The year of 2015 was very good to me. I started this blog back in April in preparation for my first kayak camping trip. Since then, I’ve gotten outside and traveled often, although not as much as I’d have liked. There was one kayak camping trip I took with Lauren, Cassie, and Stacey in June that I never wrote about because it was the worst.trip.ever. All the planning in the world couldn’t have prepared us for a severe thunderstorm, a capsized kayak, lost dog, stuck Jeep, and borrowed underwear. We all survived (including the dog) but the trip honestly scared and humbled me. So I go into the future with more respect for nature and a better eye for safety.

Despite the traumatizing experience, my adventuring goals for 2016 continue to take me out of my comfort zone. Here they are, in no particular order:

Explore more of the swamp in eastern North Carolina

Lauren and I enjoyed our first kayak camping trip in the swamp so much that we already have plans to do it again. This time, I’d love to bring a fishing pole and go when the stripers are running. I’d also like to get a bigger crew together and make a long weekend of it. It’s an easy trip that’s memorable and fun.

Take a vacation out west

We have a good friend getting married outside of Denver, CO in early June. Since we always take a vacation in May, Paul and I are going to use the wedding as the perfect excuse for exploring more of the western US. Three years ago, we discovered the beauty of Zion. In 2016, maybe it’ll be Yellowstone and Grand Tetons. Or maybe we’ll go a bit southwest to see canyons and arches. The plan is still being developed, but it’ll be a fantastic trip wherever we end up.

Learn how to backpack camp

If you don’t count the kayak camping, I’ve only gone backpack camping once in my life. That was an ill-planned trip in college to a campsite along the Appalachian Train in New Hampshire (or maybe Vermont?, I don’t know…memory is hazy). We brought too much booze, heavy cans of food, and summer gear in the winter. After one long night, we woke up to snow covering the tent and quickly packed our butts out of there.

Now that I’m more than 10 years older and wiser, I’ve been researching and planning how to properly backpack camp for the last month or so. Luckily, Santa was good to me and left a brand new backpacking tent and guidebooks under the tree! (Thanks Paul and parents!)

More solo hiking

I love spending time outside, even if it’s just for a few hours on a sunny Sunday morning. In 2016, I’d like to explore more of the Raleigh area on my own. Solo hiking, like my half marathon training, gives me the opportunity to be alone without any computers, phones, TV…all distractions. It forces me to get into my own head and work things out rather than just distracting myself with another screen. Maybe I’ll really force myself to be introspective by taking a solo camping trip.

Spend more time at the beach

One of the reasons why I love living in North Carolina is because the beach is only two hours away. In 2015, I only got to the beach twice. The majority of my summer was taken up with studying for the Fundamentals of Engineering exam (which I passed!) so this summer I want to make up for lost time.

While I actually enjoy my job and am doing well at it, I think it’s important to make life outside of work a priority. This blog has helped me develop more of a passion for adventuring and I keeps me in check with what’s really important. Thank you to anyone who happens to read this for giving me an outlet for sharing. Cheers to 2016 and the adventures that await us all!