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7 Reasons Why Traveling Makes You Happy Personally And Professionally

23 Mar 2023

Recent research has proven that one road to happiness is traveling. In 2016, the Happiness 360 Conference in partnership with the UN’s World Tourism Organization established that the happiest people on earth travel more. Happiness, defined as subjective well-being, is a really big deal in most circles. But why so? Well, the answer is simple. The happier you are, the healthier you are. And the healthier you are, the more creative and productive you can become.

Wondering why traveling makes you happy ? C onsider visiting the city of Santiago. It is an amazing destination to enrich your life with some new experiences. Also, many locals offer free walking tours in Santiago . The local tour guides are readily available for helping you get the most out of this city.

7 Reasons Why Traveling Makes You Happy

Philosopher and professor A.C. Grayling feels that traveling is the key to expanding the mind and spirit. He believes we educate ourselves by traveling and exposing ourselves to new ideas and people. Here are 7 more reasons how traveling makes you happy:

1. Traveling Rewires Your Brain

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According to neuroscientists, when we travel, we rewire our brains. This is because new experiences are the key to building new neural pathways in the brain. By rewiring your brain, you become more creative and accepting of new ideas. This is why travel makes you happy.

Must Read: 15 Rivers Of The World: The Most Stunning Natural Attractions

2. It Improves Relationships

The happiest people are the ones with the strongest connections to others, be it family, friends or the general community. One of the best ways to improve these relationships is by traveling together and experiencing new things together. You will find that it creates an opportunity to have some of the most important memories of your life, and this level of connection does wonders for relationships. Dr. Stefan Klein, the author of The Science of Happiness , believes that the pleasures of discovering new things and the joy that comes with meeting new people or the thrill of eating new foods all come together to create a feeling of happiness in any traveler.

Suggested Read: 10 Marvelous Rock Formations In The World Which Will Leave You Mesmerized!

3. It Builds Connections

Travel makes us happy, here’s why. Through trips, you get to meet new people, people that you otherwise would never have met. You get to establish new relationships and start forming connections with new people, which contributes to your overall happiness in life.

Suggested Read: Make Your Reservations At The Upcoming World’s Largest Underwater Restaurant In Norway

4. Experiences Are More Valuable Than Things

Studies have shown that we value our experiences more than any material possessions we may own. Spending money on a new experience is more important than buying something new because the experience stays with you forever and you can always take it with you wherever you go. This is why when people are reminded of the good experience they had before, they instantly become much happier. As we age, this phenomenon only increases. Our overall satisfaction with experiences increases while the joy and satisfaction we get from buying new things reduces.

Suggested Read: 7 Turkey Waterfalls That Are Counted Among the World’s Most Stunning Waterfalls

5. Memories Play Tricks On Us

It is not uncommon to hear travel stories of people and imagine they had an amazing experience, with no downsides, even if it is logically impossible to have only highs and no lows in any experience. This is because when we share stories, we minimize the bad parts and make the good parts seem even better. The same happens when we remember something we experienced before. You might have fallen sick on your trip, but you will hardly remember that part in a few years. Instead, those memories will be replaced by the best parts of the trip. This is why traveling makes you happier.

6. Travel Experiences Make Good Stories

The irony is that this is especially true for really bad experiences. If you get stuck in an elevator with an old man with short-term memory loss and you had to go to the bathroom and a raccoon dropped in from the ceiling and attacked you and the old man and the old man knocked out the raccoon by punching it, while that would make for a horrifying thing to experience, it would definitely score some laughs if you told the story later on. Or take another example such as going on a camping trip. Just take your camping gear and hit the road. Having to spend some days with friends or close family and enjoy the long nights of talks and laughter by the fire or even having a picnic at a public park, will definitely remain in your memories for a long time. All traveling stories are great opportunities to share our experiences with others, which only builds even stronger connections.

Suggested Read: Pyramids Of Egypt: 10 Places To Marvel At The Mysterious Ancient Wonders Of The World

7. It’s Hard To Compare Travel Experiences

Comparing yourself to others is a major cause of dissatisfaction and unhappiness in this day and age. However, when it comes to travel, it is hard to compare experiences, say a trip to the Caribbean and a trip to Asia. It is your experience that matters, and whether you were satisfied with it is all that matters. Comparing material things like the size of your TV is much more straightforward and breeds more unhappiness.

Further Read: 11 Largest Castles In The World That You Must Visit At Least Once In A Lifetime!

If you’re wondering why traveling makes you happy, you can find your answers in Santiago. Pack your camping gear and enjoy a splendid camping experience in the city. Book your trip to Chile with TravelTriangle and stop by Santiago to create some beautiful travel memories that will last you for a lifetime.

Lilly Herbert is a devoted career specialist. When she’s not helping students make the right career choice, she’s either writing travel stories or exploring the realms of nature.

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Top 7 Reasons Why Travel Makes People Happy

Do you have a plan to travel in 2021? If you have, there is a high chance that your happiness levels will increase since traveling is one of the secrets of how to be happy in life . Going to new places helps you improve your mental well-being by experiencing new places, people and cultures and breaking your routine.

A recent Washington State University study found out that people who traveled several times a year-even for just 75 miles from home- were 7% happier than those who did not travel. So, next time you feel sad, instead of going for binge shopping, invest your money in a cool trip!

Before planning your dream trip, make sure to purchase the best travel insurance and have a safe trip!

Get a quote with Heymondo here!

1.1 More self-confidence
1.2 You make new friends
1.3 Disconnect you from social media
1.4 New beautiful memories to share
1.5 Travel is learning
1.6 Makes you a better person
1.7 More time for yourself
1.8 Conclusion
1.9 Related Posts

How to be happy through travel

Everyone wants a happy life, but only a few people consider traveling as a source of happiness in life. There are several reasons why travel makes people happy. Keep reading and find them out!

More self-confidence

Nothing builds self-confidence than stepping out of your comfort zone and facing what you fear. During travel, there are times that you face the unexpected like a car breakdown, bad weather, flight cancellations and many more. Travel insurance can be the solutions to some of the issues, but some you will be required to solve by yourself. Any success when dealing with such situations boosts your confidence . Being around new people and perfectly fitting in a new environment and culture can also help you believe in your adaptation skills and the confidence to visit different places no matter the hardships.

You make new friends

If you live in a busy city where everyone is in a rush, you may have noticed how hard it is to interact with others. For this reason, a majority of people have social circles made of workmates, neighbours and family. However, this is not the case for people who travel more frequently as they can easily make new friends with the people they meet with while on travel.

Unlike at home, where you are mostly with family and workmates, traveling helps you meet new people who may be interested in having a conversation with you. Locals will be curious to know about where you come from, and you can also learn more about their country from the conversation. You will also be meeting and interacting with other tourists from other parts of the world in your hotel and the popular sites. Interactions make us happier , and talking with people from different cultures and environments makes it interesting. You will also learn a lot from the conversations.

Disconnect you from social media

Nowadays, most people spend more hours on their phones than the time they spend interacting with others. Spending a lot of time scrolling through your phone denies you the opportunity to talk to the person sited next to you on public transport and many more things that would increase your happiness levels.

If you are such type of person, traveling can help you take a break from social media and anything else that keeps you glued to your phone. Since you will be interested in learning more about your destination and enjoying the beautiful sceneries, you can avoid the habit of constantly checking your emails and scrolling through social media. Some destinations are also remote, meaning you will not have an internet connection for the entire travel period. Staying away from the phone allows more interactions and a better analysis of your surroundings, which will make you feel fuller and happier!

New beautiful memories to share

Everyone has childhood memories of that kid who had tons of friends because they would go on holidays and come back with interesting stories about the places they visited. Such kids would have the whole class attending their birthday parties and would make most decisions when with other kids. The same applies to grownups. People who frequently go on holidays are more interesting to hang with because they always come back with a lot of stories to share with their friends . So, you can enjoy a huge following for just being the person who visits different places for fun. More friends will add happiness to your life.

