Fewer things, more experiences

I set myself a few goals for 2015 at the start of the year. I wouldn’t call them New Year’s resolutions per se, but just a few things I wanted to get done. One such goal was to try and spend less money on things and that if I was going to spend any money, that I would spend it on experiences instead.

With experiences I mean that I want to DO things. Get out there, either by myself or with other people and meet new people, see new places and gain new experiences. In other words, do those things that I think make life more fun. And what are those things? Spending time with family and friends for one, but that doesn’t have to cost any money per se, plus I don’t really have to make a conscious effort to see anyone. I am blessed with a nice family and plenty of friends. So much so that at times it’s hard to juggle who to see when. But I’m not complaining!

No the type of experiences I wanted to seek out more consciously were live music and travel. It is at concerts that I often meet new people and it has been on my travels that I made some memories that will last me a life time. And that is what I was after. So my goal was to try and do 2 concerts every month this year. No more, as that will be too much of a good thing. I also wanted to take a few trips, at least to the United States and one other destination. And I really wanted to go to another music festival. Well, we’re now half way through the year and I can tell you: I have already succeeded to execute most of these goals.

Music wise I have been to two concerts since the start of the year on average. I saw a few shows that were surprisingly great, some that were lackluster. Some were mind boggling and others were incredibly fun. Also music wise I’ve been trying to push my limits a bit. I already tend to listen to mostly indie stuff, so for most people that’s already quite out there, but I also tried to make sure that the artists I saw live cover a nice range of music styles. I saw anything from straight up pop to 70s inspired rock and from experimental electro goodness to quirky R&B.

And those were just the concerts! Last week I attended a 2 day festival on psychedelic music. Of the entire line up I knew just 2 or 3 names and so I ended up seeing tons of different bands that I had never seen before. And to top things off I will be going to ANOTHER festival next week too. I’m hoping it will be nice weather and then I will have 3 days filled with sun, fun and music. I can’t think of a better start of summer to be honest.

My other goal was to make sure I traveled and making sure I have done! I visited my friend Alison in England and took a day trip down to London at the end. We visited a town in Wales, went shopping in Manchester and explored the general area where she lives as well. I stayed at her house, which gave me the full English experience. It wasn’t just vacation, but also a cultural exchange and I loved seeing Ali again as it had been nearly 2 years since I’d seen her when she came to visit me.

But my most exciting trip is still to happen. This summer I will be spending 21 days in the US of A! That’s right! After 3 years I have finally decided to cross the pond again and go to the land of hamburgers and flags on every street corner. I will be visiting a few cities I have been to before, but mostly I will be spending time in places I have never visited before. Plus I will be crossing the border into Canada for a few days too. If you would like to know more about my upcoming trip, then stay tuned as I will tell you all about my plans next week!

If I may judge myself here, I think I’m doing pretty good on achieving my goal of buying fewer things and spending my money more so on two of my greatest passions: live music and travel. Sure, I’ve still done some shopping, but it’s been far less than I used to spend on buying things I don’t need. I still purchase make up so I keep the input for my blog fresh and new and I love trying out new fashion bits as well. So I do indulge in a bit of a shopping spree, but right now I am simply trying to make sure I have enough money to spend when I am in the US. Did someone say Sephora?

What are experiences you would like to have?