New Year’s Eve comes as fireworks that symbolize a future, a future of bright, joyful passing, and making a statement even amongst the stars. New Year’s Eve celebrations are a time to reflect upon the future. But the reality is that while the calendar is turning a new page, much of our reality may stay the same. Whether it is struggles that are personal, professional, nationally, and what 2020 taught us, globally. Even though the past year brought a combination of challenges, a new hope is here and these five ideas can make for an easier year and years to come.
Plan Your Spring and Summer Trips Now – 2021 may start out rough. While vaccines are still coming in and perhaps the political landscape will cool down a bit, we aren’t out of the woods just yet. But that doesn’t mean there won’t be joy and wonder later down the road. This is why planning ahead to your next vacation is a good idea from now.
When the time comes to travel again, you may look into inexpensive travel deals, stay-cations, and locations. In order to make-up for a lost year, travel deals may be some of the best deals in years. An example being, flight deals and according to thriftytraveler.com, flights to Paris, Amsterdam, and London are all under $250 roundtrip for the summer of 2021. Those flights are regularly $950 or more roundtrip.
In 2020, the cancellation of the Antarctic cruise season happened and it’s one of the most remote destinations. The seventh continent remains on the top of many travelers' wish lists because of its large white desert-like atmosphere, snowy peaks, turquoise waters, and wildlife such as penguins and seals is truly an experience of a lifetime.
Mobile Phone Photography – Whether it’s a foodie pic for the ‘Gram or a nature landscape. Nowadays, mobile phones are almost just as good as pro-cameras such as DLSRs. Photos of sunsets while social distancing on the beach, catching pics of birds or butterflies in a garden, or landscapes, the opportunities are endless when one documents the outdoors.
You may even create your own calendar with your own personal nature photography. Mobile photography will give you a new appreciation for everyday items and the world around us with its ever-changing subjects and raising the profile of our environment.
Winter is Coming – Riding the snowy hills as if they were a blank page and your skis the pens tip. Skipping over the white waves of the white and even taking mobile pictures of the landscape. Snowboarding season in 2021 at such places as Beaver Creek in Colorado and Lake Tahoe in the Sierra Nevada Mountains make for an exciting adventure.
Beaver Creek, famous for their resorts, luxury lodging, and scenery of feather cushion snow as far as the eye can see, offer special savings that time of year. They also have access to the mountains and rewards that’ll extend your winter wonderland escape.
Even if you decide to go to Beaver creek during in summer, Beaver Creek Mountain has a hiking center filled with a floral landscape. The Vilar Performing Arts Center Beaver Creek also presents theater, concerts, and comedy. The Children's Museum at Beaver Creek offers play-based exhibits, while the Beaver Creek Children’s Theatre has nearby shows too.
RVing to Surge in 2021 – In the past, hearing about an RV road trip would remind most people of either a 1980s movie or Florida retirees going on vacation. That’s not the case anymore because RVs are now seen as a way to provide a safe way of enjoying a trip with a small group such as friends and family members while maintaining a safe distance from others.
There has been a surge in sales for RVs in 2020 because of travel restrictions and these “Covid Campers” are hitting the 2021 road in their motor homes. Private and cozy RV rentals are an option too. There are platforms and sites that now allow users to rent campers and RVs (think of Airbnb for RVs) and reports have shown an increase in rental traffic since early April.
PADI Certification - If you’re looking for a new hobby, or talent this year, or you’re fascinated by the underwater world and the amazing creatures that live there, a scuba diving certification is a personal passport to extraordinary experiences that support healthy oceans. There are many different kinds of scuba certifications, but the certification most divers start with is the PADI Open Water Diver rating.
Much like nature photography, scuba diving is the ultimate opportunity to learn and appreciate marine life. Many wildlife and underwater environments have been researched, rescued, and rehabilitated by the efforts of scuba divers. Going into the new year gives you the opportunity to be a part of that too. Those who spend time in and love the sea are constantly protecting wildlife by learning about marine life and fighting to preserve and protect it.
Exploring the world underwater gives an opportunity to check out new depths, a new mix of amazement, all just in time for the New Year.
Whether it’s this year or any year, 2020 taught us that even in unpredictable and timid times, new hope will always be on the horizon.