Travel is learning

Traveling is the most interesting type of learning . Whether it is learning how to fish in a remote fishing village or learning how to cook Chinese food, travel presents numerous opportunities to further your knowledge. Apart from learning about different cultures, languages and food, traveling will also help you learn more about yourself and how to be happy. Since there are numerous things to do when traveling, trying them will help you identify what makes you happy, and you will be doing it more frequently to have similar happy moments.

Since learning when on travel is more enjoyable than getting the knowledge from a book, it increases our happiness level by making the brain more active. The new experience when on travel also rewires your brain, making us more creative and willing to accept new ideas. If fact, there is a Chinese saying that one is wiser for traveling 10000 miles than studying 10000 scrolls.

Makes you a better person

Most travelers come back better than before , thanks to the new experience. Through traveling, you experience the world’s diversity in all aspects from cultures, languages and ways of living. You learn how to live and interact with people from different cultures and respect them even if their beliefs are different from yours. You will learn how to be happy with the little you have when you see some people living a happy life despite being poor. Additionally, being away from your friends and family helps you value the things you take for granted.

Additionally, if you were facing some hardships, getting away provides the distances and peace needed to reason and solve the problem. Exploring the world will expose you to other realities that can make you change your priorities and start doing things that make you happy. For example, some people learn the joy of giving through charitable works outside their countries.

More time for yourself

Sometimes, traveling is the only way you can escape your daily schedules. Having a break from your everyday activities allows you some quiet time that helps you reconnect with your inner self without interruptions. You can take advantage of the peace to release your stress and tension and relax like never before. Traveling time is also the perfect time to do what you like but never had time for them because no one in your social circles shares the same interests as you.

Traveling also gives couples the serenity that they may not enjoy at home. If you are traveling with your partner, it is the best time to focus on your relationship and enjoy each other’s company, free from the day-to-day hustles and stress.

Since most countries have lifted their coronavirus lockdowns, you can now enjoy visiting different destinations as you did before. If you have not yet embraced the traveling culture, the above reasons should be an inspiration to travel in 2021 and make new friends. Investing in travel can give you more happiness than purchasing material possessions because experiences are never forgotten. There are many more reasons why travel makes people happy, and by traveling, you will find even more of them!

Make sure to buy the best travel insurance with covid coverage and start your trip. Heymondo has great options and offers a free APP to call customer service and manage incidents with just a few clicks!

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Why Travel Makes You Awesome

People always ask how travel has changed me. If I look back at who I was before I began traveling and compare that to who I am now , I would have to say that travel has made me a better, more well-rounded person. I’m way cooler now than I was at 25 when I first left to explore the world . I am more confident and sure of myself.

And that’s because I went traveling and pushed myself out of my comfort zone. This allowed me to find out who I was as a person, because I kept getting to try new versions of myself without the worry about what people at home might think.

Simply put, I’m a lot more awesome than I used to be.

In fact, I think travel makes everybody more awesome. We end our journeys way better off than when we started. We grow, we learn, we gain perspective. It’s a powerful personal development tool .

I’m not saying this to be conceited or egotistical; I’m saying it because I genuinely believe that travel is something that makes you not only a better human being but a way cooler one too. The kind of person people gravitate toward and want to be around.

You become like the Dos Equis guy .

How and why does travel make you more awesome? Let me count the ways:

1. Travel makes you more social – It’s sink or swim on the road. You either get better at making friends or you end up alone, crying each night into a hostel dorm pillow. You have learn how to make friends out of strangers and get more comfortable talking to new people. When I first started traveling, I was kind of an introvert and uncomfortable talking to people I didn’t know. Now, I’ll happily talk to strangers like we’ve been best friends for years.

And that’s because, after a while, you just want to talk to people, so you turn to the person next to you in the hostel bar and say “hi.” Then you realize it’s not so scary and keep doing it until you’re a natural.

2. Travel makes you better at conversation – Travel not only makes you comfortable talking to strangers, it makes you better at it too. After talking to people all the time, the same questions get boring. You start to even bore yourself. After a while, you don’t care about where people are from, where they are going, how long they’ve been traveling, and yada yada yada. Those kinds of questions don’t actually tell you anything about the person. Sure, you’ll get better at small talk, but more importantly, you’ll discover how to ask interesting questions — the ones that matter and can kick-start meaningful conversations.

3. Travel makes you more confident – You’ve been all over the world. You’ve hiked Mt. Everest, went diving at the Great Barrier Reef , wined and dined that beautiful French girl in Paris , navigated unknown cities, and conquered your fear of heights . In short, you did awesome things. How can you not be more confident? How can you not be sure about your abilities? After accomplishing so much, you’re going to feel a lot more confident in your ability to achieve anything you set your mind to.

5. Travel makes you more adventurous – When you become confident in your ability to do anything, you’ll do anything. Years ago in Austin , despite not liking spicy food, I ate the world’s hottest pepper and some pure capsicum extract. Why? Because I wanted to! What’s the purpose of life if not to break out of your comfort zone? My mouth was on fire for ages, but I’d do it again.

6. Travel makes you more easy-going – All those mistakes? They did something else for you, too. They made you more easy-going and relaxed. Why? Because you’ve dealt with countless errors, and you learned to not be bothered by them. You go with the flow now , because if travel taught you anything, it’s that it all works out in the end and that there’s no need to stress.

7. Travel makes you sexier – Stress causes aging. Those carefree, relaxing days on the road are going to make you more confident and radiant, and you’ll age slower. You’ll look young and sexy. Unless you are George Clooney, who definitely got better with age. (I have no proof this is true, but I like to think I’m sexy, so I’m adding this for me!)

8. Travel makes you smarter – Unless you sit at a resort drowning your brain in frozen drinks, travel will teach you about the world. You’ll learn about people, history, culture, and arcane facts about bucket-list destinations most people only dream about. You’ll have a better understanding of how the world works and how people behave because of all the walking tours you do, people you meet, and sights you see. You can read all the books you want but, until you see the world, you’ll never really “get it.”

9. Travel makes you less materialistic – On the road, you learn just how little stuff you actually need. You’ll realize that all that crap they sell at the mall is pretty useless in leading a truly happy life. Once home, you’ll find yourself a minimalist, simply because you realize what you need to live and what you don’t. As they say, the more you own, the more it owns you.

10. Travel makes you happier – Travel reminds us how to be happy. You’ll become more relaxed, more confident, and see the world as a brighter place. How can you not be happy about life after enjoying a beautiful sunset in French Polynesia or spotting wildlife on safari in South Africa ?

Think about all the famous, successful people in the world. How many of these qualities do those people exhibit? A lot. Why? Because being outgoing, funny, social, happy, confident, and smart are all qualities that make people more successful in everyday life.

Travel makes people better versions of themselves. When you learn more about the world and the people in it, push your boundaries, and try new things, you become a more open, outgoing, and awesome person. All the people I’ve known who have traveled are better because of it.

With all the ways a trip can make you more of an awesome person, there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be planning your next adventure now — whether it’s around the world or just a two-week vacation close to home. Because even if you have no money, you can still travel.

It all comes down to choice. Of course, privilege plays its part , but travel has never been easier or more accessible than it is today.

So, do you want to sit at home wishing you were somewhere exotic and living life to the fullest?

Or do you want to listen to Kid President, stop being boring, and actually do something awesome?

The choice is yours — but I think you should go out and travel and become the awesome person you are meant to be.

Book Your Trip: Logistical Tips and Tricks

Book Your Flight Find a cheap flight by using Skyscanner . It’s my favorite search engine because it searches websites and airlines around the globe so you always know no stone is being left unturned.

Book Your Accommodation You can book your hostel with Hostelworld . If you want to stay somewhere other than a hostel, use Booking.com as it consistently returns the cheapest rates for guesthouses and hotels.

