As a collective call-to-arms, we at Uproxx Life are proposing a resolution. It’s a simple one. Move. Go. Get out and explore. Long term or short, make an effort to move that body of yours to someplace it hasn’t recently been. That’s it, whether you go across the street to a new restaurant or across the world to visit a new culture. Move. It’s as simple as that.
Make a resolution to move and act on it. Buy a plane ticket, hop on a train, get in your car or on your bike and go somewhere you haven’t been yet. Once you get there, maybe you’ll decide to keep going.
To inspire you, we talked to some of our favorite movers and asked them simply:
Where are you excited to go in 2016?
and
What are you excited to do in 2016?
I’m excited to go to Australia at the end of January to film an episode for season three of “Booze Traveler.” Australia has always been on my “must visit” list because it has the Great Barrier Reef, the outback, koalas, and kangaroos. Now I get to try some of the country’s unique drinks while I’m there (and find out if the toilet actually flushes backwards)!
I’m really pumped to experience Australia Day. It’s a celebration for the people by the people, much like Independence Day is for us Americans. I think it’s a must because you get to really see the diverse societies and people from different regions and landscapes of the country.
I leave for Japan on January 1st at 7:10 am. It’s my first time visiting and I’ve been excitedly awaiting my departure for the last few months. Japan has one of the highest consistent amounts of snowfall of anywhere in the world and the skiing that I have planned has me incredibly hyped. As a storyteller, I also can’t wait to delve into Japanese culture.
In April of 2016, I’m planning to go and climb Ama Dablam in the Himalayas with my dad and a couple friends. It will be my first big peak climbed in the Himalayas (if we make the summit). I really wanted to climb Ama Dablam mostly because it’s just beautiful — like how you might imagine a child would draw a mountain: steep, snowy and pointed into the sky.
Adventurer, currently cycling around the world
Share one country you’re going to in 2016.
Kenya.
Why are you excited about it?
It’s a country I’ve always wanted to visit — ever since I was 12 and watched the animal documentaries on television.
Share one adventure on the docket in 2016.
Crossing Africa from south to north by bicycle.
Why are you excited about it?
Because it is my last challenge to complete my world tour.
How did it get to the top of your list?
I chose Africa as my last challenge in this great journey to have the widest possible experience as I journey home.
I’m headed to Colombia right now; in fact, I’m writing from the Miami airport. I’ve been in Central-South America mode for a half-decade now — you have these incredibly distinct cultures, affordable lodging, easy overland travel, and thus far it’s my least explored region. I speak middling Spanish but I also feel confident that I can get around. So far, I have no bookings, few plans, no guidebooks. I’m sure it’ll all work out: If a place has a beach and a jungle it’s a pretty safe bet that I’ll like it.
The one thing I have (vaguely) planned is the ‘Lost City’ trek — described as Machu Picchu with far fewer tourists. My uncle lived in Colombia in the 60s before the trek was open. He worked in a village where the trek now starts. There were rumors of an ancient site but he never went looking for it (and has always regretted that). Now, two cousins and I are going to see it for ourselves. It feels ‘full circle’ — which appeals to me.
Writer, Photographer, (Author of this post)
This is a year of mystery for me. I really don’t know what’s around the corner. I’ve been on the road for just over two years and keep making plans to slow down. Those plans continue to get deferred. This coming year, I’m most excited for an upcoming trip to Japan with my girlfriend Jenelle. As a photographer, I’ve heard time and again that Tokyo and Japan will change the way you take pictures. I’m very excited to see what the hell that means.
As far as experiences go, I’m excited to finish our current road trip around the states. We set out to see the parts of the U.S. that we’ve never explored and will continue well into 2016. So far our home country has been nothing short of incredible. I can’t wait to see what the new year holds.
In 2016, I’m going to start traveling for my kids, not just with them. This year we’re going to the Faroe Islands — land of tradition, sustainability, and insane natural beauty. The Faroes are a stunning mixture of mountains and the sea, so full of wildlife and striking scenery that it makes for a grand adventure for adults and children alike.
This year, I met a great filmmaker who made a little documentary called The Archipelago about traditional life and food sourcing in the Faroes. I grew up fishing almost everyday and on a farm with hogs, chickens and cattle — so that documentary spoke to me. And it made painfully clear what is missing from my sons’ city-based lives.
Plus, my kids have been watching Puffin Rock on a loop for the last few months and the Faroe Islands have puffins. They’re going to be ecstatic to see real puffins in the wild.
Sometime within the next few weeks, Laura (my partner) and I will be loading our motorcycles onto the deck of a so-called “onion boat” – the colloquial term for the small, wooden-hulled cargo vessels plying the Strait of Malacca – and sail from Malaysia to Indonesia. Are we excited? You bet we are! Indonesia is an archipelago straddling the Equator and consisting of more than 18,000 tropical islands. Even if we spent only a single night on each, it would require 49 years of continuous island-hopping to visit them all!
Sadly, we will only be spending 9 months riding our motorcycles through Indonesia before we ship from Bali to Darwin in September – the final destination on our “Europe to Australia” overland voyage. However, 270 days should at least allow us to explore Sumatra, Java, Bali and Lombok. Perhaps we can climb a volcano or two – there are hundreds in Indonesia, many highly active, and some are nearly 16,000 feet high. Or we might be able to go scuba diving – the underwater world off the coast is said to be spectacular. In the end, I presume, our most rewarding experiences will be our encounters with the Indonesians themselves. Isn’t that always the case when travelling the world? Mountains, beaches, desert sand dunes and archaeological sites – as scenic or as interesting as these may be – they cannot replace people. Pottery shards all tend to look alike when you’ve visited 1,001 museums – but humans are special. Every encounter is unique, I’ve never met any “clones” on my voyages, and absolutely everybody has a story to tell. To listen to these, and possibly forge a few new friendships in Indonesia, that’s what Laura and I are looking forward to the most.
As for our planned adventures in 2016? Hmm … this depends upon your subjective definition of “adventure”. For some, it’s any activity that involves lots of adrenaline – like doing 20 consecutive bungee jumps in New Zealand, river rafting in Canada, Siberian tiger tagging in Russia, or grilling hotdogs in the caldera of an active Indonesian volcano. For my grandfather, now a respectable 92 years old and no longer very stable on his legs, just crossing the road is a remarkable endeavor. Personally, as a permanent nomad, I’ve come to appreciate all of life as one single, continuous adventure. On the road everything is so unpredictable, Laura and I tend to plan our days one hour at a time – who knows where we’re going to put up our tent tonight, what we’ll find to eat and who we’re going to meet? But even if you lead a settled existence, can you really predict the future? I think not. And THAT is what makes life so exciting. 2016 contains endless possibilities and will be full of surprises – so here’s to next year’s big adventures! Happy New Year!
