Well, with over half of 2016 already in the books, I figured it was a good time to step back and review my New Year’s Resolutions.

Here is what I put on tap for 2016:

1. Go on a road trip.This will be a first for me. The longest car ride I have done to date is the 6 hours between LA and Sacramento, but I wouldn’t call that a road trip at all. In 2016, I want to drive across multiple states; eating the local cuisine, finding motels as I go, and discovering Middle America.
2. Go to a festival. Mardi Gras in New Orlands, Coachella in California, Burning Man in Nevada, EDC in Vegas, Carnival in Brazil, Full Moon Party in Thailand – there are lots of options. Where ever I end up, I really just want to dance the night away and meet some amazing people.
3.  Go backpacking.I love nature and the outdoors, but I have never gone backpacking. I have been camping plenty of times, but it always involved driving up to a campsite, unloading the car and sleeping in a big family tent with our dog. So this year, I want to go on a camping trip with a friend. The kind where you strap a sleeping bag, water purifier, and a flask of whiskey to your back and discover amazing views, new wildlife, and yourself.
4. Go hang gliding. Living in California, this is pretty accessible. I am not scared of heights, but I don’t necessarily feel comforted by them either. This will definitely force me to ‘feel the fear’ and do it anyway. I imagine this would be a very freeing experience, providing amazing views and tons of fresh air and clarity. Maybe Groupon has some specials?!
5. Go to the Hollywood sign. I was born and raised in LA and I have yet to hike to the Hollywood sign. I mean, it is very #basic, but still, it is like a right of passage! Grab some trendy Lulu’s and your favorite Ray-Bans and you are set!

Starting with number one, I feel like I can check this one off. I have driven from Oregon to Washington, California to Oregon, Nevada to California, and Washington to Oregon this year. That being said, I still haven’t done a ‘traditional’ road trip, one where I put a cool thousand+ miles on my car while stopping to take pictures with every “Welcome to” state sign I see. With graduate school about to start up, I don’t see much of this in my future, unless I drive up to Canada!

Well, number two is a clear no. I came pretty close to purchasing Napa’s Bottle Rock tickets, but I was just getting back from Alaska as the festival was starting. I hope that I might still have a chance to fulfill this resolution this year, but as the summer is starting to wind down, I believe my options will be limited to say the least. Maybe I can make up for this resolution next year?

Ugh, another failure. Unfortunately I have not gone backpacking. I mean, I packed a backpack and went to Alaska, but I stayed in a hostel. What I really want to do is pack a hammock and a water filter and some horrible freeze-dried food and hit the mountains with some great friends. Oregon definitely provides lots of opportunities for this, it is just up to me to make it happen now! I already purchased the backpack and the shoes, now I just need to get the final pieces together and go.  

My fourth resolution reminds me of my first. While I have not gone hang gliding, I feel that my experience skydiving should allow me some credit toward this resolution. Skydiving is just as challenging (if not more) and it definitely provided the freedom, views, and clarity I was searching for. Hang gliding, and skydiving again, are definitely on my list!

Well, I am happy to round out this final resolution with a resounding yes! On my second to last day in LA I finally hiked to the Hollywood Sign…it only took 19 years!

I hiked it with my mom and one of my best friend’s Brittany, who was visiting from Portland. Honest opinion: this hike is super overrated. It took us three hours and six miles in the hot, dusty Hollywood Hills to just snap a few pictures with a sign.

I would instead recommend just driving up to some of the lookout points to grab your photo. If you are interested in a hike, I would instead opt for the Wisdom Tree. Here you will find a September 11th tribute and an old suitcase filled with journals of people’s musings over the years.

Considering the year is half-way over, I am pleased to see that I am half-way on track. Unfortunately, the rest of the year is going to be extremely busy for me and accomplishing those remaining resolutions might not be the easiest feat. That being said, the reason I selected these specific resolutions was to challenge myself to try new things and I will definitely be doing that, even if it is not at a festival or while backpacking.

I’ll try my best to make time for these goals, but I won’t beat myself up if I am unable to accomplish them this year. I’ve got a whole life ahead of me, I intend to use it!

-TM

How are your New Year’s Resolutions going? Let us know below.