Don’t Forget Travel Insurance Travel insurance will protect you against illness, injury, theft, and cancellations. It’s comprehensive protection in case anything goes wrong. I never go on a trip without it as I’ve had to use it many times in the past. My favorite companies that offer the best service and value are:

SafetyWing (best for everyone)
Insure My Trip (for those 70 and over)
Medjet (for additional evacuation coverage)

Want to Travel for Free? Travel credit cards allow you to earn points that can be redeemed for free flights and accommodation — all without any extra spending. Check out my guide to picking the right card and my current favorites to get started and see the latest best deals.

Need Help Finding Activities for Your Trip? Get Your Guide is a huge online marketplace where you can find cool walking tours, fun excursions, skip-the-line tickets, private guides, and more.

Ready to Book Your Trip? Check out my resource page for the best companies to use when you travel. I list all the ones I use when I travel. They are the best in class and you can’t go wrong using them on your trip.

Got a comment on this article? Join the conversation on Facebook , Instagram , or Twitter and share your thoughts!

Disclosure: Please note that some of the links above may be affiliate links, and at no additional cost to you, I earn a commission if you make a purchase. I recommend only products and companies I use and the income goes to keeping the site community supported and ad free.

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More From Forbes

Five reasons why travel is good for your mental health.

A long stretch of road can teach you more about yourself than a hundred years of quiet
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What's the first thing that comes to your mind when I say ‘travel’ – Vacation? Meeting new people? Or maybe, Instagrammable sunsets? While traveling can be exciting and exhilarating, it's so much more than sipping margaritas on a sun-soaked beach.

It's no news that travel is good for your physical wellbeing, but a significant amount of scientific research suggests that exploring a new place can do wonders for your mental and emotional health as well.

Here are five evidence-backed ways traveling makes your mind happy and healthy:

1. It’s a great stress buster. "The stress of work and daily demands can distract us from what we find to be actually meaningful and interesting," says Dr. Tamara McClintock Greenberg, a San Francisco-based clinical psychologist and author of Psychodynamic Perspectives on Aging and Illness. Thus, taking a break from the daily hustle and bustle is essential for your mind to relax, recharge and rejuvenate.

And what better way to do so than to pack your bags and cross wanderlust-worthy destinations off your bucket list? Traveling promotes happiness and helps you take your mind off stressful situations. This leads to lower cortisol levels, making you feel more calm and content. “It also helps us reflect on our personal goals and interests,” adds Greenberg. According to a 2013 study , more than 80% of Americans, who were surveyed, noticed significant drops in stress just after a day or two of traveling. “Even though I’m always busy when I travel, whether it’s sightseeing, taking photos or just exploring a destination on foot, I know I’m the calmest and most relaxed when I travel,” says Jacintha Verdegaal, an avid traveler and founder of travel and lifestyle blog, Urban Pixxels .

2. It helps you reinvent yourself. Writer Patrick Rothfuss said, " A long stretch of road can teach you more about yourself than a hundred years of quiet ." Experiential traveling, particularly to a foreign country, can help you re-evaluate and reinvent your life. “If you allow it, travel has the ability to expand your mind in a way you never realized was possible,” says solo travel expert and founder of the Trusted Travel Girl , Valerie Wilson.

Moreover, the valuable lessons that you learn along the way broaden your perspective, making you more aware and open to new things. “I love traveling to places with different cultures because it forces you to think about your own,” says Verdegaal. “Different is not better or worse, it’s just different. But being confronted with these differences helps me to re-evaluate my own principles and values and, sometimes, change them,” adds the professional globetrotter.

Exploring new places can also give you a fresh start if you're recovering from a major transition in your life. “When I had Lyme disease, for several years, my world shrunk. I lost friends who didn’t know how to deal with a sick friend. I was quite alone and lost a lot of my self-confidence,” says Wilson, who began to travel “out of fear of relapsing.” “By traveling and interacting with the world around me, I found a new passion for life. I convinced myself to travel even when I wasn’t feeling well. It has brought me happiness, given me a purpose, and has made me a strong, independent woman,” she explains.

3. It boosts happiness and satisfaction. Apart from the obvious fact that you don't have to go to work (and can legit eat pizza for breakfast), traveling gives you the opportunity to step away from the daily grind. The new events and experiences help rewire your brain, hence boosting your mood and self-confidence. “I think people, in general, are not meant to be tied down to just one place their entire lives. I especially feel “trapped” when I have to stay in the same place for too much time, without being able to really move about and explore,” says travel aficionado and co-founder of The Passport Memorandum , Marta Estevez. “My life feels most fulfilling when I’m outside, living through new experiences and learning,” adds the travel expert who has been to more than ten countries.

“Travel definitely makes me happy,” agrees Wilson. “Even the act of planning a trip gives me something to look forward to and brings me happiness,” says Wilson. Turns out, she's not the only one who feels that way. According to a Cornell University study , the anticipation of a trip can increase your happiness substantially, even more than the anticipation of acquiring something tangible, like a new car.

4. It makes you mentally resilient. Going and living somewhere where you feel excited and intimidated at the same time can help you toughen up mentally and emotionally. “ When I was younger, I couldn’t see myself traveling the world on my own. But now, I travel by myself most of the time. And I love it! It’s never as scary or dangerous as you make it in your head,” says Verdegaal of Urban Pixxels.

Also, facing difficulties in an unfamiliar environment, among new people, forces you to learn and adapt to a life that's out of your comfort zone. This makes you more flexible, patient and emotionally strong. “Travel has taught me patience, to surrender control to the uncontrollable, and effectively problem solve,” says Wilson who describes herself as a “naturally anxious and impatient person.”

It can also help you deal with “larger issues in life with more grace and patience,” adds the travel expert. “One of the worst experiences I had, early on in my travel life, was being mugged of loads of cash and my passport just a day before I was due to fly home. It taught me to accept situations like this more calmly and to attach less emotion to belongings. Now, I can get over similar stressful situations very quickly, without having the issue get me down for long,” tells Allan Hinton , a London-based photographer who quit his job to become a full-time traveler.

Similarly, when travel blogger Marta Estevez injured her ankle during the famous Loi Krathong festival (Lantern festival) in Thailand, “the roads were partially closed off that night and the streets were filled with hundreds upon hundreds of people that made it incredibly difficult for us to move,” she explains. “I had to learn to accept the situation and adapt our travels accordingly, without breaking down. I’m not sure I would’ve had the same composure a few years ago in this situation.” Bottom line is, the more challenges you’re faced with, the better you'll get at overcoming them, eventually becoming more resilient, mentally and emotionally.

5. It enhances creativity. According to Adam Galinsky , a professor at Columbia Business School, visiting a foreign place and immersing yourself in their local environment (for instance, attending a 'snake boat' race in southern India or feasting on crispy tarantulas in Cambodia), increases your cognitive flexibility. It also enhances "depth and integrativeness of thought," consequently giving a boost to your creativity. Galinsky is the author of multiple studies that look into the connection between creativity and international travel. Although, it's important to note that traveling stimulates creativity only when you engage with the local culture of that place. Merely visiting a new city or a country isn't going to cut it.

Additionally, extended traveling also improves your productivity , problem-solving skills and can even increase your chances of getting promoted at work!

However, "it's important to remember that vacation can be very stressful for some," notes Greenberg. If that's the case with you, try taking "short, structured vacations in order to get used to the experience of having time off," she suggests. Also, plan your trip properly, in advance, to avoid last-minute panic and chaos.

Lastly, how can you reap the benefits after returning from the trip?

"As a clinician, I encourage people to hold on to aspects of a travel experience or vacation that was pleasurable," says Greenberg. For example, "if you liked the food in Paris, learn how to cook French food in order to re-create some of the feelings you had while you were on vacation," she explains. "Another behavioral intervention is to remember peaceful moments you had on vacation and try to remember what was different from your present life. Maybe you took the time to eat breakfast, maybe you exercised. Those things are crucial reminders of what we should do every day," adds the clinical psychologist.

Now that you’ve finished reading about all the wonderful things travel does to your brain, it’s time to pack your bags and get going!

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girls dancing in nature near Shangri-La, China

Stunning nature near Shangri-La, China, makes these travelers dance for joy.

