5 Mid-Year Resolutions I’m Making

The first half of 2021 was a whirlwind of emotion, excitement, heartbreak, love, and rehashed past trauma for me.  Everyone always breaks their new year’s resolutions, so I never bother making them. This year I am making more than one mid-year resolution – and I am writing them and publishing them for the world to see and hold me accountable.

2021 started off with me excited about a new life and adventure ahead.  It started with a dream I had followed, something I was extremely excited about. This ultimately leads to one of my most dreaded weekly events.  During the last six months, I learned so much about myself.  I learned lot about how the world worked, who people really look out for, who is on my side. I also received more clear indication of where I want to go in my future these past 6 months. While people often say they feel as though so much has changed in a year – looking at where I am now and where I was a year ago, I know it to be true, not just a whim of a feeling.

So focusing on the future ahead – these are the 5 mid-year resolutions I am making for myself, to make me a more round, more happy, and more healthy version of myself.  Some are big, some are small and trivial, a few are about self-growth and another is just something I want to do – but they are all a part of who I am now.  6 months of 2021 gone with 6 more to come – now is the time to alter the heading and set course on a new horizon.

If you’ve made it this far – thanks for reading my ramblings.  This is something very different than my usual travel post and I know if you’re here its because you must really like me and my writings – so thank you!  Truly, I couldn’t do this thing without you guys.

Taking more time off and focusing on slow travel, slow living, & visiting a new continent.

Since the COVID pandemic, I- like everyone else in the world – don’t know what vacation means.  It’s a weird thing going from traveling extensively and whenever you want, to stuck on an Island in a pandemic. Even if it is one of the most beautiful islands I will ever lay eyes on.  I don’t want to say it was “hard” for me. That seems really dramatic and extreme. There are plenty of people who have had such a horrible time with the pandemic. Especially those who have lost friends and family experienced true hardships.

We’re all feeling the pressure of wanting to get away – and it shows in the travel industry – we at Explorateur travel have been PACKED with trip planning and inquiries for vacations.

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I’ve also been extremely fortunate in a job moving me overseas at the height of the pandemic and then allowing me to continue living in of the most beautiful places on earth, Palma de Mallorca, Spain.  But we all know that when you live in a tourist destination – you crave solitude and travel more than ever, and my itchy feet are feeling it.

The impacts of COVID – 19 affected us all, whether or not we want to admit it.  Nearly a year and a half later we are still social distancing, wearing masks, travel is limited and we still have no idea of when things will return to completely normal.  Some countries are rolling out the vaccine left and right, others are sadly very far behind.  Some places almost seem normal – but it’s still not quite there is it?

My first mid-year resolution is 3 in one – I’m going to focus on slow travel & slow living. I am going for longer travel and I’m going to check off one of my last continents before the end of the year.   I haven’t worked out all the details yet – but I am planning on spending at least a month or two in Bali this fall, after my charter season.

And into that category falls slow living.  I’ve always been the type of person to go go go.  Never stopping, rarely resting – constantly ready for the next adventure, the next city the next big thing.  I’m going to try and start living a little slower, savoring the moment I’m in a little bit more, listening to a little bit more, and loving a little slower.  Life needs to slow down – it happens far too fast, and I’ve come to the realization that slowing down starts with me.

If there is anything the pandemic taught me, it was to take that trip and to visit those friends, before you were unable to see them for more than a year.

Not putting any heat on my hair

On a completely different note, I have decided I’m not going to put any heat on my hair for the rest of the year!  I really damaged my hair a while ago when I went platinum (I knew this would be the case and I LOVED my hair, and I did it as healthily as possible, but bleach is still bleach), and then had extensions on top of that.

I sorely miss having long hair, and I am going back to my more natural color and going to try and let it grow and breathe as much as possible.  I’m starting a new very specific hair care routine for the next 3 months (more on that on my Instagram soon!) and I’m hoping it works the magic it is supposed to and help my hair grow long and luscious! It might not seem like it – but this ties into the slow living lifestyle I would like to achieve. Letting what is just be.  How its supposed to happen – and slowly fixing what is broken.

Starting back up in my photography

This past year when I moved to Mallorca, my photography fell to the wayside.  Because of work, making new friends, trying to navigate living in a new country and 1000 other excuses I could come up with – my camera wasn’t with me as per usual. This mid-year resolution is here to change this!

I was living in a truly spectacular place and not taking my camera or drone out,  I was the same way while living in Florida and I am making my resolution to do better than this, bring the camera, take more photos, and then write about it.  I posted an article last week “10 Things You’ll Learn as a Sailor”. My first post in almost a year. It felt good to hit publish. I can’t help but admit I also felt a little guilty at how long it had been!

I want to commit more to my photography, my blog, and a few other new projects I have coming up.  If you’re interested in hearing what new things I’m working on – subscribe to my email list below to get the exclusive inside scoop on new things happening!

 

Investing

Since I have joined yachting I have been able to save a decent size sum that I would have never felt possible in just a year before. My goal by the end of 2021 is to put my money somewhere that will be a good investment and finally join the adulting community.

 I want to buy a house, put some money into stocks, and put on my big girl pants. While I am good at working, I don’t want to be a yachtie for the rest of my life.

Sell some of my clothes / downsize my closet & get my life in Florida in order!

Since moving to Spain I put myself in a bit of a predicament in terms of “where” my life is – physically I mean.  Half of my possessions are in Florida. The other half is in Spain, split between a storage unit and the yacht I work on. While I love fashion and love my closet- with this mid-year resolution I know it’s time to downsize. Get my life together. Finally, I will pack up my stuff, sell some off and ditch the rest.  A fresh start with fresh energy to lead into my new slow way of living.

Thanks again for listening to my ramblings – I hope my mid-year resolutions have inspired you to make a few of your own!