Last year, I published my 2022 New Year's Resolutions. I did a lot of things in 2022, but I didn't achieve all of these resolutions. I think that's okay. Making goals is important to me, but I know that sometimes — when you make goals — you don't always achieve everything. Something will fall through the cracks, or sometimes your goals will evolve. Something you thought you wanted to do early in the year won't be something that holds up toward the end of the year. That's okay. With that in mind, I've been busy thinking about my goals (big and small) for 2023. Most of these goals relate to my 300 by 30 List. This list will be my guiding force throughout the next four or so years as I think about where I want to go. Here are my top 23 goals for the year. 1. Travel to 100 countries If you've talked to me in the past year, you know that the big goal that I've been working toward is traveling to 100 countries. I'm currently at Country 83, and I'm projecting that I'll reach 100 by the mid to end of June 2023. Here are the countries on the horizon: Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Kosovo, Bulgaria, Norway, Albania, Greece, Romania, Slovenia, Bahamas, Dominican Republic, Israel, Palestine, Syria (Golan Heights), Jordan, and Egypt 2. Get engaged It may seem odd to have this on a list of New Year's Resolutions, but Dan and I have talked about taking the next step in our relationship for a while now. I think 2023 will be the year we do that. I'm a big believer that engagements shouldn't be a surprise, but proposals should be. So, Dan will take it from here! 3. Go to a Taylor Swift concert Dan snagged tickets to the July 14 Taylor Swift show in Denver. I couldn't be more excited. Seeing my favorite artist live is at the tip top of my bucket list! 4. Detox from social media I had originally intended to detox from social media for just one weekend, but Dan proposed a social media detox for all of January. I'm on board! Although I don't really feel as though I suffer from comparisons through social media like some, I do think it can have a net negative effect on me. I think it'll help me feel more engaged day-to-day and waste less time! 5. See the Northern Lights A lot of people have the Aurora Borealis on their bucket lists. Count me among them. Dan and I are heading to Tromso, Norway for Valentine's Day to see hopefully see the Northern Lights. Of course, nothing is guaranteed, but we're excited about the prospect of seeing them. 6. Watch my best friend get married My best friend, Hannah, is getting married in April, and I'm so excited to see her take the next step in her relationship. I want to make sure I'm there to support my loved ones when it matters most. 7. Go on a cruise This has been a travel-related bucket list item on my horizon for a while. I've never been on a cruise before, and while I don't think it'll become a consistent form of travel, I do think it's valuable to have a wide range of experiences and continue to seek those out. 8. Visit Transylvania I'm not sure why Transylvania (specifically Bran's Castle) has been creeping toward the top of my list for so long. However, in the new year, Romania is a country that I'll visit in the spring, and I'm very excited to finally check this off my list. 9. Go to Auschwitz When I studied abroad in 2018, I considered going to Poland, but I really wanted to have longer than a weekend to soak in the historical significance. In just about a week, Dan and I will be visiting Poland (the first time for me) and going to places of real historical significance. One of them is Auschwitz. I've had the honor of working with a Holocaust survivor during my career, and it makes this type of trip especially powerful and heartbreaking for me. 10. Read How to Win Friends and Influence People It's on my 300 for 30 List that I want to read 30 books total over the course of the next 4 years. Of course, I hope I read more, but I started with a manageable goal based on the number of books I've historically read per year since graduating. How to Win Friends and Influence People is a book my dad gave me years ago for Christmas, and it's been sitting on my shelf. I thought it deserved a read. 11. Visit Atlanta I have quite a few U.S. destinations on my list for the next few years. Atlanta is one of them. Dan and I are passing through on our way back from the cruise, and I'm excited to see somewhere new in my home country. 12. Increase blog pricing to $100 for 500 words This is a big goal of mine that I'm hoping to make happen through a switch to Fiverr Pro. I submitted my app after a Fiverr rep reached out to me, and I'm waiting to hear back. 13. Go to Oktoberfest I've wanted to go to Oktoberfest for about 5 years now. I didn't study abroad during the right semester in college, and since then, it's been on my mind to go while I'm still "young" (aka under 30). I feel like at some point the degeneracy won't be fun. In 2023, I'm hoping to make it happen. 14. Do a big California trip I've had nearly
