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The Wayfarer Diaries

Travel stories for freedom chasers

Life

Happy 2013! My Big Travel Resolution

A New Year always feels like an opportunity. The last days of December are slow, tired and overfull, good for nothing but sleeping and leftovers; whilst January dawns fresh, crisp and clear, a month of beginnings, resolutions and promise. I feel the urge to clean, cleanse and clear; to purge extraneous and unnecessary clutter from my life and begin again. I even cleared out my wardrobe, a previously unscalable task. I long for empty, light flooded space and white walls, considered accessories, clean hair and a clear desk. Sadly, I have a mild shopping addiction  combined with a genetically inherited hoarding tendency, so my room still resembles more of a haberdashers stockroom ransacked by the Borrowers than the tranquil whitewashed retreat of my January dreams.

2012 was a pretty good year. I dug out a list of aims made at the beginning of 2012, just before I was about to move home, which made for interesting reading. Unfortunately I am no closer to being fluent in French, I still can’t use a sewing machine and my photos remain tragically uncategorised into albums; however achievements have definitely been made over the last year. These are the biggies;

  1. I got my 140 hour TEFL certificate early on in the year, topping up my qualification to maximise my chances to be able to earn money abroad if needed.
  2. I got a job which, whilst not being what I want to do long term, has at least given me the opportunity to explore areas I find interesting, and surprisingly has proved innately useful in developing skills relevant to this blog. And, of course, provided me with the source of income I need to fund my travel savings.
  3. I paid off all my outstanding debts, something I was determined to do before I started saving in earnest. Cutting up my Topshop card was a great day.
  4. I took the plunge and bought a Macbook Pro, something I’ve wanted for years. Her name is Annie (Mac – geddit?) and yes, sometimes I fall asleep with her in my arms. True love.
  5. I manned up and got over my anxiety about driving – having built up a mental block whilst not driving for the last couple of years, I’m proud that I got behind the wheel and tackled my fear head on.

A couple of trips proved memorable highlights last year, serving to take the edge of the wanderlust despite stringent saving. My favourite travel moments included;

  1. Diving, meeting elephants and getting some much needed beach time on the Thai islands of Ko Lanta and Ton Sai in January
  2. A summer of festivals – Benicassim in Spain and Carling festival in Leeds meant great friends, great music, a little bit of sunshine and very little sleep.
  3. A trip to Scotland in a VW camper van in October, during which I explored the beautiful coastline of the Lowlands, experienced the freedom of wild camping and fell in love with Edinburgh.

As with everything I think, my aims change and evolve constantly in response to my experiences and things I learn. Although I started 2012 packing to move home with the vague aim of ‘going travelling’, throughout this last year the vapors of that dream have crystallized and taken form, becoming a reality which seems within grasping distance rather than a mere itch of longing. This year my aims and resolutions are simple – to make my plans of travel happen and to embark upon the journey I have been anticipating for over a year.

And so 2013 will be a year of change; of planning and saving and the purification of shedding additional belongings, and ultimately, a year of adventure, exploration and brave new worlds. Here’s to a good one.

Have you made any New Years resolutions? What are your travel plans for 2013?

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  1. Shannon says

    January 5, 2013 at 5:19 pm

    I’m always motivated at the new year…closets cleaned, furniture rearranged, etc. I find it all cathartic. Can’t wait to see where you plan on traveling to. Hope 2013 is all you wish it to be.

  2. Clare says

    January 5, 2013 at 10:26 pm

    Totally agree Shannon, it’s such a good time for turning over a new leaf! Thank you, I’ll make sure to keep you updated 🙂 Hope you and the family had a lovely Christmas and a very happy New Years.

  3. Peggy Tee says

    January 22, 2013 at 12:23 am

    Your 2013 sounds very like mine! Good luck and here’s to a great year of travel and of change!

Meet Clare

The Wayfarer Diaries is a place for stories, memories captured in journals, and tales of faraway lands. There are stories of the exotic and unfamiliar, as well as the intricate fabric of the everyday. It's about the beauty of the journey as much as the destination itself. Mostly it's about chasing adventures, of all kinds; whether across the globe or at home.

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The Wayfarer Diaries is a place for stories, memories captured in journals, and tales of faraway lands. There are stories of the exotic and unfamiliar, as well as the intricate fabric of the everyday. It's about the beauty of the journey as much as the destination itself. Mostly it's about chasing adventures, of all kinds; whether across the globe or at home.

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