The start of a new year often brings excitement and determination to take on new challenges and set goals. The annual tradition of going around the table and saying your New Year’s Resolutions might be a bit cliche, but I think we all secretly enjoy talking about them. So, here’s me indulging my guilty pleasure by sharing my 2023 New Year’s Resolutions with you.
1. Visit 3 New States
Sometimes I’m surprised I haven’t been to more states, but then I step back and remember that when I graduated high school I had barely been to 7 states. Now I have 19 states checked off my bucket list. I often find myself being ungrateful for the experiences I’ve had and instead always looking to the next big thing. While I’m still looking to expand my horizons, I’m also looking to focus more on living in the moment and not taking these opportunities for granted.
2. Visit 3 New National Parks
Well, I visited four new national parks in 2021 and two new national parks in 2022 — this year, I figured I’d split the difference. I have a few in mind, namely Mt. Rainier and North Cascades, but the third is currently up in the air. The Channel Islands? Theodore Roosevelt? Olympic? Who knows! No matter where I end up, it’ll be an exciting year.
3. Go on a SOLO Trip
This is a big one for me. Technically, I have solo traveled before. When I studied abroad in Australia, I hopped on that plane and flew to a continent where I knew no one. However, once I was there, I met some amazing friends who became my travel companions. We did everything together, from cross-continent road trips to busing into town to get groceries, so I have a hard time truly considering that solo travel.
Traveling solo has always deterred me for three reasons: safety, loneliness and a budget. All good reasons, but not reason enough to stop me from this necessary life experience. I say necessary because I believe that solo travel is an important confidence milestone, especially for women. Knowing that I am capable of traveling on my own will give me the confidence to take trips on my own timeline rather than always waiting for someone else to go with me. It will also give me the freedom to explore the way I want to.
I don’t currently have a plan set for my solo trip yet, but I have a few locations I’m tossing around in my mind. A road trip to Theodore Roosevelt National Park is a possibility, but so is a weekend flight to Boise, Idaho. I guess we’ll see where the winds take me (and which option is the most budget-friendly).
4. Cross all 3 National Lakeshores off my list
This. Is. The. Year. I have slowly but surely been crossing these national lakeshores off my list. In 2019, Ethan and I camped in the Apostle Islands. In 2022, we camped at Sleeping Bear Dunes. This year, we’ll be tackling Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore — the last of the three. These lakeshores are so incredibly beautiful and underrated. I am truly blessed to live in a Great Lakes state with all these lakeshores within driving distance. Maybe it’s because I grew up by the Great Lakes, but I’ve always been more of a freshwater person than saltwater. But who knows, maybe the next list I’ll tackle is the seashores.
5. Cross an experience off of my all-time bucket list
Having an all-time bucket list is only beneficial if you eventually add those experiences to a short-term bucket list. Sooooooo, in 2023 I’m making a point to prioritize an experience off my lifetime bucket list. I have one in mind, but it’s a surprise. Can you take a guess at what it might be?
6. Explore more of Wisconsin
I may be a Wisconsin native, but I still feel like there is a lot of Wisconsin to explore! I often view my Wisconsin travels as unworthy of being included on my travel blog, but I’m realizing that that notion is absolutely ridiculous. For the majority of US citizens, Wisconsin is often left off people’s travel lists, but they don’t know what they are missing. As a born-and-raised Wisconsinite, I consider myself somewhat of an expert in Wisconsin experiences, but there are still quite a few places I am yet to explore. That’s why I’m looking to visit five new state parks in 2023 as well as try two new “Wisconsin” experiences. I’m not entirely sure what that means yet, but I’ll know it when I do it 😉
7. Visit 10 New Cities
This one feels like it could end up being somewhat ambiguous. How does one define a visit? How does one define a city? I guess the definition of a city is pretty clear, but for my purposes, a visit means having at least one memorable experience there — not just a drive-through, bathroom or meal break. Seems fair enough. I originally had this goal set at five new cities but decided that wasn’t challenging enough. Let’s see if I can cross ten off my list.
8. Climb more mountains
This one almost feels silly considering last year at this time I had never climbed any mountain. Now I feel somewhat hooked. Despite totally having my butt kicked by Grizzly Peak in Colorado, the experience was so empowering that it has excited me into learning a new hobby. I’ve been bouldering a handful of times before, but I’ve never taken it seriously, especially not as a training method for climbing real mountains. But this year, I’m looking to start prepping myself for bigger and more challenging mountains. I’ve even added climbing Mt. Kilimanjaro to my lifetime bucket list. As for 2023, I’m not sure which mountains I’ll be climbing, but I have plans to head to Seattle, so Mt. Rainier might make the list.
9. Up my photography game
Photography has always been a passion of mine, but lately, I have been pushing it to the wayside. I’ve always loved capturing photos while traveling, and I’m quite proud of some of the photos I take, however, I don’t usually take the time to set up an image. Usually, I just get lucky with a good shot as I quickly snap a photo on my way down a mountain. In 2023, I want to be more conscious of the photos I am taking and plan photos with more intention. I am especially excited to practice using my new drone to capture not only photos but videos. Obviously, my intention isn’t to take myself out of the moment, but taking home photos has always been one of my favorite souvenirs, kind of like collecting postcards or magnets. For me, this is just my way of holding onto that memory forever. Here are a few of my favorites from 2023:
Conclusion
I’m looking forward to 2023 and making mountains of new memories, with friends and solo. These are some pretty hefty challenges for me, but I don’t want to look at them like a to-do list. These are goals that I have because they are things I want to do and if I don’t get around to them this year that’s okay. I know in 2022, I beat myself up a bit for not meeting my goals but thinking back on everything I did accomplish made me realize I was doing things for the wrong reasons. I was doing things to say I did them, and I wasn’t always living in that moment the way I wish I had. This year, I want to practice mindfulness while I embark on these adventures, and that might be the biggest challenge of them all.
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