeological ruins and Pueblo Magicos from our Mexico home in Guanajuato (absolutely!).
5. Visit more places by water (yes)
6. Pack light (getting there – it’s a process!)
7. Take a long trip in a camper van (No).

Having decided that this was a worthwhile exercise, I am repeating it this year. Here are my travel goals for 2023:

1. Keep traveling close to home

In the year In 2022, my husband Barry and I had all kinds of little adventures near our home in Eureka, on California’s North Coast. For example, we found Redwood Creek, a beautiful riverside trail that is part of Redwood National Park. We learned more about the history of many nearby roads; And we toured a beach called Llanfair Dunes.

We often combine local travel with research, as Barry writes about the history of Humboldt, California County where we live. This year, for example, we found a historic bunker on a beach near Eureka and learned that you can see a second World War II bunker on another nearby beach. Our travels have whetted my appetite, and I look forward to more mini-adventures.

2. Visit more ruins

My motto is “You can never see too much debris.” In the year In 2022, we visited the semi-circular ruins of Zinzuntza near Pueblo Magico, Mexico. We explored Patzcuaro, and many Roman ruins in Bulgaria.. One idea this year is to revisit the ruins of Yucatan – more famous than Chichin Iza or Tulum.

3. Be active

Barry and I like to be active no matter where we are. Last year, in addition to hiking near our two homes, we climbed a volcano outside of Patsquaro. explored the mountains above Sofia, Bulgaria; And we hiked Baker Preserve, a 1,000-foot hill on Lumi Island just outside of Bellingham, Washington, with our teenage grandchildren. We didn’t find any of these strong, but they would have if we weren’t in shape. Many of our trips involve exercise, which means that the older we get – Barry is 80 and I’m 71 – the more important we find it is to be in good physical shape.

4. Return to Eastern Europe or visit an Islamic country

Last year Barry and I spent a month in Bulgaria. We love Eastern Europe for its architecture, cafes, parks, public transport, slow pace and low cost. We look forward to visiting other countries in that part of the world. But a higher priority for us is to visit an Islamic country, which we haven’t done in over a decade.

I miss the call to prayer five times a day in Muslim countries. I will never forget my 20 month sabbatical and stay in a hotel across the street from a mosque in Trabzon, Turkey. The troubling Adhan He woke us up around 4:30 every morning. Once we got used to it, this was a lovely way to kick off the day.

Our spring goal is to travel to Morocco, where we will hike in the Atlas Mountains and explore the port city of Essaou. Finally we will go to Spain, where we will visit the southern region of Andalusia, the historic Moorish city of Granada, which I have never seen before.

We can make it as far north as Madrid, which is said to be a great city for walking. (And we know from a recent visit to Spain that we could get a 50 percent discount on train tickets by spending just €6 on the highly discounted Tarjeta Dorada card).

5. Travel flexibly

For years, we’ve bought one-way tickets, deciding our return date only when we’re ready. But we always had some restrictions – mainly flying to Pennsylvania to see my dad, whom my sisters and I would visit on a regular basis. Since he died last fall, I no longer have that limitation. So this spring, while we’re in Morocco and Spain, we might decide to stay longer and go somewhere else, maybe to one of the Eastern European countries we haven’t seen.

6. Revisit the places I have lived

In May 2022 I returned to New Orleans for the first time in 30 years. During my visit, I was reminded why I loved the city so much as a college student. I stayed with my first counselor who lived just two blocks from Audubon Park. One day she and I caught crayfish at Frankie and Johnny’s, and the next day my old friend Jennifer drove me around town. We visited different viewpoints like Bayou St. John, Treme, and over the Mississippi River. As I drove down the streets of St. Charles and wandered the side streets, I was reminded of how much fun it is to revisit places that evoke powerful emotional memories.

7. Experience the fall leaves

As much as I love our two homes, I don’t experience fall in either city. So this year I’d like to spend a few days in Washington, DC, Boston (both cities I’ve lived in at one point) or some other area where I’m experiencing fall colors.

8. If in doubt, say yes

A few years ago, Barry and I had the opportunity to go paragliding while doing a home exchange in Medellin, Colombia. We did it in Turkey 10 years ago, so I decided that I don’t need to do paragliding again. Big mistake! When Barry returns from his adventure, the descriptions and photographs he paints make me regret my decision. Lesson learned: When in doubt, say yes!

In Bulgaria, we often have the opportunity to say “yes” to people we meet at their homes. On one occasion, a friend of my stepbrother not only invited us to spend the night at her family’s house in a small town near Plovdiv, but also drove us to visit some nearby dolman or megalithic tombs the next morning.

Inviting people to visit their home feels like a privilege and an act of intimacy. So even when I hesitate, usually out of awkwardness, I’m always happy to say “yes.”

9. Keep going to the ocean

I can’t get enough of the ocean; It is profound medicine and therapy for me. After my father died, I was in a dark state, and only a long walk on the beach finally brought me out of my happiness. This year beaches in Mexico, California, Oregon, Spain and Morocco are calling me.

10. Bring my sketchbook when you travel

I have been faithfully and happily using my sketchbook several times a week for six months now. I photograph attractive scenes and then copy or edit them, watercolor and paint.

My items are organized into a lightweight bag, so I can travel with them easily. Not only is it fun to keep a sketchbook, but spending an hour or two drawing on the road every day gives me a bit of structure to my travels, which I find useful.

11. Accept and enjoy the transitions

Any journey is made up of at least three stages: leaving one place catch up The next location (usually includes several mini-levels), and catch up .

As I get older, it seems to take me longer to go through these transitions. For example, after I get somewhere, it takes me a while to re-establish my habits, like journaling or using my sketchbook. Traveling and adapting to unfamiliar places is physically exhausting, especially when different time zones, jet lag and increased altitude are part of the change. I need a lot between time.

In recent years, we’ve spent a lot of time everywhere, getting to know each other and experiencing our version of slow travel. I want to keep it simple and not push myself as I go through each transition.

What I love most about travel goals is that they are adaptable and not too difficult. They give a sense of direction, but if something else shows up, that doesn’t matter either. Last year, for example, I had no plans to visit New Orleans, but unexpected circumstances conspired to make it a good decision. So I’m going to take my goals lightly and see what happens. It’s a good philosophy no matter where I am.

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