Want a mood boost? Plan a trip!
I think I was a travel agent in a former life.
I love—I mean, really LOVE—to plan trips. Sure, it’s incredible to visit new places, discover new cultures, meet new people. But there’s something equally magical about organizing those escapades. There’s almost nothing better than digging into research about a place, figuring out what a destination offers that might interest you, teach you something, help you find peace, or achieve whatever goal has motivated you to take your journey.
My motivation for travel is usually a combination of learning and fun. These days, the inspiration for travel is mostly fun and to GET OUT OF THE HOUSE! If COVID-19 has taught us nothing else, it’s that:
- Life is short
- A curve ball may come our way at any moment
- We should grab joy whenever we have the chance!
I understand not everyone likes travel planning (or travel, for that matter).
But for those who could spend hours dreamily perusing travel guides and websites, then spend hours more creating a detailed itinerary for an adventure, what is it about travel planning that gets us so excited?
This avid researcher did some investigating and discovered that the act of simply thinking about a future trip—even if you don’t know exactly when it will happen—is a real mood booster. And who couldn’t use a mood boost during a pandemic, climate emergency, housing crisis, and with the situation in Ukraine? Save your sanity and start planning!
A 2014 Cornell University study found that trip planning encourages an optimistic outlook, and that waiting for an experience tends to be more positive than waiting to buy a material good. (Give me the prospect of Paris over the purchase of a patio set any day!)
“As humans, we spend a lot of our mental lives living in the future,” said Cornell study co-author Matthew Killingsworth in an interview with National Geographic in 2020. “Our future-mindedness can be a source of joy if we know good things are coming, and travel is an especially good thing to have to look forward to.”
Yes!
In recent months, I’ve had a blast drafting a travel bucket list for 2022. Who knows if I’ll get to many of the places, but I’ve been filled with glee pondering my global picks, imagining the new experiences I’d have at some locales and the opportunity to reconnect with friends and family at others.
For now, I’ve opted for travels closer to home and am pumped to be planning some east coast trips you’ll be hearing more about in the coming weeks. It feels SO good to be gearing up to explore, and—with appropriate precautions—to be part of the world again!
Even if you aren’t keen on hitting the road quite yet, consider taking time now to dream and plan. It will boost your spirits and get you moving in a positive direction!
Here’s to good times ahead and getting back to living!
