My Travel Goals For 2019
I’m really excited about 2019! I want to make it bigger and bolder for myself in terms of travel. 2018 was pretty breezy. I didn’t seek any destination or travel plan aggressively. It was the year of impromptu travel. Also, I discovered a new level of slow travel. This year, however, I want to pursue certain travel dreams. I want to tick off a few destinations.
So, 2019 is going to be a little aggressive travel year for me. That being said, I have a clean slate at the moment. I have no plans in place.
Before I talk about my travel goals for 2019, I’d like to highlight the interesting fact that the last few years have been so unique with respect to travel –
Goal oriented 2015, spontaneous 2016
I was quite goal oriented in 2015, and thus, I could travel to Kashmir, Gujarat and Karnataka that year. Those were all significant trips for me. 2016 was totally spontaneous. But I ended up travelling to Italy and Jordan, two of my travel bucket-list countries! I also enjoyed a great solo travel in Arunachal Pradesh that year.
A year of misadventures – 2017
2017 was a remarkable year in its own way – I had a few misadventures in store! I missed my flight to Melbourne at Kuala Lumpur airport, which made me see a whole new country. So, it turned out to be a bonus. Another amazing part of the year was that I travelled back to back for a while – from Melbourne to Mumbai, Mumbai to Goa, Goa to Mumbai, and then Mumbai to Chennai. It was like I’d come home only for a few hours and then head to the airport again. Phew! But, it was fun. One thing that pinches my heart even today was the misadventure I had in Ladakh – I had to return home within two days as I fell sick badly.
An impromptu year: slow travel, revisits – 2018
2018 was quite off the cuff all through the year. The only trip that I planned was Kerala, and even that one was a second visit. I had no plans to spend three months in Chhattisgarh. I absolutely had no idea I’d visit Uttarakhand! Also, I visited two national parks in Uttar Pradesh in the beginning of the year, but even that was a press invite from UP Forest Department. I also had quick trips to Goa, Jaipur and Ajmer. I didn’t visit any ‘new’ destination in 2018. Except for Jaipur, which was my first visit, it was the year of revisits.
I definitely want to carve out new adventures in 2019. If I look at my bank balance I shouldn’t be dreaming big. Yes, it’s hard for a travel blogger/freelancer to execute big travel plans. But, I know that I can do what I really want to do. I believe if you have the courage, sincerity and focus to pursue your goals, money catches up eventually.
Also read: How Do I Manage To Travel?
Go beyond borders
So far, I have focused on exploring India, which has been a great decision because if you don’t explore your own country, there’s no point going to far-flung places. Besides, India is such an amazing country! I mean it’s so full of surprises. However, things will change in 2019. I have made a conscious decision to go international this year. If I’m not going to do it, then who’s going to do it for me? I am focused on ticking off a few more dream destinations that are beyond my country.
The good news is that my tickets are booked for Sri Lanka in June. So, the momentum is set already. I’m looking forward to booking more tickets pretty soon!
Tick off at least one state in Northeast India
Besides my overseas travel plans of 2019, I want to visit at least one Northeast state in India. It could be Nagaland or maybe Meghalaya. My point is that I want to tick off as many difficult destinations as possible this year. Although I don’t want to stress too much over “ticking off”, I want to be very specific with my travel plans. I mean I really don’t want to go with the flow. I will work towards achieving my goals no matter how intimidating they may seem to me.
Continue to be smitten by my backyard
My focus will not be on quantity, which is the number of destinations I visit, but on quality, the kind of time I spend in each destination. So of course, I’ll continue to explore my own backyard, Mumbai and around. I think living in a city like Mumbai is a kind of blessing for a traveller. It’s one of the best cities in the world. I have a long association with Mumbai. I have explored quite a lot about this city, but there’s still a lot to explore.
What are your travel goals for 2019?
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