As 2025 has arrived, I am looking back at the travel resolutions I made and evaluating how well I embraced the challenges I set for myself. Reflecting on these goals has been an eye-opening process, allowing me to appreciate the personal growth I’ve achieved while also identifying areas where I could improve. Let’s see how I did!
1. Step Out of My Comfort Zone
This year, I had planned to make a conscious effort to try something more adventurous (as I am usually more hesitant when travelling solo). I have to be honest in saying that I didn’t really do many adventurous activities on my trips this year. I went on a Northern Lights tour in the middle of the night, which I guess could be considered adventurous. Most of my trips this year were not to places known for adventurous activities. However, I am about to visit an adventurous destination next month. I have booked a quad biking tour and am considering paragliding if I have time for it.
2. Connect with Fellow Solo Travellers
I made it a point to be more intentional about meeting other solo travellers, and it paid off! During my trip to Paris, I met another solo female traveller and ended up spending the day with her. She was the one to initiate conversation, but I still made an effort to keep it going, and that’s how we clicked and realised that we got along. We have stayed in touch since then, occasionally on social media. I also met a solo traveller from New Zealand who was next to me on my flight back from Iceland. We also clicked well and spent the whole flight talking about life and our travel experiences. In Croatia, I did have a girl invite me to the beach, but I was in such an antisocial mood on that trip that I just wanted silence and mindfulness.
3. Embrace the “Tourist Experience”
This was probably my most fun resolution of the year! I did quite a few touristy things that I wouldn’t usually do. During my trip to Romania, I took taxis literally everywhere and it was fun. Usually I would use public transport when travelling. In Paris, I deliberately ate at what some may call “tourist trap” restaurants. They were places that were trending on social media and located in tourist hotspots. While I still prefer travelling like a local most of the time, I realised there’s a certain joy in indulging in the “tourist experience” sometimes. After all, travel is meant to be enjoyable, and sometimes that means letting yourself relax and embrace the more traditional side of travel.
4. Step Away from Technology
I did manage to reduce my reliance on Google Maps during trips, opting to follow road signs or simply wander around. On my last trip to Bremen, I didn’t use Google Maps at all apart from to find the bus stop on my way back to the airport. I wandered around without any navigation. When it comes to staying off my phone, I did well with this and took time to enjoy my trips. I rarely responded to messages until I returned to my accommodation in the evenings.
5. Celebrate Solo Travel Achievements
This resolution helped me shift my perspective and value my accomplishments. I made sure to journal on my flights back to make sure I still had everything fresh in my head. This gave me time to acknowledge milestones. Nothing is too small of a milestone to acknowledge. I’m not going to share my milestones in this post, as I think it would make a good separate post someday.
Reflecting on these resolutions has reminded me of how much I’ve grown as a solo traveller. Especially in the way that I think. It can be easy to become so used to doing things a certain way, that you end up missing out on experiences. Some goals were easier to achieve than others, but each one contributed to making this year of travel more enriching and fulfilling.
Next year, I plan to continue stepping out of my comfort zone, fostering connections, and being mindful of how I travel.
Have you ever set travel resolutions? How did they go? Let me know in the comments—I’d love to hear about your experience!
Check out my solo female travel safety tips.
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