Let’s talk intentions. Call them New Year’s Resolutions if the timing’s right, but regardless of the season there’s something powerful about sitting down and reflecting on where we are and how we hope to grow in the year ahead and beyond. And, maybe we’re a bit biased, but whether it’s laying groundwork for the future or just taking better care of yourself today, we believe transformative travel can be a valuable tool to help you get there. Here are five intentions we’re supporting with travel in the coming year.
Save More Money
OK, sure, traveling isn’t an obvious way to save money overall. But hear us out: planning and taking smarter trips helps improve your financial literacy in the long run, and reduces what lots of people might consider a necessary expense. Whether it’s planning out a savings strategy to bank money for your travels, making and sticking to a budget while you’re on the road, or simply opting for budget-friendly activities and accommodations on your trip, traveling thoughtfully can reduce financial stress and be great practice for being mindful with your money.
Eat Healthier
This can be one of the toughest goals to stick to when you’re traveling: not only do you want to try all the yummy specialties in a new city or country, but not having access to your normal groceries or kitchen setup can make it tough to stick to even the most dedicated nutritional routine. That’s why it helps to have access to a kitchen, wherever you’re staying, and to be mindful of what kinds of ingredients you’re stocking up on. Our advice? Book yourself into a hostel and stock your fridge and shelf bins with seasonal produce from a local farmer’s market.
Choose Sustainability
Studies have shown the average hostel guest leaves 1/20th the carbon footprint of the average hotel guest. When you share resources and spaces with others, you minimize your individual environmental impact – it’s an easy, affordable, and fun way to make sustainable choices. Plus, you’ll find that many hostel locations around the world prioritize easy access to public transportation, so you can reduce your emissions while also getting further out into the city and maximizing your social sustainability impact on local business and neighborhoods.
Improve Mental Health
Travel can have all kinds of benefits for your mental health, and hostelling only adds to the list. When you stay at a hostel, you become part of a community of like-minded people from around the world. It’s the secret to feeling an instant sense of belonging, no matter where you happen to find yourself in the world.
Reduce Screen Time
There’s nothing like living in the moment to yank us out of our daily habits, especially when those habits include a little more YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok than we’d like to think. Ever notice that the number on your weekly screen time summary is way lower than usual at the end of a trip? When your everyday background noise is the sounds of a new city, new scenes are unfolding before your eyes every second, and you’re working your way through a list of real-life experiences you may have only seen before on a screen, your phone becomes a lot less interesting. Get those memories down in a travel journal and they’ll last you even longer.