Thinking about all of the things you want to resolve for the New Year? Here are a few travel related resolutions you will definitely want to keep.

1. Use all of your vacation days

This seems like an easy ask, but studies show that 55% of Americans let vacation days go unused throughout the year. In fact, a whopping 768 million days of PAID vacation time went unused by Americans alone. We all acknowledge that taking a break to refresh, recharge, or get a new perspective is good for us. Yet so many allow those free days to pass by, citing lack of coverage or too heavy a load at work, logistics, kids and pets as the top reasons for not taking time off.

I think this is like exercising; we all know how good it is for our health to exercise on a regular basis, but so often we put ourselves on the back burner, promising to get out ‘tomorrow’. When it comes to taking your vacation time, sometimes tomorrow doesn’t come. This one should be one of the key travel related resolutions for every year.

2. Microtravel

Looking for a way to use those vacation days without either missing a lot of work all at once or breaking the budget? Try microtravel. This is a trend which is definitely gaining momentum. The concept is to travel for 2-4 days only, often over a weekend and only taking one day (or two) away from work, yet getting far away enough that it feels like a true getaway.

This could be a scenic drive along the coast or into the mountains, or it could be a quick flight to a new city to explore. Either way the commitment, both time and financial, is a lot lower.

Another benefit? You don’t need months to plan and prepare. These short trips are great because they can be more impromptu as you wont need to plan for coverage at work or worry about pet/plant sitters at home for an extended amount of time. This alone can reduce a lot of the stress related to travel, and of course, less stress means greater benefit related to the getaway.

3. Explore your heritage

Whether you know your heritage because of all the stories from your grandparents, or you’ve taken an ancestry test using one of the wildly popular DNA testing kits, so many people are interested in knowing more about where they have come from. But knowing is just the beginning. Heritage travel allows you to get to know your roots and feel a connectedness to your family tree on a much more personal level.

Whether you are just walking the same streets they walked and eating the same foods that they ate, or if you take it a step further and visit actual houses and meet distant relatives, retracing the journey of your family can be the most rewarding experience of a lifetime.

4. Environmentally responsible travel

This year, resolve to improve your environmental travel footprint. There are a number of options which support the environment and still allow you the best travel experience. For example, ecotourism is a popular way to support endangered habitats while still allowing you to experience exotic locales. If you choose the right programs or tour operators, the activities minimize impact, and a major portion of your travel spend goes right back to the ecosystem and to the local inhabitants.

Another form of responsible travel is to consider your carbon footprint. More and more, travel is about utilizing alternatives to flying, especially for relatively short trips. But if you must fly, remember to pack light, and only take direct flights.

5. Stay healthy while traveling

Are you one of those people who often gets sick when traveling? This year, resolve to stay healthy while traveling. The best things you can do to stay healthy are to sleep well, reduce your stress, and maintain a minimal exercise routine. How do you reduce stress? One easy way is just by getting sufficient sleep and maintaining an exercise routine. (See how I did that?)

Ok, ok you say, but how do you get exercise while traveling? Easy. WALK everywhere every chance you have. Don’t take public transportation if you can help it. Take a little extra time on vacations to walk over to that monument. Don’t take escalators when you can take stairs. When traveling for business, try getting a hotel just a few blocks farther from the convention center and get up thirty minutes earlier so you can walk over in the morning. Need more ideas? See my post on staying healthy while traveling.

6. Talk to strangers and locals

The most rewarding memories you can have while traveling are almost always when you get out of the mode of snapping pictures and selfies and instead listen and interact with the locals. Even an exchange with other English speaking people in a foreign country can give you so much more appreciation and connection. My favorite place to start conversations with strangers? Elevators. Most people are shocked that I have broken the unwritten elevator silence rule, but are happy to chat and indulgent. Public transportation is a good place to break the ice, too.

What are your travel related resolutions?