Bohemian Trails Starts A New Year
I’ve personally never been that great at sticking to my new years resolutions and because of this, there have been several years when I ditched the whole thing altogether. This year, however, I have lots to look forward to and a few goals I refuse to quit.
Travel
After months of networking, sending emails, trying tactic after tactic to increase the quality of Bohemian Trails, things are looking up. So far I’ll be traveling to Fiji, Israel, Austria and Greece. Other destinations that are still in the words include Ireland, Germany and Indonesia. Although I never like to get my hopes up, I’m truly excited for these travel opportunities and plan to get the most I can from these fascinating countries.
Write a Print Travel Feature
Many of you know that a huge goal of mine is to become a print writer, with the ultimate goal of one day publishing a novel. December 2011 brought me my first print feature in an international magazine (U.S. and Colombia). The fashion article was included in the magazine’s One-Year Anniversary Edition. I hope to write some feature articles for travel magazines this year. I’ve been busy pitching away so hopefully I’ll get there in 2012.
Master the Spanish Language
If you read my Weekly Wander article from November, you already know that I’ve begun taking Spanish classes. As a travel writer who values local life over tourist traps, it’s a little difficult to speak to locals if you don’t know their native language. Spanish is spoken in a slew of countries around the world so I decided to take advantage of my freelance schedule and signed up for intensive classes with Instituto Cervantes. Dating an Argentinian certainly adds to my motivation. My hope for 2012 is for me to break my shyness and speak with locals on my next South American trip.
Improve my Photography Skills
For my 25 birthday, my boyfriend literally read my mind about what I wanted and surprised me with a Sony DSC-HX 100 Camera. I knew that a huge part of travel is being able to take high-resolution images while on the road. Although my iPhone has bee serving me relatively well on my last few trips, I really needed something more professional to capture all that I was seeing. I plan on playing around with the different settings so that I can take pictures that represent the emotion of the destination I am trying to convey.
Find new Challenges to Conquer
One reason why I find travel so inspiring is because there are always new challenges to face and battle head-on. For example, I’m very shy by nature and traveling (especially solo) has forced me to break out of my comfort-zone and start conversations with fellow travelers and locals. I’m also more observant and reflective during my travels, and I am ready to find more challenges on my trips this year.
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24 Comments
Great resolutions, good luck with them in 2012
Laurence recently posted..Spain vs. Portugal: the hottest holiday spot
Thanks Laurence! Same to you
Megan recently posted..Bohemian Trails Starts A New Year
All the best for reaching your 2012 goals. Hope you make it to all of those destinations (and more). Cheers!
Thanks
Same to you!
Megan recently posted..Bohemian Trails Starts A New Year
Where else are you visiting on the way to Fiji? Its years since I was there and would love to go back.
I think I’m flying there from LA – so maybe another tour of CA and I might add New Zealand onto it!
Megan recently posted..Bohemian Trails Starts A New Year
Great resolutions – good luck! I have similar ones but didnt consider them resolutions – now I do (easier than losing weight!). My Spanish school has been the road – finally taking classes starting next month.
Adorama hosts great 1 night photography courses – usually the manufacturer brings in a trainer – so you might want to check to see if they have anything coming up with Sony. I learned A LOT in the 2 hr Canon class they had. B&H has them too.
Wow – I’m taking Spanish classes too! My next session starts next week and I’m also starting to go to the free Apple events in soho so I can learn iMovie. Good luck on your resolutions!
Megan recently posted..Bohemian Trails Starts A New Year
Love your resolutions!!
DTravelsRound recently posted..Ch-ch-ch-changes
Thanks! Let’s see if I keep them haha
Megan recently posted..Bohemian Trails Starts A New Year
Great resolution list, the best way that I have found to improve my language skills is through liquid courage!
I become a poet in my second language when I’ve had a few
haha so true Brendan! bi-lingual poetry is definitely a talent
Megan recently posted..Bohemian Trails Starts A New Year
Great Megan!!
Thank you my love
Megan recently posted..Bohemian Trails Starts A New Year
Great resolutions. PS In regards to your last photo, I like your style!
Bobbi Lee Hitchon recently posted..Buying a car abroad
haha thanks Bobbi! Always try to keep it classy
Megan recently posted..Bohemian Trails Starts A New Year
Best of luck with everything – and keep pitching
Sophie recently posted..Travel Photo – Carib Territory, Dominica
Thanks Sophie! I plan on it
Megan recently posted..Bohemian Shopping in Shanghai
Good luck with the new camera and the rest of the resolutions. I didn’t realize you were taking all the other photos on an iPhone, so you must’ve been doing a pretty good job with it before.
John recently posted..Taking the Theo Chocolate Factory Tour in Seattle, Washington
Thanks John! You have no idea how happy that makes me! I was surprised by the good quality of the iPhone and excited to experiment with a more advanced one.
Megan recently posted..Bohemian Shopping in Shanghai
Great goals & accomplishments (print article- yay!). I’m envious of your Spanish language classes. We just returned from a remote Peruvian Amazon village where all of the little girls wanted to hold my hand (I’m pretty sure they had never seen anyone with blonde hair/blue eyes before). I desperately wished that I had knew enough Spanish to talk with them. I had just enough Spanish to tell them my name, that they were beautiful and that they were my new friends, but that was the extent of it. Good luck with your classes!
Mary @ Green Global Travel recently posted..PIC OF THE DAY: Red-Eyed Tree Frog in Costa Rica
Thanks so much Mary! I absolutely loved Peru and found the people there to be so nice so I definitely know what you are talking about
As for languages, I’m slowly learning but hoping that my three weeks in Bogota (where I’ll be taking 4 hr a day lessons) will fast forward me a bit haha
Megan recently posted..How To Avoid Getting Homesick
I like your dreams. Good to see that kind of spirit is still alive in America. Keep it up and make your own good luck.
grayspirit recently posted..Davao New Year: Gangnam Style
Thank you! I plan to do just that
Megan Eileen McDonough recently posted..My 2013 New Year Resolutions