Travel Happy: How to Be a More Joyful Traveler

Follow these expert tips to cultivate joy during your next trip—and long after returning home.

By Sean O'Connor

In my personal and professional experience as a life coach, joy is found wherever you get completely enveloped in an experience, when you’ve really lost yourself: your worries, your ego, your past, and your future. Travel is the perfect time for this reboot. It’s also an opportunity to step outside your comfort zone, explore new approaches to life, and form new habits.

Below are some insights into how you push your limits to really lose yourself in the travel experience, and cultivate more joy in the process. Then take the ethos behind these joy-inducing activities back to your daily life at home.

Lose Yourself in the Music

In Fiji last summer, I donned a sulu —a sarong-type garment both men and women wear—and danced the nights away in the village where I was staying on the southern tip of Taveuni , known as the Garden Island of Fiji. Never underestimate the power of dance. I was sweaty and a little uncomfortable, but I made friends shaking it with what seemed like absolutely everyone in the community. I danced with old women and men, too. I moved my hips enough that I had to constantly retie my sulu until a local helped me to tie it properly. Certainly I looked funny at times. My ego told me to stop. What’s really special is when you can push through any discomfort or self-consciousness to truly lose yourself in the moment.

Coaching Takeaway: Whether you are traveling or in your own environs, see where you can re-create this experience and take advantage of the smile-inducing, heart-rate rising, feel-good activity of dancing with abandon.

Connect Deeply With Others

Create real, true, deep connections. Introduce yourself to an elderly person. Make a new best friend. Get so connected with someone you will feel like their home is your home and vice versa. Learn as much as you can about who they are, and be willing to share yourself, too. When language barriers get in your way, there’s always a possibility of communicating with a translator or simply communicating deeply through other means—it doesn’t have to be spoken language. Don’t miss these kinds of opportunities; they can lead to doors opening that offer you something entirely unique, like when I attended a traditional wedding in the heart of South Africa’s Zululand at the invitation of a friend of a friend of the security guard at my residence.

Coaching Takeaway: Creating meaningful connections with people while traveling will help you deepen and expand your capacity to empathize with people in your world. This, in turn, will help you create more authentic, connected relationships in your family, your romantic life, and even in your workplace.

kayakers near Îles du Vent, French Polynesia

Happy kayakers high-five after an exhilarating swim in French Polynesia.

Help a Brother Out

On the coast of Mozambique , while my travel mates went out diving with whale sharks, my forgetfulness bit me in the butt. I had not packed my diver certification card, so I was left land-bound. With nothing else to do, I drove into town and, on the way, picked up some locals walking in from their villages. I decided to spend the day helping one run his errands. My rental car was a boon for him. We shopped for vegetables at the local market, made a visit to the clinic, negotiated on his wages with his boss at his job, and visited his young son. Using my day to explore the local scene and help this man sort out his problems helped me remove myself from my own. Whether it is a formal volunteer opportunity or something more spontaneous, help out others whenever possible to access a deeper level of joy within yourself. It gives us access to our highest selves.

Coaching Takeaway: You already provide service to your family or in the workplace while at home. See where you can go further and push your comfort zone of helping others. Look for opportunities while traveling to get this habit started.

Step Blindly Off a Cliff

Don’t do this literally. Figuratively, I am speaking about stepping out into the unknown. This must be practiced. Our natural inclination as humans is toward survival and comfort. We avoid the unknown. Find an experience on your trip that truly feels like stepping out into the unknown. This might be showing up somewhere with no itinerary or staying in a local’s home, if lucky enough to get invited. Or step off the side of a plane (parachute attached). It is going to look different for everyone. What is comfortable for one person is wildly uncomfortable to another. Personally, having no plans tends to make me a bit anxious. I have to practice being with the unknown and the unplanned. Doing so helps me expand my repertoire of how to deal with situations out of my control, quash the anxiety, and create more space for joy.

Coaching Takeaway: The landscape beyond our comfort zones is where we discover new things about ourselves, where we expand and grow. Challenge yourself while on your travels, then take the practice home. Be safe, be culturally sensitive, but be bold.

Engage the Senses

You may already be a person who lives by the adage of stopping to smell the roses. But life is a busy vixen. She is full of tricks and turns to throw us off our game. Our ability to be truly present erodes over time. Travel is a great opportunity to hit the reset button, and once we’ve reset we have the luxury of engaging our senses to practice being present. This can look a lot of different ways, but a simple exercise is to practice a different sense each day. Keep a sense journal and, on day one, inventory the smells that infiltrate your olfactory receptors. Then work through the others.

Coaching Takeaway: Re-upping your skills of being present is actually a meditative exercise to clear your mind, and in a clear mind joy has room to bubble up and spread within and outside of us.

Nat Geo Expeditions

Unpack the Story of Food

Food is a cultural staple. Every place you will visit has a food story and things that make the geography unique from a culinary standpoint. While cooking a large meal for a group at a ski lodge in the Southern Alps of New Zealand , I made new friends and learned heaps on the sheep-farming industry, all while cooking lamb steaks on the grill. Use food as your foray into learning about the ingredients, traditions, and techniques that make a place special. Curiosity and learning stimulate the brain and underpin creativity, which in turn can lead to joy.

Coaching Takeaway: Cooking is a way to practice presence and truly be in the moment, making yourself available for learning, laughter, and creativity. Taking time to learn and enjoy the process from beginning to end will be sure to raise our joy factor a few degrees.

Start With Yourself

Here you are. Right here, right now. Your joy matters. The world needs a lot more of it, and your capacity to cultivate it within you directly translates to creating a space for happiness around you. While on the plane or train traveling to your destination, make a list of joy-blockers. Note that we are not talking simply about the things that make you smile or laugh. Joy is that deep contentment and lasting happiness that you can call upon within yourself even in the most troubling of circumstances. Take a look at what factors, beliefs, and circumstances rob you of your joy. While you are out experiencing your destination, work through your list of joy-blockers and see what action there is or what support you might need to bypass them.

Coaching Takeaway: Joy is really something you can actively cultivate, so use your next chunk of travel time to create this garden for yourself and share the bounty with others.

Life and leadership coach Sean O’Connor hosts a podcast called Joy Riders. He is based in Los Angeles. Find him on his website , Facebook , and Instagram .

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The Scientific Case for Why You Need to Travel More Often

— Reviewed by Dr. Sandip Roy .

Our experiences become our memories. So, they are more truly a part of ourselves than any of our possessions.

But is it all a box of travel memories that makes us happy, or is there something that science can explain?

Why do vacations make you happier for years after you return? Let’s make the scientific case for why you need to travel more often.

Traveling makes us happier by breaking our routines, satisfying our wanderlust, giving fresh perspectives, and creating fond memories. Trying new experiences while traveling can reduce stress , boost life satisfaction, and deepen our bonds with those we travel with. Positive psychology finds buying experiences like holiday trips is a better use of money than buying things.

Here are the science-backed reasons why traveling boosts our happiness:

1. Traveling gives you joy before, during, and after the experience.

Positive Psychology studies show there are 3 ways why traveling makes you happy:

Anticipatory Joy : Before travel, you get happiness boosts while planning your holidays.
Joyful Experiences : During travel, you enjoy many moments of living through new experiences.
Happy Memories : After you are back home, you share and relive your adventures and enterprises.

Exploring other parts of our planet and learning how people live there creates new nerve connections in our brains and makes for unique memories.

“Thinking of good times from the past makes me feel better about the present. It helps me appreciate things more. It gives me an idea of where I was then, where I am now, and where I ultimately want to be. It helps me understand the present and deal with it.” — A respondent in the study Using the Past to Enhance the Present, Bryant & Smart (2005)

Then, according to happiness science, spending money on experiences rather than on material stuff is a better way to boost your happiness.

MIT neuroscientists have shown they can relieve depression by artificially reactivating joyful memories that were formed before the onset of depression.

Experiential purchases >> Materialistic purchases

Traveling to exciting places can boost our happiness more than buying stuff for the same amount.

