This week most us will resolve to do something new, different or better. I hope to spend less time tied to my laptop and more time exploring my own city and visiting friends and family around the world.
As I was thinking about my own travel resolution, I realize that travel is the ultimate solution to so many common resolutions, from losing weight, to meeting a future mate, to de-stressing your life. Check out these five travel experiences that will kick-start your 2013 new year's resolution.
The Resolution: I want to lose weight.
The Solution: Plan a fitness or health-conscious getaway with your friends, where the focus is on healthy eating and high-impact activities. So many hotels now offer healthy and organic dining options as well as a full schedule of gut-busting activities like yoga, pilates, surfing, stand up paddling and cycling. Consider a seven-night flight and hotel vacation package at the New Otani Kaimana Beach Hotel in Honolulu, Hawaii, where the property includes its own surf school and adjacent Kapiolani Park is home to golf, tennis and cycling!
The Resolution: I want to be less stressed.
The Solution: Plan an off-the-grid spa getaway in the Caribbean. The Caribbean mentality is all about relaxation, and by ditching your cell phone and tablet at the check-in counter, you will be forced to unwind without Facebook and Twitter. Starting your year with the right mental outlook and a stress-free mantra will make coming home to life's daily annoyances much more manageable. Right now get 50% off at Bermuda's Cambridge Beaches Resort and Spa, situated on its own private peninsula with 30 acres of solitude.
The Resolution: I want to spend more time with my family.
The Solution: Take a family cruise where all of the stress of planning a vacation goes away and you can just focus on making memories together. Cruises allow for ample family togetherness while also giving each person in your family a chance to have their own age-appropriate activities. January marks the start of wave season where major cruise lines offer their biggest discounts of the season. It's the perfect time to book your 2013 cruise deal.
The Resolution: I want to be more productive.
The Solution: Take a trip to a third world country to participate in a voluntourism program. You will see first-hand how your work directly impacts a community in need and you will feel how productive you can be when you put your energy to good use. If you've always dreamed of taking a volunteer vacation but can't afford it, keep your eye out for Travelocity's next $5,000 Travel for Good voluntourism grant contest. Here's a video from Travelocity's most recent Travel for Good trip winners at the Help Alliance Project in Mumbai, India.
The Resolution: I want to meet my mate.
The Solution: If you've never taken a solo trip, I highly recommend it. It makes you a better person and more open to meeting new people (and potential new mates). You will come back with a new sense of confidence, fearlessness and a fresh glow! Some of the most popular destinations for solo travelers include Europe, South America and Australia/New Zealand.