Your GTG’s top 10 travel goals for 2015
Season’s greetings globetrotters and welcome to our first entry for 2015. Whatever calendar you follow (Mayans aside) Gregorian 2015 is here to launch us into all the adventures it has in store. With this in mind your GTG thought it might be a nice idea to focus this week on the things we would most like to achieve to see us heading comfortably in that direction.
- Go somewhere you’ve never been- For your GTG India is on the cards this year but a trip to South-East Asia is also long overdue. As an Australian it feels somewhat shameful to admit I have not crossed the Tasman to New Zealand despite having made some wonderful friends from that part of the world so if at all possible there too is on the list. Ambitious you’re thinking? I agree but the main objective here is to get the ball rolling and make it all happen when possible. Every little bit closer you get feels oh so good when you reflect on how hard you’ve worked to get there.
- Travel somewhere in a more professional capacity- Ok so volunteering can be ice-cold-cool when working for a sound organization that genuinely has the local community in mind but it feels like a long time since I did anything useful to contribute to the society that was supporting me and my curiosity. One particular idea is to parachute myself into the Amazon and help the Tourism industry campaign against mining. One day….
- Learn to cook the local food somewhere- While a half-day cooking class in Siem Reap was awesome, it would be fantastic to
feel more confident in the replication of what I learned at home. This calls for a longer class or a bunch of rocking grandma’s that know where it’s at. - Travel somewhere new for an event- Often the best travel discoveries are the accidental ones. If a gig is the first thing that attracts you to a place then the best is yet to come. Your GTG has previously written about EXIT festival in Serbia which was part of an amazing summer’s worth of discoveries in that region. Yet more testimony to the truth in this concept.
- Rent a scooter/moto/motorbike/vespa- For some people this seems like the obvious way to get around since they have been riding motorbikes of some shape or form since they were old enough to sit up by themselves. The rest of us on the other hand may not have had much practice at this… Since they look like a fun way to get around and in many places locals use them as their main mode of transport your GTG recommends giving them a try. Last point here is that many travel insurance policies won’t cover any related injuries but within reason it’s totally worth it.
- Go Somewhere inspired by a book or a movie- Alright so some of you have already been to NZ and the set of the LOTR, sounds great. Of course there are endless possibilities in the world of literature and film. For fans of the Bronte sisters there is the lakes district in the British midlands, for fans of Gabriel Garcia Marquez there is Cartagena on the Colombian Caribbean coast. Film buffs might even appreciate a visit to Cannes itself in the south of France where the weather is sunny with a high chance of star-spotting.
- Take another Cruise- It’s true what they say, once is never enough and cruises are so hot right now. They have never been more affordable, employ a bucket-load of people, and are miles ahead of air travel when it comes to considering the environment. Cruising forces you to take the world at a slower pace at least for a short while and give that overworked grey matter a rest.
- Go somewhere and attempt to use no English- Here’s one for my fellow linguiphiles. Imagine the fun of a whole trip where you were able to communicate with locals in their own tongue! While it may be one of the more challenging goals in the list with your head in the game their are no limits to what you can do. Even if only for the shocked faces and approving smiles, worth giving a go.
Study somewhere- Well we all love parts of the student life at home and I imagine overseas is no exception. Having spoken to friends who’ve been there, there seems like a lot of fun to be had and local mingling to be done, both thoroughly enjoyable ideas if you ask me. Another added plus is an insight into the education system of a place which is something you miss as a short-term visitor.
- Travel with less luggage- It’s been discussed to the point of exhaustion, many people have shown us how to do it but it really does take a load off (no pun intended). This may be a challenge as your GTG set a personal best with a 13kg back pack for a 2-month trip last year which is now a record to beat.
Well with a list like that it’s about time we all got cracking so now your GTG is keen to hear your own travel goals for 2015 or otherwise. Let us know by using the contact form below. Until next week.
