Dan Morris: Buon anno to all and look out for my 2025 resolutions

The year 2024 has seen the Americans decide to put Donald Trump back in The White House, and it has also seen Labour return to UK power after 14 so-called 'long' years (Keir Starmer's father was a toolmaker, by the way. He should have mentioned).

As with any year there have been high and lows (you can decide where the above fit for you), and I now find myself – as many people do – taking stock and thinking about what I would like the next one to hold.

Morris Manor has seen its resident Crown Princess come on leaps and bounds, so I hope that next year, when it comes to the sproglet, we simply get more of the same. I've had some lovely in-land trips this year, with Portsmouth for the D-Day anniversary celebrations and Brum for this month's MCN Comic Con being particular highlights.

Next year, though, it's time to go bigger and spread those Boeing wings once more.

I've been lucky to have travelled far and wide over my life, and have been privileged to have done this professionally as well as for pleasure. But I haven't left the UK since my daughter was born (over two years ago), and next year is the time.

Top of the list is Tunisia, to visit Luke Skywalker's fabled boyhood home – a bucket list fantasy I've had since long before bucket lists were called bucket lists. 

I'm also keen to go to Florence and get my Robert Langdon on, and, the big one, I would love to visit Antarctica on one of these fantastic expeditions I keep hearing and reading about.

I told you it was going to be about going bigger. In all seriousness, to tick all three of these boxes in 2025 may be a tall order, but I like to shoot for the Moon (now there's a thought...).

In the past at Weekend Towers, we've all debated over New Year's resolutions – whether we make them or not, and whether they work. 

We've even gone as far as to put our heads above the parapet and make them right here in print so that our faithful readers can hold us to task.

In the past, I've been pretty careful to make soft or at least highly-abstract pledges that I can easily achieve. 'More me time' was a classic. This year, I'm going to set myself up for the hard yards.

Whether you already knew this or not, when you reach your mid-thirties you become particularly aware that if you want something to happen, you have to make it happen. 

Life rarely drops golden goose eggs into your lap, and if you have a dream you want to chase or something you'd like to improve about yourself, you have to stop waiting around and sort it out.

So, let's get the ball rolling. Numero uno –  I'd like to learn another language (see what I did there?). 

Thanks to my university days, I can read and speak Latin to a reasonable standard, but I'd like to add a modern language other than English to the pantheon. 

When I was at school, I wasn't forced to continue my study of either French or German beyond Year 9. I wasn't particularly good at either, so at the time I was delighted with this news. Yet, as an adult, I've always thought it was wrong. It's arrogant for us to expect the rest of the world to speak English while we simply master 'large lager-o'.

If I'm intending to start travelling more again, I'd like the rest of the world to see me as someone who at least had the decency to try and learn how to communicate with those prepared to welcome me into their country.

Florence is on the above list, so Italian seems like a good place to start.

Secondly, though more importantly, it's time to give up vaping. I quit smoking years ago, and, despite a few slides, have never resumed my 20-a-day habit. But that's largely thanks to the electronic alternative that rarely leaves my pocket. Before the little 'un starts to get too curious about this, I'd rather knock that on the head as well.

So there you have it, folks – my money is where my mouth is, and two fat and very tangible pledges have been made. He who dares, Rodney. He who dares.

I'll keep you posted. Happy New Year, all, and – incidentally – buon anno.