LIFESTYLE

By Eva Fydrych

2026: Your Year of Adventure

Laguna Escondida in Atacama, Chile (Photo: Canva)

Imagine this: It’s December 2026. You’re scrolling through your phone, not through the endless scroll of daily grind, but through a photo gallery that takes your breath away all over again. You see yourself laughing on a salt flat that mirrors the sky, sharing a meal with new friends in a bustling market, feeling the quiet awe of a sunrise over a remote mountain range. That version of you—more vibrant, more confident, more alive—is not a daydream. It’s the direct result of a decision you make today. This is your year to trade “someday” for a date on the calendar. This is your year of adventure.

Adventure isn’t just about distance; it’s about direction. It’s a deliberate turn towards the life you’ve imagined. It begins with a single, powerful act: choosing your focal point.

Part 1: The Spark – Choose Your Compass

Your adventure needs a north star. For 2026, let’s make it monumental: a six-week, deep-dive journey across a continent, with a like-minded companion.

Why six weeks? It’s long enough to truly unplug, to move beyond tourism into immersion. Your rhythm shifts from “checking sights off a list” to living within a new tempo. Why a companion? Because shared wonder is magnified. The right travel partner is a force multiplier for joy, a sounding board for plans, and a co-author of your story. Find someone who is:

• A Planner: They delight in spreadsheets, find the best flights, and love researching hidden gems.

• Street-Smart & Easy-Going: They can navigate a busy metro or a language barrier with calm pragmatism. When plans change (and they will), they meet it with a smile and a “well, what’s next?”

• Like-Minded: They share your core travel values—whether it’s a love for hiking, food, history, or simply saying “yes” to unexpected opportunities.

This trip becomes your focal point for the first half of the year. Every decision you make from now until departure is infused with purpose.

Llama in Purmamarca, Jujuy, Argentina (Photo: Canva)

Part 2: The Foundation – Build Towards Your Horizon

With your compass set, every day has meaning. The “daily grind” transforms into productive steps toward your horizon.

• Save with Purpose: That coffee-to-go? It’s now a contribution to a night in a unique eco-lodge. Create a dedicated “Adventure Fund.” Use apps to track savings, and watch your progress grow alongside your excitement. Saving for an experience, not just a thing, makes frugality feel empowering.

• Get Fit for the Journey: Exercise is no longer a chore; it’s training. You’re not just running on a treadmill; you’re building stamina for hiking the otherworldly landscapes of the Altiplano. You’re not just doing yoga; you’re ensuring your body is flexible and resilient for long bus rides or walking ancient cobblestone streets. Your goal is vitality, not vanity—to feel strong and capable for every step of your adventure.

• Research with Joy: This is where the dream starts to breathe. Dive into books, documentaries, travel blogs, and language apps. Instead of doom-scrolling, you’re culture-scrolling. Learn a few key phrases. Understand the history. This pre-travel immersion is a gift to your future self, who will arrive not as a stranger, but as a respectful and curious guest.

Sucre, Bolivia (Photo: Canva)

Part 3: The Destination – A South American Odyssey Off the Beaten Path

While the world is full of magic, let’s paint a picture of one extraordinary possibility: a six-week loop through the soul-stirring, less-trodden corners of Chile, Argentina, and Bolivia.

1. Start in Northern Chile – The Atacama & Beyond: Fly into Calama, but don’t just see the Valley of the Moon. Go deeper. Rent a car with your companion and drive south along the Pan-American Highway into the Elqui Valley. Here, under the clearest skies on Earth, stay at a remote cabaña. Visit small-scale pisco distilleries, hike through vineyards, and stargaze with local astronomers. You’re not just in a desert; you’re in a cosmic amphitheater.

2. Cross into Northwest Argentina – The Quebrada de Humahuaca: Journey east into Argentina’s rainbow mountains. Base yourself in Purmamarca or Tilcara. These are not just photo stops. Spend days. Take a weaving workshop with local artisans. Hike to remote pre-Inca ruins where you’ll likely have the stones and the whispering wind all to yourselves. Share a bottle of Malbec on a hostel rooftop as the mountains turn crimson.

3. The Heart of Bolivia – The Altiplano & Salt Flats: Enter Bolivia via the high-altitude frontier. Skip the standard one-day tour of Salar de Uyuni. Instead, book a multi-day 4x4 expedition with a reputable operator. You’ll cross the vast salt flat, but you’ll also stay on Isla Incahuasi, visit red and green lagoons teeming with flamingos, and sleep in a basic salt hotel, sharing stories with other travelers by a crackling fire. The silence and scale here are humbling and transformative.

4. The Grand Finale – Southern Bolivia to Northern Chile: From Uyuni, take the spectacular (and rugged) train or bus journey south to Tupiza, canyon country reminiscent of the Wild West. Then, cross back into Chile via the San Pedro de Atacama border, completing your loop. You’ve journeyed from desert to mountain, canyon to salt sea, and returned changed.

Salto El Leon waterfall, Pucon, Chile (Photo: Canva)

Part 4: The Adventure Mindset – It Starts Today, at Home

2026 is not only about the big trip. It’s about cultivating an adventurous spirit in your daily life. Use this year to:

• Open Up to New Experiences: Say “yes” more. That dinner invitation, that local festival, that weird class.

• Meet Your Neighbors: Start conversations. The joy of connecting with someone from another culture in Bolivia begins with the courage to chat with someone new in your own city.

• Bring More Joy: Do something silly. Take that dancing class—Salsa or Tango would be perfect prep for South America! The laughter, the missteps, the eventual rhythm are a micro-adventure in joy.

• Start Something New: Learn the guitar, plant herbs on your windowsill, volunteer. Adventure is a muscle, and it’s strengthened by novelty.

La Paz Carnival Parade (Photo: Canva)

The Promise of December 2026

When you reach that future December, you won’t just have photos. You’ll have a new map etched inside you—one of resilience, wonder, and connection. You’ll have the quiet confidence of someone who planned a big, beautiful thing and made it happen. You’ll have shared sunrises and solved minor crises with a friend, strengthening a bond for life. You’ll be fitter, not just in body, but in spirit. You’ll know that the world is both vast and kind, and that you belong in it, actively.

So, let today be Day One. Choose your focal point. Make your first savings transfer. Go for a walk and dream. 2026 is not just coming; it’s waiting for you to build it. Let’s make it a year of adventure.

Photo: Canva

Part 2 coming soon!

Back To Top