chapter 16: subject to change
join me in mexico for NYE – or, just read about my ever-evolving life and travel plans
There are only 16 days left in this year – 2023, where did you go??
Once December hits, it’s holiday season for most people – but for a subset of thoughtful souls like myself, this is reflection season, first and foremost.
Call me a grinch, but even though I grew up in a family that celebrates Christmas, the gift-giving, spending-time-at-home holiday season doesn’t give me any particular spike of joy. What does get me excited, is the thought of a new year.
December 31 to January 1 is really just an arbitrary changing of dates, no different than January 31 to February 1 – in fact, it’s not the primary “new year” for everyone in the world, including those who celebrate different annual cycles like Lunar New Year or Islamic New Year.
But, the clock striking midnight on the last day of the year can hold great significance if you allow it to. It’s the perfect time to reflect, set goals, and embrace new chapter energy.
As a budget traveler who tries to travel as much as possible while spending as little as possible, planning in advance and assessing my travels of the past year is crucial. Every season near the end of one year and start of the next year, I calculate what I like to call “life analytics” and figure out how much I’ve spent in different categories (including travel), what percent of the year I’ve been in different locations, and how many of my various goals I actually made progress on during that year.
I’ll publish a newsletter in the coming weeks to share my 2023 travel and life analytics with you all – where I went, and how much I spent – so stay tuned for that if you’re curious!
But, what inspired me to write today is the notion of making plans or setting intentions, but leaving them subject to change.
have a plan, but leave it subject to change
In my last newsletter, I shared my mindset for living (and traveling) intuitively, and it by far was the most well-received piece of writing I’ve put out all year since starting this digital diary in January. I got emails, texts, and Instagram DMs from people in different areas of my life saying how much my message of doing what feels right – rather than doing what you think you’re supposed to do – really resonated with them. I can’t tell you how happy that made me to hear and see that reaction from you, my small but mighty audience of ~550!
Ironically, after I had shared in my last newsletter that it felt right to not invite others to my final trip of 2023 and instead do a solo trip for the first time in over a year… I changed my mind. A few days after I sent that newsletter, it prompted a conversation with a friend about the power of bringing people together. And it got me thinking that I should actually harness and cultivate that power as much as possible.
Upon reflecting on what a wonderful experience it had been to host 12 group trips in 12 months, and feeling rejuvenated after my 2 months of rest and reset at home in LA, I decided that it actually would feel amazing to host one last group trip this year, rather than reveling in my autonomy and independence on a fully solo trip.
So, I posted on my Instagram story a few days ago an open invite to join me in Playa del Carmen, Mexico for New Year’s Eve.
my (new) plan for NYE in mexico
I already had plans for months to be in Playa del Carmen at the end of this year until early January, mainly to complete a scuba diving certification I’ve been waiting to do for a while. But Playa, and the island of Cozumel just a short 45-minute ferry ride across the water, are among my favorite spots for incredible (cheap) food, a mixture of jungle and ocean activities, and an abundance of cheap flights from both coasts of the US. I visited twice in 2022 and am so excited to return.
Despite having a general plan for myself to be in Playa in late December and early January, I had no exact plans for New Year’s Eve. I’ve always wanted to make the last day of the year a thoughtful and reflective holiday rather than the binge-drinking and partying scene that most people associate with ringing in the new year.
It’s 2023, and I think a lot of young people nowadays share a similar mindset – we’re seeking a fun community and new experiences, but partying is not always the best vehicle for new conversations, nor is it notably different from one night out to the next. And, more and more people my age are choosing to drink less, if at all.
So, I thought I’d see if anyone matched my vibe and wanted to join me for a NYE celebration focused on wellness and non-partying events. I thought I could easily find an existing event like this, in a boho-chic place like Tulum, but couldn’t seem to find any sort of wellness retreat that fit what I was looking for.
So, I decided about a week ago that (with less than 3 weeks until December 31😅), I would start planning to create my own wellness retreat to reset and reflect on 2023 while diving into 2024 with big goals and dreams in a community-oriented environment.
The agenda for this wellness retreat? Think group reflection discussions, yoga and soundbaths in the jungle, welcoming the new year with a sunrise paddleboard session, ice baths, meditations, journaling, and even a traditional Mayan temescal ceremony to start your new year by doing something beneficial but outside of your comfort zone.
We’ve already got a group of 4 adventurous souls who booked flights and confirmed to join, and I’m planning to max it out at 6 people by end of this weekend – so if this sounds like something you’d be interested in, reply to this email or message me on Instagram ASAP!
Flights are cheaper than you’d think for booking last minute if you choose to fly into Cancun on December 31 and leave from Cancun or Cozumel around January 5 or 6. And, in my typical fashion as all my past group trips have been, it’s a budget travel type of trip so this won’t break the bank – you can customize your itinerary to opt in or opt out of group activities in Playa del Carmen and water activities on the nearby island of Cozumel to fit your desired budget. I don’t charge any sort of extra fees on my group trips, FYI! I just enjoy traveling and bringing people together :)
What better way to set the tone for 2024 to be a year of personal growth than by putting yourself in an entirely new environment with likeminded people who could turn into your new inspirational friends?
Just like plans are subject to change, you are subject to change. It just takes a personal intention to grow and evolve to start the cascading ripple effect of how getting out of your comfort zone, even if only for a few days, can prompt impactful change for yourself.
Will you subject yourself to change in 2024?