I met Alisha just over a year ago. Her energy is contagious. She always greets with a smile and seems fearless when sharing opinions through the many forms of social media she has already mastered.
And after reading my post about my Annual Goals Check In, she approached me about publishing her goals. She said she wanted to ‘stay adventurous’ in 2011. Flattered she used the term, I said absolutely.
So here they are… and as you read them, you may want to ask yourself as we approach the new year, what are your (travel) goals for 2011? Do you plan to stay adventurous too? She does.
Alisha:
Alisha styling with her journal at Parque Guell, Barcelona
It’s been nearly half a year since I last traveled out of the country and I cannot wait to get back out there. I told myself 2010 would be my year to make travel a top priority and I’m so thrilled I kept that promise. But one trip wasn’t enough. I’m not satisfied – I crave more adventures.
Spain was that eye-opening trip that made me adopt the attitude of “Stay Adventurous.” I went out on my own to discover a new destination but I ended up falling in love with a new culture, and a new way of life. I returned to New York knowing I had to take more risks on my own and seek travel inspiration more often, because going back to living for a paycheck was not going to rule my life. With a memorable trip to keep my travel bug going, I’ve designed a travel wish list for the New Year. Here are my goals for 2011:
- Get back into travel writing – I’ve been so caught up in my own freelancing business that I haven’t buckled down enough to refocus on my writing. I’m grateful to have such inspirational trips that fed my writer within, but the months have passed by so quickly and I’ve neglected to publish any articles. So I am on a mission starting this month to take my writing more seriously and get my stories out there again.
- Road trip to Canada – I’ve been meaning to drive up to the Great White North for a while now. Montreal is only a couple of hours away from my house Upstate, and I’ve heard it’s a city that exudes European flare – right up my alley! What’s even better now is that I have travel buddies also residing in Toronto, Halifax, and New Foundland, which present the perfect excuse to book an extended weekend this winter. A little snow won’t bother me.
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Spend my 25th birthday in Central America – For some weird reason I’ve developed a “crush” of sorts on Panama and Costa Rica. I like the idea of instituting my birthday as a travel ritual. This past birthday I booked my trip to Spain, and next year I want to spend my big 25 away on vacation on the beaches of Panama or Costa Rica. I deserve to treat myself, right? Maybe I could save some sea turtles while I’m there too.
Alisha enjoying the social life of Barcelona...
- Expand my networking circle – Often times I feel like my travel buddies and I are in a secret society. To any outsider, it must feel like we speak in code and are crazy to dream about traveling the world. But I love it – I love meeting and connecting with new people, and fortunately being based in New York I have the pleasure of doing just that. But I tend to stick around the same group of people, so I think it’s time I open myself up to others and get outside the circle of my close friends.
- Spend a month in Uruguay – Since I learned I can travel on my own with minimal problems and enjoyed it so much, I want to keep traveling solo as much as possible. My next dream destination is Uruguay because I’m infatuated with their culture and its located under Argentina in Latin America. I want to spend at least a month traveling around Uruguay and Argentina, letting my money and wanderlust take me as far as possible. Plus, I’ll be able to escape the harsh northeastern winter to enjoy some summer sun in the southern hemisphere.
Alisha contemplating life's path in (my favorite) San Sebastian
If 2010 was proof enough that I can go out and make my dreams come true, then I can only imagine what greatness lies in store for me in 2011. If it’s one thing I learned this year, it’s that “staying adventurous” is what will take me far with new opportunities, but most importantly, a happy life.
Alisha Miranda is a Travel Geek for life. After working with travel start-ups for two years, she finally embarked on her first solo trip abroad to Spain in spring of 2010. Though now based in Brooklyn, she’s made it her mission to travel to as many Spanish-descendent countries as possible. Her travels are documented on Sosauce as well as her Tumblr and can be found on twitter @makeshiftalisha
