Cringe worthy title? Yes, but sometimes being cheesy feels oh so good.

Saying goodbye to 2016 was not a hard thing to do, not because of the whole “I’m over 2016” attitude that has somehow become a “thing,” but rather because so many exciting things are coming up in 2017 that I was ready to welcome them with open arms.

I won’t lie, 2016 was a very hard year for me. From start to finish, it was tainted by anxiety, depression, a lack of self confidence, and uncertainty. However, it makes me all the more excited to begin this new chapter in my life and transform myself.

For the past few months I have stated that I feel like with my pending trip, I feel like I am giving myself a chance to be the person that I know I truly am inside. Often times people, even I, say that they are “transforming” into the person “they want to be.”

Personally, I feel like that imaginary, godly person is already inside of me. She is me, and she just needs a chance to do the things that she would do. I am that person who travels, experiences new adventures, eats random foods, dresses in exquisite clothing, walks around with confidence, and so much more; I simply have to allow myself the chances and opportunities to be that person, and then once that time has arrived, to have the courage to be her. Perhaps the title of this post should really be “New Year, Same Me,” as I am not radically changing who I am as a person, but rather stopping the suppression of my true self.

But as I am human and love to indulge in popular culture traditions, I still opted to create a list of new year resolutions that I believe will help me in my quest to be more of myself.

Try New Hobbies

Whenever people ask me, “what do you do for fun” or “what are your hobbies,” I never quite know how to answer it. I like to work out, watch YouTube videos, and research travel locations on the internet, but I don’t follow a lot of the more typical things associated with hobbies. Normally when I think of hobbies I think of playing basketball, painting, or things of a similar nature. When I jump in and say “I really like to work out,” it feels strange. So I want to challenge myself to expand my hobbies. And more than that, I want to do hobbies that I feel reflect me as a person. I want to try aerial yoga, regularly go on runs and hikes, and bake delicious foods. I am not trying to drastically change the things I like to do, rather I want to build upon them and continue to grow and explore new and fun activities.

Keep in Touch

I am not too proud to admit that I am terrible at keeping in touch with people. My hermit-like nature means that I am all too comfortable sitting alone and being an introvert rather than making a conscious effort to reach out to friends and family, whether doing activities or even talking on the phone. This year I want to change that. Rarely speaking to people that I love  and who bring me joy is not something that I enjoy associating myself with, and so it ends here. I want to know what people are up to, and make them feel like they are part of my life and I am part of theirs. Especially with my pending departure, I want to keep my current friends and family close; and even more than that, strengthen this skill so that when the time comes to return home, I can remain in touch with the friends I made along the way.

Don’t Settle

Too often, I find myself pushing aside the things I truly want. Whether it is telling myself it is not the practical decision, not the easiest thing, I constantly self sabotage and talk myself out of things. I settle for second choices, “smart” choices, but more often than not it leaves me feeling empty and disheartened. I don’t want to live halfway in my life. I won’t go as far to state the stereotypical “life is too short” mantra, but rather I feel it is important to put yourself first in life. At the end of the day, you have yourself. If you aren’t happy with your life, what does anything else matter? Especially in my situation right now, I can afford to be selfish. I don’t have a family, a mortgage, or anything like that. Not everyone has the luxury of no responsibility, and I want to embrace mine while it’s here.

I do have other new year resolutions. I want to drink more water, floss more, go on runs, read, start to keep a journal again, and blog more frequently. However, the three mentioned above are my main new year resolutions. They are the framework three that represent the theme for what I want 2017 to be like. It will be a year of self improvement, growth, acceptance, and love. And I am excited for it to begin.

Cheers,

The Travelsmith