Jill Madison’s New Year Resolutions

At eATLAS, we are very grateful to celebrate another year doing what we love, surrounded by amazing people. For us, this new year is full of hope, opportunity, and goals to keep growing this beautiful project.

We’re excited to be part of your next adventure in 2022, and we’d like you to get to know a little more about the people who make eATLAS possible. This year, our team members will share their passion for traveling and outstanding experiences.

For January, we’re posting our members’ New Year’s Travel Resolution lists. We hope you’ll share your own with us, too, by tagging @playeatlas on FB, and Ig. Remember to send us videos of your guided trips showing your incredible moments while being part of the traveling eATLAS community.

We wish you all the best for 2022, hoping you’ll enjoy unforgettable moments with friends, family, or your favorite travel buddies!

Jill Madison’s New-Year’s Travel Resolutions

I have always loved to travel, explore new sites, and try new activities and foods. Covid has thrown a bit of a wrench in traveling over the last few years, but I was able to take a few trips in 2021. With the idea that we may be learning to live with Covid, here are my travel goals for 2022.

Reconnect with nature by exploring the Cook County Forest Preserves.

Late summer through fall last year, I started to periodically go for walks in one of the Forest Preserves of Cook County with my friend Amy. It’s a great activity because at a base level the walk itself gets your blood pumping and is good for you. And, of course, being in nature helps take away stress and clears your mind. But it’s also beautiful to take in visually. Every time we’ve been there, we see deer hanging out and munching on the grass. It feels like you’re right there next to them sometimes and simply makes me happy. So, in 2022, I want to check out more areas within the 70,000 acres of Forest Preserves.

Take a road trip or two.

I love a good road trip. Junk food snacks, great tunes to sing along with, roadside dives for lunch and dinner and the punch bug game. With two school social workers for parents, this was the only way we traveled when I was a kid. I absolutely loved it then, and still love it today.

I try to do a couple weekend getaways like this every year. Cleveland, Cincinnati, Milwaukee, Cedarburg, Louisville, Gatlinburg have all been stops over the last few years. I focus on locations that are about 5-10 hours away with a reasonable hotel booked in advance. For 2022, I’m thinking stops in Indianapolis and Grand Rapids. Big cities get a lot of the travel cred, but there are great things to see and do in smaller towns, too.

Take a big trip focusing on history.

If Covid doesn’t crash travel activities again this year, I would love to take a trip to either Boston or Washington, DC. Neither my son nor my fiancé have visited either place; and, there’s an incredible amount of history to experience in both cities. Plus, both places have amazing restaurants to explore, which is always an extra draw for me.

Skate at Maggie Daley Ice Skating Ribbon

I have wanted to do this for years! But as usual, stuff comes up and we get busy so it never happens. This is the year I’m going for it!

Do one thing that scares me.

I’m never going to go skydiving. I know this for sure. But I think I could go Ziplining as this year’s activity. Although hanging from a cable at great heights, going at an incredible speed may sound terrifying, in the past I have learned that overcoming your fears is a path to living unforgettable experiences.

Several years ago, I was fortunate enough to travel to Australia. While I was there, I completed the Sydney Harbour Bridge Climb and snorkeled on the Great Barrier Reef—despite my fear of heights and of sharks. But these were sort of once in a lifetime experiences. I had to toughen up and force myself to do them, even though I was scared, and I’m so grateful I did because the views from the Bridge Climb were incredible.

The beautiful Barrier Reef was stunningly beautiful. The variety of colorful, exotic fish were jaw-dropping. A giant Sting Ray swam right under me, and there was a manatee hanging around and a nurse shark chilling on the ocean floor. We made three different stops, including one that was at the edge of where the ocean floor drops off. That was an experience that I’ll never forget. Given the impact of climate change, nowadays I’m even more grateful that I was able to have the experience before the coral bleaching altered the reef.

Wishing you a Whoa! Year…

Despite the current health situation we’re living in, I am optimistic about 2022 being full of trips, adventures, and challenges that become incredible life experiences. Wishing you a wonderful year, and hoping you will share your New Year’s travel resolutions with us,

Jill Madison