Skeet shooting in South Carolina? Yes, because I'm committing to try new things in 2023.

During the lockdown almost three years ago, travel was a no-go and our minds were left to wanderlust through watching movies in our living rooms, tropical screensavers, Zoom backgrounds and in the books we read. Since then, it taught me to not take travel for granted and to always say yes to the adventure, even if it scares me.

If it’s something brand new to you that you want to try, people might put you in a box and I hate that. For someone else to make a judgment if you’re capable of doing something. Like maybe you aren’t adventurous enough or smart enough? Has that ever happened to you? Ignore that bullsh*t because you can do whatever you want, no matter how old or young you are.

I want to challenge you in 2023 to try something that you never in a million years thought that you would do. Are you up for trying 3 new things in 3 months, just like me?

I went skiing for the first time in Reno Tahoe, Nevada.

I’m 31-years-old and I have not been skiing. It’s not that I was afraid to ski, but rather I always felt like it was one of those sports where if you don’t start young, you’ll never get the hang of it. I couldn’t be more wrong and had a blast.

The bunny slope is my safe place and the hardest part for me was getting off of the ski lift. It’s that quick last second jolt of your mind trying to decide when to hop off the seat without losing your balance and face planting into the snow. The view on top of the mountain in Reno Tahoe is just surreal.

Après-ski, (French for after ski) is such a vibe. Grabbing a beer after the day on the slopes surrounded by mountains and wooden lodges talking about how your runs went is the best part of the experience.

I got scuba certified in Bonaire.

If you’ve been subscribing for a while, I’ve talked about how much I love to scuba dive. Before becoming certified, the thought of breathing underwater scared me. Unlike skiing, I was very afraid of this. Can you blame me?

After completing 8 hours of online courses, I went underwater in my wetsuit, tank and respirator in an indoor pool in New York City. Completely submerged and breathing just fine, it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be. Looking back, I’m glad I didn’t let my fear stop me from diving because I love going underneath the surface. It's like going to an aquarium but there's no glass. Fish and coral are neon yellow and pink where they don't even look real. It's mesmerizing to be floating along in their world.

I've gone as far as 70 ft deep, and like ski culture, there is a community built around everyone's passion for seeing the world down below. Since my initial certification in Bonaire, I have dived in Florida, St. Lucia and St. Barths.

I went skeet shooting for the first time in Hilton Head, South Carolina.

Out of the three, I never thought I’d be shooting a gun. If you don’t know what skeet shooting is, you shoot biodegradable clay disks that can be shot from a machine in various ways from being shot high in the sky or bouncing across the ground.

The instructor did a simple test to see if I see predominantly with my right or left eye which is something I never thought about. It's all about precision and not second-guessing yourself. Hitting the target and seeing the disc burst into a million little pieces was very satisfying. Fun Fact: The property where I did this was the resort where Justin Bieber and Hailey got married at Montage Palmetto Bluff.

Prior to this, I never shot a gun in general – I didn’t even know how to hold one. As a travel writer, it’s not just about visiting a place but to submerge myself into their culture, including trying popular activities. Just because it's something foreign to me doesn't mean I shouldn't do it.

These three very different activities each brought a new side of me out that I didn’t know existed. I’ve been challenged and learned to not be complacent and to never underestimate myself.

Maybe this year I’ll jump out of a plane? We’ll see…

Be good, JB PS. Sign up to the best newsletter for weekly honest travel tips and shower thoughts. Also, make sure to forward it to a friend and add me to your address book so I don’t land in your spam folder.