Studies show that traveling to a foreign land and culture has a higher positive impact on our happiness than any monetary purchase. (Van Boven, 2005; Carter & Gilovic, 2010; Gilovic et al., 2014).

Traveling can make you happier than buying things for the same amount of money.

Plus, the delight you get from buying things does not last long because it gets over-familiar ( hedonic adaptation ).

“What if I keep on buying more and more stuff?”

Then it could turn into an issue called compulsive shopping disorder . Psychologists link it to depression and anxiety.

2. Traveling triggers the release of Serotonin, the happiness chemical.

We are happy for many reasons, and there is no single key to happiness.

But scientists have tried to identify the one thing that lies at the root of all that makes us happy.

They found some common triggers, like the release of serotonin , the happy chemical , in our brains.

Dr. Gilovic, a Professor of Psychology at Cornell University, led several studies on this (Van Boven & Gilovic, 2003; Nicolao et al., 2009; Gilovic et al., 2014, Peng & Ye, 2015).

He noticed the following pattern: There was an increase in serotonin when people purchased things, ate savory junk foods, or smoked cigarettes.

When we give in to our temptations and silence our inhibitions without regard for the consequences, we feel a surge of happiness.

We lose our inhibitions when we travel, and buy and do unusual things like eat exotic foods and play extreme sports, which can boost our serotonin levels.

However, since the serotonin surge is temporary, its aftereffect may be disappointing.

So, even if we have been eagerly awaiting an activity for a long time, our “happiness” gives way to some sadness after it’s over. This is the reason for the post-holiday blues.

The good news is that while this serotonin dip makes us unhappy, it also helps us focus on the activities of routine life.

But we may recreate the serotonin rush by telling others about our adventures, looking at our travel photos, and sharing our experiences on social media after we return home.

Beware, however, if you indulge in unhealthy activities to boost your happiness while on vacation, you may return with regrets.

Our serotonin levels also rise when we meditate, expose ourselves to bright light, and exercise. Traveling involves at least the last two of those (and the third one too if you are on a meditating holiday).

3. Traveling can help you get off the “hedonic treadmill.”

Look at the décor items in your room—you’ll notice you’ve gradually lost interest in them. Some items gave you joy for a longer time than others, but none makes you as happy now as they did at first.

That is the Hedonic Treadmill .

Hedonic treadmill or hedonic adaptation is the human tendency to quickly return to a relatively stable level of happiness that is consistent with their personality and genetics after experiencing major positive or negative life events.

what is hedonic treadmill or hedonic adaptation - The Scientific Case for Why You Need to Travel More Often - 1

This makes us gradually lose the joy of material possessions. So, when you “meet” your stuff daily, they don’t bring you as much joy as before.

Traveling affects hedonic adaptation.

We tend to derive more lasting happiness from experiences, such as traveling or trying new activities, rather than material possessions. These experiences provide new stimuli and situations, delaying hedonic adaptation. So, in a way, traveling can help prolong our overall sense of happiness and satisfaction, making it a useful strategy to counteract hedonic adaptation.

Another reason why traveling makes you happy is that it minimizes your tendency to compar e.

When we buy something, we frequently compare it to similar purchases made by others. If they have a better item or an identical item at a lower price, we regret our decisions.

Actually, the habit of comparing with others is a happiness killer .

But it is harder to compare experiences. That’s why experiences, like holiday travels, keep us happy for a longer time.

Even if your friend says they went to the same holiday destination as you, your experience will remain uniquely yours.

Your experiences while exploring new places can keep you happy for a long. You essentially imprint them into your memory, so that even little cues like a smell or a photograph can resurface those emotions.

Traveling is important for mental growth and human happiness. — The NYU Dispatch

4. Unfamiliarity, novelty, and déjà vu of traveling make you happy.

Traveling allows us to test our survival instincts in new surroundings.

Most of us get stuck in ruts, repeating ourselves day after day, week after week. This mundane lifestyle does not offer the brain the challenges it needs to stay sharp and optimized.

Stepping outside routine environments puts you in a more vulnerable position. It activates your resilient brain and prepares you to adapt to new conditions.

While hedonic adaptation makes us take things and people for granted, unfamiliar and novel situations shake us out of our boring routine.

• Joy of Déjà vu

When you travel back to a holiday spot you visited a long time ago, you have a vague sense of “familiar” thrill due to a phenomenon called déjà vu .

It’s as if you’ve lived through the experience before, but in a dream or in a previous life.

Actually, déjà vu is triggered by the reactivation of lost memory pathways in the brain.

5. Travel experiences become more valuable with time.

Recall a train trip you took years ago and notice how it grew more cherished with time.

As you get older, you get busier, less able, or more insecure to travel out of your hometown. This makes all your past good experiences even fonder.

This is similar to what happened to humans during evolution.

Our ancestors were explorers by necessity. They had to travel to survive as edible/huntable things became scarce in an area.

This helped them understand our place in this vast and mysterious universe.

Then, when humans started farming about 10,000 years ago and settled, the basic element of exploration went out of their nature.

The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only one page. — St. Augustine

Our travel experiences become a part of us, staying for most of our lives and sometimes forever changing our way of living.

Ask an old person about their favorite holiday memory and watch their eyes light up.

An inspiring real-life story:

Artists Marina Abramovic and Ulay had 12 years of collaboration. Their final performance was “The Lovers” in 1988 on the Great Wall of China, after which they parted ways.

They didn’t meet or talk to each other for the next 22 years.

Then, in 2010, Ulay unexpectedly showed up at Abramovic’s live performance at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

First, when the two former lovers meet after decades, they sit silently gazing at each other across a table. You have to watch what happens then.

Lovers meet for the First time After 30 years

Macushla left this memorable comment on the Marina and Ulay video:

“I know this look. It passes from the eyes, penetrates the heart, and coils two souls together until you don’t know where one ends or the other begins. You look so intensely into one another’s being (that) you fade into to each other. This is a love so true, so pure, so honest…there is nothing more magical than being in the presence of your soulmate. It is life changing. Nothing will ever compare.”

Can traveling make you happy?

Yes, research suggests traveling can boost our happiness. This study by Chen & Zou, 2020 found that frequent travel could make one 7% happier than those who do not travel. The research also found that people who believe tourism is important went on vacations more often. They were also more likely to check out travel-related information. If one cannot actually travel, discussing past travels or planning future trips can boost happiness.

Are people who travel a lot happy?

Frequent traveling can make people happier, according to a survey of 500 Taiwanese people. It found that frequent travelers are more satisfied with their lives. It also found that people who place a high personal value on tourism are more likely to gather travel-relevant information, resulting in more frequent travel. The study authors Chen & Zou (2021) suggest that travel and tourism can be one key life domain that influences how people rate their overall quality of life.

How does traveling make you feel?

Traveling can help us become more creative, develop more cognitive flexibility, and be more receptive to new ideas. While traveling, we give our brain many new challenges, such as navigating new places and making sense of new experiences, and it tries to solve them by growing new nerve connections. Neuroscientists call this remodeling power of the brain neuroplasticity .

How to plan your perfect holiday trip?

Here is how to plan your perfect holiday trip: Plan it a few months ahead. Pick a place. Buy the tickets and book the hotels. Allow yourself to be excited about it. Read and watch the travel guides to your destination. Pack the essentials. And make that trip, even if it is only to the next town over.

Final Words

Our curiosity for adventure is instinctive.

We are wanderers and explorers by nature. But we seem to have put off exploring new places.

In such an anti-curious world , traveling can ignite the brain, and reveal its vast potential for making us happier.

• • •

Note: Yogi and Suchna , cross-content travelers, wrote an earlier, smaller version of this article. Extensively rewritten and edited by Sandip Roy .

√ Please share it with someone if you found this helpful .

√ Also Read:

Say “Hello” in 40 Languages & Connect With People Worldwide
Say “I Love You” In 40 Different Languages & Impress Them
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• Our Story !

