Spend Your Bonus on Experiences, Not Things, This Year

This year, bonuses for hedge funds are down, the market’s future is uncertain, and even luxury real estate is finally plateauing. So maybe 2016 will not be the year of the super car, or the super house purchase. Instead, if you get a bonus, why not follow the trend of the experience economy and involve yourself in something new, exciting, and memorable? Even if you’re obsessed with cars, or watches, or food, we have some fresh ideas that will add meaning to your life and your passions. 

 

 

Forget the Hamptons—there’s getting away for the weekend, and then there’s actually getting away. We’re talking two months exploring the Yukon or 135 days trekking, climbing, and kayaking across Patagonia. The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) offers trips all around the globe, of all lengths and focuses, so you can ditch the suit and smartphone and get in touch with mother nature. If your job doesn’t come with a sabbatical (take that up with the boss), there are one-week salmon river rafting trips and two-week backpacking trips through Scandinavian wilderness that are more beginner friendly. The more adventurous with time to spare, though, (read: students) can really immerse themselves in a monthslong experience. For the undergrad in your life, there’s a 75-day trip to East Africa that includes climbing Mount Kilimanjaro and a four-and-a-half-month excursion  Patagonia that can also involve getting certified as a Wilderness First Responder. Just think of how good the happy-hour stories are going to be when you get back.