New Year's Travelution

It's great to start the new year with a plan.

When you travel, it's no different. You must have a plan. A New Year's Travel Resolution, or a Travelution. This is important.

And while it's great to plan where you want to go, Travelutions should also include how you would like to travel better. Ways to make your journeys richer and more life-giving.

My Travelution for 2008 goes something like this:

- More wandering. Just take a day or two and just get lost. But not totally lost that you find yourself helpless. That's irresponsible. But I mean taking the time to explore a place. To not be bound by a rigid itinerary.

- Chat with the locals. Or at least try. So many times I regret not conversing with random strangers. Sure, this SOUNDS scary, but they're people like you and me. And who knows what might happen?

- Day trips. Southern California is perfect for day trips. Of course being out for the day can be very very tiring. But it's always good to get away once in a while.

- Be the sponge. That is, soak up the scenery. Truthfully, I'm not a very active traveler, meaning I don't like hurrying from place to place, filling every second with activity because I can't waste a second. I like to take things in, people-watch, enjoy the views. I'm not on the Amazing Race. I'll take my time, thanks.

Hopefully I can follow through with this year's travelution. And I hope you do too...