Why-Traveling-Makes-You-Happy,-According-To-Science

About Author/Editor

Dr. Sandip Roy is a medical doctor and psychology writer, with a unique focus on mental well-being, positive psychology, narcissism, and Stoicism. His warm-hearted expertise has helped many mental abuse survivors find happiness again. Co-author of 'Critique of Positive Psychology and Positive Interventions' . Find him on LinkedIn .

*Our site is reader-supported. When you buy through our links, we earn a tiny percentage, at no extra cost to you. See Disclosure for details.

When it comes to mental well-being, you don't have to do it alone. Going to therapy to feel better is a positive choice. Therapists can help you work through your trauma triggers and emotional patterns.

Mar 30, 2020

Does travel make you happy?

Updated: Sep 21, 2022

Travel changes you in numerous ways. Not only does it affect your physical and mental health, but it also evokes positive emotions. When we plan out our next trip, pack our bags, or board that flight, we get excited. We break away from our routine life at home and step into the unknown. Exploring destinations, the beauty of nature, and meeting new people instantly take away our worries and stress of home and work.

So the simple answer is YES. Travel is the secret ingredient to a happy life!

Scientific research has proven this over and over again. For example, at the Happiness 360 Conference in 2016, it was revealed that the happiest people travel more. Another study, conducted by Cornell University , has shown that people even experience increased happiness from just planning their holiday. This proves that the benefits of traveling already occur before the actual trip does.

The key to traveling more? Saving enough money! Download our free eBook on saving money while traveling . These tricks have saved us thousands on our own travels. We hope they help you too!

5 reasons why travel makes you happy

1. travel creates lasting memories.

The results of research conducted by Cornell University in 2017 found that happiness is greater when going on vacation than acquiring material objects. If we purchase a physical object, our happiness will steadily fade because we get used to it. On the other hand, if we invest in travel experiences, it will bring us joy and memories that will last longer or even a lifetime.

This means that spending money on a fancy car, phone, or outfit is not going to bring the same happiness as experiences. After a few weeks or months, you will get accustomed to your brand new car or phone, and you become more restless. Soon you may be dreaming about upgrading your phone because it is slower and getting "old".

There is nothing you can buy in a shopping mall that can match exploring a new destination. When you travel abroad, you will indulge yourself in new experiences, like meeting people, learning about cultures, or traversing landscapes you have never witnessed before. These new experiences will create lasting memories. Memories we will share with others and think about in our future lives. Thinking about a positive experience is what makes you instantly happier. And this is why you should travel the world !

Travel makes you happier because it creates lasting memories

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2. Travel fosters existing relationships

Social connections play the most crucial role in one's life and happiness. These relationships may be with your partner, family, friends, or even the greater community around you. Relationships are strongly connected to our emotions. Close and positive relationships evoke feelings of happiness, peacefulness, and satisfaction, while non-existing or negative relationships destroy us and bring feelings of anxiety, depression, and loneliness.

One of the best ways to foster existing relationships is by sharing experiences. When traveling together, you will share moments and create memories that last a lifetime. These moments will bring you closer to each other, hence build stronger connections to one another. This connection does wonders for your relationship as well as your happiness!

Travel makes you happy because it fosters existing relationships

3. Travel builds new relationships and connections

In addition to your existing relationships, travel will also allow you to build new relationships and connections. Travel creates opportunities to meet people who you otherwise would never have met. Being in the same 'unknown' situation will make it easier to connect to one another. You have something in common because you both ended up in the same destination and you may even share experiences. Even though these relationships often feel timely, they are easy to pick up on once you meet again. Or in some cases (just like us), these new relationships will become part of your new life. Whether this means a romance, friendship, or business relationship . And building these new relationships is also one of the reasons why travel is important to build life experiences!

This is not the same while staying at home. People in your immediate environment aren't always as open to new relationships. They already have their own "clique" of friends and it is hard to become part of that. We often have no time or energy to meet new people when we are in the routine of our 9 to 5 life.

Travel makes you happy because you meet new people

4. Travel rewires your brain and enhances creativity

Neuroscientists explain that travel rewires our brains because new experiences are core to building new neural pathways in the brain. When your brain rewires, you also become more creative and productive. Adam Galinsky , a professor at the Columbia Business School, stresses that immersing in the local culture of that destination is essential. Merely traveling to a different country or city without fully immersing yourself is not going to make any difference. We've found this to be true for ourselves as well. We always strive to "live in the moment" while traveling and it has enabled us to write our most inspiring travel articles, videos, and art while on the road.

5. Traveling keeps us healthy

Research has demonstrated that traveling keeps us healthy! A study conducted by the Global Commission on Aging and Transamerica Center for Retirement Studies found that women who travel at least twice a year are less likely to have a heart attack than those who only vacation every six years or more. Also, men who do not take an annual holiday are more likely to die of heart disease. The bottom line is that the happier you are, the healthier you are, and vice versa. And one way to stay happy and healthy is to travel!

Can Travel Really Make You Happier?

A New Study About Happiness and Travel

A 2021 study in the journal of Tourism Analysis shows that frequent travelers are happier with their lives than people who don't travel at all. The study results indicate that respondents attaching personal importance to tourism are more likely to gather travel-relevant information, therefore are more likely to go on vacations than those who are not often thinking about their next trip. It is also found that frequent travelers are more satisfied with their life.

So...Does Travel Make You Happier?

Art Markman , Professor of Psychology and Marketing at the University of Texas, explains that there is a growing body of evidence that shows purchases of experiences (like vacations) have a more lasting impact on people's happiness than purchases of material goods. "The travel experience itself is often enjoyable. In addition, it increases the bonds among the people who go on the trip. Finally, vacations create happy memories that can also boost well-being in the future."

How Can Travel Make You Happier?

Markman notes that a few examples of how travel can make one happier are the following:

Couples raising children often are able to reconnect and rediscover their shared common interests when they are able to go away without their children for a while.
People often travel to cities or beautiful areas of the planet that allow them to see wonderful sights firsthand. The pictures and memories of those experiences can create lasting happiness.
Travel can bring family members together as well, which can create additional memories that are shared at later gatherings.

Additionally, Post-Pandemic Travel Planning Sparks Joy

We know that planning a vacation can spark joy. Research shows that the anticipation of future travel can increase happiness--and this looks to have increased during a global pandemic. In a nutshell: There's a newfound appreciation for travel. A new study from the Institute for Applied Positive Research found that booking travel generates happiness and can alleviate stress and uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, 97% of survey respondents reported that having a trip planned makes them happier and that 74% of respondents reported that planning something would make them feel more in control amidst so much uncertainty.

Want to feel happier? Pack that suitcase and start planning--and then begin traveling.

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How does traveling make us happy?
< Kiwi.com news

Kiwi.com news

By David Szmidt April 13, 2023

By David Szmidt | April 13, 2023

To mark the 10th anniversary of the International Day of Happiness back in March, we asked this very question… and got some stats to back up the answer. Here comes the science!

What would be your happy place? A warm beach , sunning yourself with a cocktail and a book? By the fireside in a cozy cottage in winter? Out in the fresh air of a hillside, with views of distant forests and the sounds of nature in your ears? Or maybe you’re someone who needs excitement to make you happy? Attached to a parachute, on a surfboard, on horseback perhaps?

Maybe more importantly, why is this? We sought the opinions of our social media followers, conducted consumer research, and asked for the views of psychologists.

Get planning!

One of the immediately surprising things that a lot of correspondents mentioned was that simply the act of planning a trip gave them a boost, not only in the short-term, but as a longer-term thing to look forward to. Simply imagining all the things they could do showed a bump in happiness.

The research, conducted by the STEM/MARK agency for Kiwi.com , confirmed that more than half of respondents (54%) plan their trips in advance, meaning they have something to look forward to and to talk about.

