5 promises to live 2024 to the fullest

With 2024 off to a great start, still on the road in beautiful Andalusia enjoying mild temperatures and breathtaking landscapes, it's time to look forward to what this new year of adventures will bring. 

While waiting to make a few minor upgrades to our sprinter Otto before embarking on journeys to new continents, we've had some time to reflect on how we want to approach our next experiences of discovering the world. We don't know what this year will bring and what emotions will make us feel alive day after day. However, we do know that it is us, through our actions, our attitude and way of life that can make a difference and decide how to fill the next pages of our lives. To not just exist, but to live life in all its splendour. 

Here are 5 promises we have made to ourselves for this 2024. 

1. Get up at dawn and be there for the sunset

If you already follow us on Instagram, you might already be sick of the various sunrises and sunsets that fill your feed and stories every week. Yes, sunrise and sunset are two very special moments of the day for us, which we try not to miss most of the time. Sometimes it happens, however, that we struggle to get up in the morning and remain glued to the bed or in the evening we find ourselves caught up in some task or simply distracted by our devices as the sun sets 'in front' of our eyes, unaware of the spectacle they are missing. This spectacle that nature offers us every day should not be taken for granted and we try to be present wherever possible, when the first rays of sunlight illuminate the day and when the sun makes way for the moon in an explosion of orange tones. 

Dawn especially evokes special feelings in us. Although it can sometimes be difficult to get up early to enjoy it, for us it represents one of the most beautiful moments of the day. While everything (and everyone) is still asleep, we can enjoy the quiet silence, with the only audible sounds of nature in all its forms: whether it is the waves, the birds, the rooster on the farm or the wind blowing in your face. It is the beginning of a new day, of many new opportunities. And if you are already awake, after experiencing this magical moment, you feel completely ready and full of energy to start the day before the 'rest of the world'. 

2.  Make more acquaintances

Joy and I consider ourselves to be two open-minded people and - especially me - I consider myself to be quite outgoing. Despite this, we sometimes find that we are a bit quiet and reserved towards those we do not yet know, perhaps also out of a form of respect or politeness. This often limits us in making new acquaintances and collecting special moments in the company of other travellers or local people.

An opportunity that, especially when travelling, we do not want to miss. We will therefore work on this aspect, trying to be more sociable and outgoing, with the goal of meeting more strangers on the road, listening to their stories and learning from them. 

3. Embrace and experience the unknown

The society we live in, as well as the education many of us receive, teaches us that what is different and far from our way of living or being is dangerous or bad. Better to stay away from it. However, by living with this mentality, we miss out on a lot of opportunities and limit ourselves to living in our own little garden. Without being able to discover new ways of thinking, new traditions, and depriving ourselves of experiences (positive and negative) that contribute to shaping a person and enriching their cultural and personal background.

I would be hypocritical not to admit that even I - despite the fact that from a young age my parents have always encouraged me and given me the opportunity to travel - have often preferred to choose my comfort zone, for example visiting countries that were culturally similar to the ones I lived in or by surrounding myself with people who are close to my way of being. Although this is not necessarily wrong - in fact in a way it seems natural and understandable - it really limits you in the opportunity to grow and discover new things, to become aware of the myriad possibilities of approaching a situation and to look at things from a different perspective. Think of how many things there are to discover in this world, how many stories, cultures, ways of living and foods to taste, which are far from our own, but not for that reason inferior or worse. 

In this 2024, we want to try to take off these brakes and try to experience and embrace the unknown. We will head for new continents, for example, to experience different cultures and see if and how we fare. We don't yet know what will be waiting for us and it won't all be rosy, but the excitement of being able to discover something new is really strong. And these emotions are what makes us feel alive.

4. Don't worry what other people think

We spend too much time worrying about what others think of us and how we appear in public. Although I am working on improving this aspect of myself, I am definitely one of the first to do so. For example, I recently started playing guitar again and took up surfing, two activities that despite being a beginner, make me feel good and I love to practice. However, I realise that when I am around people, especially those who seem to be knowledgeable in these fields, I tend to hold back and inhibit myself, worrying about their judgement and how stupid I might look in their eyes.

The great truth is that the only stupid thing would be not to try at all, for fear of being judged. Learning something new or putting yourself to the test, especially when you are no longer a teenager, is something rare and something to be proud of. We will therefore try not to worry about what people think and, within the limits of what is ethical or correct, always follow our instincts and passions. 

5. Embrace play

Let's stay on the theme of passions with this contribution from Joy.

Over the last years we have exhausted ourselves with to-do lists of tasks, filling our days with busy work routines and only minimal time and energy left for the activities that truly bring us joy. As kids we spent hours exploring bugs in the garden, digging sand castles, getting our hands messy with paint - simply playing. Play is something that’s imaginative, intrinsically motivated and creative, it brings us joy without offering us a specific result.

Focusing on the present and doing something for yourself - whether it’s learning a new recipe, trying a new sports activity, or drawing patterns in the sand with your feet. Feeling free to try, make mistakes, learn from them and not be fixated on achieving a final result. Making more time for this, we hope, will enrich our lives with excitement and energy, help us appreciate things and improve our overall well-being. 

There are, of course, many other aspects that we will try to implement in order to live with respect for others and for nature, to experience emotions and to live stories that one day we will be able to tell with a smile on our faces. Sharing these five points with you is also a way not only to share our journey with you, but also to put these promises in black and white and make sure we stick to them. If you see us slip up, you are entitled to hold us accountable! :)

Of course, these are personal cues and are in no way meant to be universal rules. It is essential that everyone finds their own way and lives life according to their own beliefs, the important thing is to always remain coherent and authentic.

Keep following us because, as mentioned earlier, there are some new things coming up and several adventures to be had. Saludos and viva la vita!