What's On Your Bucket List?

The trips to put on your radar before everyone else does.

Have you ever made a travel vision board? The Dare team and I have been having fun making some Pinterest boards for 2025 travel and Instagram Reels too! And in doing so, I've realized something this week: our travel dreams are blueprints for personal transformation. For me, my 2025 travels will mostly be about returning to places I love and the fall will be my busiest travel time with both our Dare retreats in Montana and Tuscany. But beyond my own personal travel agenda I wanted to share some “new year predictions” shall we say. I'm seeing a travel landscape that's less about destination and more about discovery – for ourselves and the communities we'll encounter.

My Travel Predictions for 2025:

Solo Travel: Finding your perfect retreat.

In 2025, I predict a significant shift in how women choose travel experiences. In particular, women are seeking out more than just a vacation – they're hunting for experiences that spark personal revolution. It's no longer about checking destinations off a list. Women are looking for intentional experiences that:

• Offer genuine skill-building opportunities

• Create spaces for authentic connection

• Challenge them physically and emotionally

• Prioritize small, intimate group experiences

Iceland: The emerging adventure destination.

Iceland is whispering a siren song to our adventurous souls. (This one is on the top of my personal bucket list!) Beyond the Instagram-worthy landscapes, Iceland’s raw, elemental beauty feels to me that it goes far beyond typical tourist experiences.

Scandinavian Countries: Beyond the typical tourist path.

Scandinavia is becoming more than just a destination. More and more interest is being taken up about the Nordic way of life — from their work-life philosophy to their connection to nature to the value they place on community connections. I’m personally most interested in visiting Norway, but I think all Scando countries are on the list.

Craft Schools: Reviving an artistic practice or learning a new craft.

So many of us set our crafts aside and stop creating purely for the sake of personal expression, willingly prioritizing our professional careers and the needs of our families over our art and creativity. Longevity studies, however, point to the transformative power of creativity in shaping vibrant and connected lives. A National Endowment for the Arts study has equated art classes specifically with adding 7.5 years to our lives, showing how creating in community enhances a positive mindset around aging well. Actress and activist Jane Fonda, and her friend, anti-ageism advocate Ashton Applewhite, recently shared these findings on CBS Sunday Morning. I've done some research, and there are some incredible places here in the US where you can learn a new craft, or reacquaint yourself with your artistic skills:

• John C Campbell Folk School in Brasstown, North Carolina (adults only)

• Peters Valley School of Craft in Layton, New Jersey (adult + youth workshops)

• YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, Colorado (all ages - great for families)

• Pilchuck Glass School in Stanwood, Washington (adults only)

• Adams Forge in Simi Valley, California (adult + youth workshops)

• Haystack Mountain School of Crafts on Deer Isle, Maine (adult + youth workshops)

Note: My Dare | Montana retreats always include a creative workshop. In past years, we've had guest artists share their crafts and teach us leatherworking, metal smithing, pottery, embroidery, printmaking, and more!

Digital Nomad Visas: Over 50 countries now offer digital nomad visas.

Looking to get out of the United States for the next few years? Digital Nomad Visas aren't new, but more countries now offer them than ever before - 66 in fact. Unfamiliar with what a Digital Nomad Visa is? It's a permit that allows remote workers to legally live and work in a foreign country for an extended period, typically 6 months to a year. This recent article in Condé Nast Traveler lists all 66 countries offering these visas in 2025 and outlines the top 7 destinations for US remote workers. I'm personally drawn to Portugal and The Netherlands. 😊

Where is your 2025 taking you?

xo,
Sheryl