@kiwi.com Working or vacation? It’s an eternal dilema!😩🛫 #adayinthelife #travelersday #vlod #dailylifetraveler #wehacktravel #wehackthesystem #kiwicomtravel #cheapflights #freetravel #budgettravel #cheaptravel #wehacktravel #wehackthesystem #kiwicomtravel ♬ Love Of My Life – Metrow Ar

“It is not a surprise that planning, booking trips, as well as sharing stories about our vacation and looking at pictures afterward, make us feel happy. After all, it is the anticipation and excitement before our vacation that usually stretches for a longer period of time than the vacation itself,” explained Veronika Luňová, a psychologist at Prague Integration , a company focusing on mental health awareness.

According to Luňová, the process can give people a sense of control over their lives and a much-needed break from their daily routines. “Sometimes, it might be the booking and planning of the vacation that feels as if it has already transferred us to the place, at least for a little moment,” she added.

Sun, sea and sand? Not such a cliché

View this post on Instagram A post shared by Kiwi.com (@kiwicom247)

According to our research, 70% chose a sunny beach as their happy place. Traditional, laid-back small towns (42%), snowy mountains (32%), or hills and fields (38%) were voted by more participants as happy places than large cities (24.4%).

“Spending time in nature can do a lot for your well-being, as it has been shown to reduce stress levels. And being near the beach and water is a protective factor for mental health. For most people, the beach is a place to relax and unwind. The salty water and air, the sand, the sound of the sea, the sunshine, all help to relax and recharge. The water, the warm air and the sound of the waves create a sense of mental calm,” says Kata Mráz, Head of Clinic at CGP Europe , a company that provides customized employee assistance programs.

Of the correspondents that said that cities made them happy, Singapore, Boston, Las Vegas and Venice were listed, although some of these came under the banner of making people “unexpectedly” happy. Well, what happens in Vegas stays in Vegas we suppose!

Thrills to suit you

Couple paying for something at Asian street market stall — Getty Images

When it comes to matters of adrenaline , Kiwi.com’s social media followers lean more towards leaving their comfort zone, or gaining self-confidence as they take on new challenges and find their way out of difficult situations. This doesn’t necessarily mean hurling yourself off a bridge attached to a bungee rope or wrestling alligators; even the act of finding yourself somewhere where you don’t speak the language, don’t know the food, or do something as simple as having to negotiate a busy station in an alien alphabet gives people a thrill.

“The very act of planning a trip presents us with new situations and challenges, which, if we manage to overcome, can boost our confidence. It also makes us more open-minded, as we can get to know other places and cultures, and observe how others deal with different situations. And looking at photos and videos of our travels can bring back memories, take our minds off the daily grind and relive the moments of the trip”, explains Kata Mráz

“People are as varied as the destinations they book”

It seems — perhaps unsurprisingly — that the entire process of travel makes people happy in different ways . Even though there can be stressful moments, the overall feeling is one of positivity and accomplishment. Whatever that means to you, and however you find it, travel is one of the very best ways to achieve it.

We’ll leave the final thought to Andrew Parker-Blagg, Vice President of Brand and Global Communications at Kiwi.com: “These findings confirm that the reasons people travel are as wide and varied as the destinations they book with us. Whether that’s experiencing new cultures, meeting new people, or simply unwinding with the people they love without the distractions of day-to-day life, we know everyone is looking for their own version of what happiness means to them. That’s why we at Kiwi.com do what we do every day, to try to make sure low-cost travel is open and accessible to everyone.”

Visit Kiwi.com Stories for travel updates and inspiration.

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David Szmidt

David is a lead writer for Kiwi.com, as well as a football-watcher, music-listener and beer-appreciater. @UtterBlether

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Why Travelling Makes Us Happy

Near San Agustín, Colombia

A couple of months ago (was it already that long ago?!) I wrote a post called On Being Happy With Being Content . In it, I discussed how since moving to London I’ve embraced the idea of settling somewhere and the feeling of happiness I get from routine in my life. To be completely honest, I wrote that post to try to make sense of what I was feeling at the time, the restlessness mixed with the feelings of withdrawal from a life of almost constant travelling. My two-year London anniversary is coming up this summer, and it’s the longest I’ve lived anywhere since 2005. I haven’t even left the UK in two and a half months, the longest I think I’ve gone in a while without being abroad.

Writing that post really helped me, and the comments that came with it really helped me. As a result, the past couple of months in London have been some of my happiest yet; I’m a lot healthier in mind and body. I write daily now, and I’ve even started jogging. I know, I know. Who am I?!

Seoul, South Korea

That being said, I am never going to deny that some of the happiest days of my life have been while I was on the road. So today, in honour of International Day of Happiness (don’t roll your eyes), I thought I’d post some of the reasons I personally feel happy when I travel. I’d love it if you could contribute why travelling makes you happy in the comments.

Travelling makes me happy…

…because of its never-ending ability to amaze me, to pique my curiosity. It seems that no matter where I go, even if I’ve already been there or if I think I have an idea of what I’ll see when I arrive, I am always surprised. I love the newness travel brings: new cultures, new faces, new customs, new landscapes.

Machu Picchu, Peru

…because of all of the wonderful people I meet. While beautiful destinations certainly appeal (especially if it includes a beach), I travel mainly to meet and interact with people. My favourite moments on the road have all occurred in the presence of others, either locals or fellow travellers.

Bhaktapur, Nepal

…because it overloads my senses in the very best way. I live in one of the biggest and busiest cities in the world and sometimes I realise I’m tuning everything out, because I’m used to the glittering lights and double-decker buses and accents from all over the globe. When I travel, I become hyper-aware of everything around me: the sights, the sounds, the smells. I love that first day in a new city, when you just wander around and take it all in.

Yangon, Myanmar

…because of all the delicious food I get to eat. Be it a local beer , an infamous sandwich , or a selection of treats from a street market, I always try to sample the cuisine of any place I’m in. And yes, that includes the things I may not always want to try; I can’t say that I particularly wanted to eat snake hearts when in Vietnam, but I’m happy that I at least had the opportunity to do so.

Uyuni Salt Flats, Bolivia

…because it makes me feel engaged, interested, and fulfilled. I like who I am when I travel, I like how I go with the flow, how I’m open-minded, how I laugh with my head thrown back. I’m not saying I’m totally different in London, but travelling seems to unlock a part of me that I love to embrace.

In the Himalayas, Nepal

…because it makes me learn about myself. There’s that incredibly cheesy cliché that “you have to get lost to really find yourself”; I don’t necessarily think it takes a backpack and a plane ticket to India to really discover who you are, but travelling certainly brings some aspects of your personality to light. Are you organised? Punctual? Curious? Do you like cobblestoned European cities or secluded mountain hikes? If there’s an emergency and you’re halfway around the world, can you handle yourself? I love that travelling has made me realise things about myself I didn’t know until I was thrown into situations I wouldn’t have (or couldn’t have) experienced at home in Canada.

Buenos Aires, Argentina

…because it has made me realise that no matter what, I’m going to be okay. Travelling has made me incredibly independent. If I want to book a trip to Africa by myself, I know I can do it. If I want to move to a new city where I don’t have any connections, I know I can do it. Travelling has made me a much more self-sufficient and ambitious person than I could have ever dreamed of becoming ten years ago.

Bangkok, Thailand

…because it represents how special my life is. I often read about travellers who hate when people tell them, “You’re so lucky, you get to travel all the time”. I get the sentiment behind their aggravation, but I personally don’t mind at all when people say that to me. In fact, I try to say it every day to myself, because, yeah, I’m lucky. I’m really lucky. Like other full-time travellers and travel bloggers, I worked hard to get where I am, but a lot of people on this planet work very, very hard and barely get any holiday time, if at all. And even with that holiday time, a lot of people cannot afford to travel to far-flung destinations. I’m well aware how amazing and enriched my life has been because of travel, and I am thankful every day for it. There are very few people who get to choose what they want to do with their lives, and I’m one of them. I’d say that makes me pretty damn lucky. It also makes me happy.

