Happy New Year!

It’s the season of new beginnings and in that spirit we decided to send a handful of our writers on holidays where they could learn to master a new skill or activity, from a navigation course in the hills of north Wales to fly-fishing on the banks of the Thames. Unlike New Year’s resolutions, which often revolve around self-denial and are therefore doomed to fail, these learning holidays have the potential to open the door to a rewarding new hobby, or at the very least a sense of achievement. The only requirement is a willingness to step out of your comfort zone.

This was certainly the case for Wyl Menmuir, who signed up for a painting weekend in St Ives, having not put a paintbrush to canvas since leaving school. And for our deputy head of travel Jane Dunford, who had serious misgivings before embarking on a 10-day silent meditation retreat in Herefordshire: “Do I really want to spend the next 10 days in silence? Who are all these weirdos who want to do the same?” But ultimately our writers all found the experience of immersing themselves in a new activity enlightening and rewarding in equal measure.

Best of all, learning holidays don’t have to be expensive. Carol Donaldson has enjoyed many volunteering holidays over the years, making friends and picking up new skills along the way. On a recent trip to the Othona community in Dorset she found herself becoming a dab hand at stone masonry: “That’s the thing about volunteering: in giving your time to a good cause, it allows you to also grow in confidence, stretch yourself and learn something new,” she writes.

And unlike New Year’s Resolutions – all too often discarded by the end of January – these trips with a purpose can prove life-changing, as Jane Dunford discovered: “I’ve learned something that’s lodged in the core of my being – now it’s about finding the discipline to keep going.”