Silvia, Colombia

…because it reminds me, at the end of the day, that we’re all in this together. The one thing I’ve learned from all of my travels and from all of the experiences I’ve had with others around the world is that we’re all alike. We all dream and love and laugh. We all take pleasure in the small things: meals with friends, a sunny day, an unexpected moment of happiness with a stranger. Travelling has made me aware of how inconsequential so many things are, be they material items or moments of frustration or sadness. It has helped me to let go of the small things that used to bother me so much, and instead introduced me to the idea of embracing each day with a smile and an open mind. Essentially, travelling makes me happy because it has taught me to be happy*.

Tayrona Park, Colombia

Why does travelling make you happy?

* If this post seems particularly hippie-dippy/cheesy/has-she-been-smoking-the-good-stuff, I apologise. I’m puppy-sitting today, and I’m in a freaking fantastic mood.

Brenna Holeman

Brenna Holeman has travelled to over 100 countries in the past 17 years, many of them on her own. She's now a solo mom living in Winnipeg, Canada. She's also a big fan of whisky and window seats.

Around the World: Beer

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This is such a wonderful post! I’ve only recently started traveling, and there countless reasons why it makes me so happy, but overall I think it has to do with the simple fact that I’m leaving my everyday, routine life in search of new sights, smells, memories, feelings, etc. I feel like that sounds super cheesy / cliche as well, but the best comparison I can think of is that traveling makes me feel like a kid in a candy store, and the world is that candy store.

About a month ago I visited Berlin for the first time, and I just remember walking around with a cheek to cheek smile on my face, amazed by everything from the currywurst, to the history, to the people, to the sights, the museums, the beer (oh, the beer!), the nightlife… I mean, it was one hell of a candy store and I definitely helped myself to all the candy I could get my hands on.

There’s something about traveling that reminds you how big the world really is, yet how it still connects us all together… I think that thought alone makes me the happiest 🙂

Thank you so much for your comment, Emma! I love your last line, I totally agree with it. I’m so excited that you’re starting to travel a lot more… Berlin is just the beginning! 😉

I love this post and totally agree with all of the reasons you said, especially about travelling making you someone you like who has an open mind. I think that is the number one reason I love travel.

Aw, thank you so much Jodie!

I completely agree with everything you’ve said in this post! You have perfectly summed up why I travel, and all the incredibly positive things it brings.

I can never understand why some people just don’t like to travel. Of course, I understand why its not always possible, and of course security has its benefits too, but travel just brings so much to my life. I feel like i’ve learnt so much from travelling. I think back to the person I was 5 years ago and I’ve changed so much, and I know a huge proportion of that is down to travel!

A really enjoyable read, than you!

Sometimes I understand why people don’t like to travel – it can be overwhelming, and getting stuck in an airport is enough to make even the calmest person lose their cool. However, I know that I will always love to travel, and I’ll continue to do it for the rest of my life. I’ve also changed so much… who knows how I’ll change over the next decade!

Thanks a lot for your comment, Jennie, I’m so glad you enjoyed the post.

I love this post, and was smiling and nodding in agreement as I read it! I agree with every reason you stated, especially how travel never ceases to amaze and how it makes you hyper-aware. I love the sense of freedom I feel when travelling and I love how each day is different and exciting- regardless of what you are doing.

Aw, thank you so much, Ashley! I love that sense of freedom, too.

I resonate with all of your reasons, Brenna. I also think travel makes me happy because every day is different – you don’t know who or what you will encounter and that is what excites me.

Totally – I love that. Thanks for your comment, Hayley!

This was a beautiful post; and I really loved what you had to say about how travel makes you recognize that your life is special, and that you are, indeed, lucky to get to do what you do. I hope no one ever takes for granted how hard you have worked to form the kind of life that you have, but it’s also true that not everyone is in the position to shape the kind of life that they want. I try to remember that all of the time (but often it is so hard! That’s why I loved your words so much).

I traveled a lot years ago when I was in college, and then it took me 10 years to get back at it again. But now that I’ve had a few eye-opening and incredible experiences, I want to do it all!! I think someone already commented on this, but I love the openness of travel, the feeling of freedom- whether it be from a trail in the mountains or on a street in a crowded city. I feel so much possibility when I travel: that anything can happen. That I can meet anyone. That I can see anything.

Thank you for this post!

Thank you so much for your comment, Nadine. I think it’s perfectly natural to take a break from travelling – I’m doing it at the moment, at least for a couple of months – but I love that I know with certainty that it will always make me happy. I want to do it all, too! I totally agree with your last lines; the possibilities that travel brings us are amazing.

I love your blog posts and your facebook updates, as well as shared articles. I agree with a lot of what you said. I am also very lucky that I am in a profession, teacher, that gives me so much vacation time. I wouldn’t have it any other way! I travel often by myself and I value the lessons and experiences. I am off to Nicaragua in a week on a solo trip for two weeks. It couldn’t come at a better time. Traveling alone is an opportunity for me to reconnect with myself, to appreciate and love myself, to remind myself that I am strong and brave. Life is beautiful and full of amazing opportunities! Thank you for your post. Great comments too!

Thank you so much for your comment Beatrice, and for all of your support! I totally agree with what you said about solo travel. It’s such an important part of my life and I’m so glad for all that it has taught me. Have an amazing time in Nicaragua!

So, I live vicariously through your posts at the moment and it makes me happy just hearing how happy travel has made you. Because of certain things happening in my life at the moment I cant travel long term but I know one day it will be possible. I read your blog to show myself that my dream of travel isn’t unrealistic and that anything we really want in life is possible with patience, sacrifice and hard work. It is through your blog that I found my true purpose in life and I want to thank you so much for that. So keep doing what you’re doing. Keep inspiring people! 🙂

Oh wow, thank you so much Melanie. This just totally made my day! We all have to take breaks from travelling or put it off sometimes… I’m doing it at the moment (for a few months, anyway) because I have other commitments like my degree. I know that I’ll do more long-term travel again soon, though, and it’s so great to hear that you have the same plans. It makes me so happy that I’ve had some small part in inspiring you. 🙂

Once again, thank you so much for this comment… it really encourages me to keep blogging and writing and trying my best to inspire others to get out and see this big old world.

Aw, all of your happiness made me feel so great, like there’s hope in life!! I’m going to send you an email too but I wanted to post here as well.

PS Love that picture of you in Seoul!

Thank you so much, Jacquie! I owe you a long email… 🙂

Love, love, love this post, Brenna! I just got back from my first solo trip across the U.S. to visit my best friend and my cousin’s family in Seattle. Even though I stayed within my country and had loved ones waiting to host me on the west coast, the rush I felt when my plane took off from Boston was so amazing. In a way, the trip was the first time I’ve given myself a week of “me time” in awhile, to plan my days in an exciting new place and allow myself to forget about work and school and just “experience” for awhile. Maybe it sounds silly, but for anxious, obsessive planner me, the trip was a huge step! I love the vulnerabilitly of it all, of feeling open to experience. Probably a very tame trip by the standards of most true adventurers, but the knowledge that I can get on a plane and just “go” is so freeing to me! Only problem is, now my feet are itching like never before! Haha.

It doesn’t sound silly at all! It sounds amazing. 🙂 That’s so great that you had such a good time and felt that you learned a lot. There’s no such thing as a tame trip, ha ha… you can have adventure anywhere!

Thanks a lot for your comment!

some awesome words and inspiringly fun photos! love your work – as always 🙂

Thank you so much, Rebecca!

I loved this post! I think I would have to agree that one of the main reasons that travelling makes me happy is all of the amazing people that you meet on the road. It seems to make all of the wonders that you get to see all the more wonderful and it is great learning about new people and where they come from 🙂

I totally agree, Zalie! I travel for the people. 🙂

Hi there, I really enjoyed reading your past updates and most recent post 🙂 I have just started on WordPress since I am just beginning my travels – not only to keep my own recording of the journey, but also to read other people’s recommendations and insights. I am 23 and my first post lists the places I will be visiting. Thank you for your post!

Reading this made me smile a big, bright, genuine, full tooth smile. I am so happy for you that you are living your dream. It proves to me that living a life of travel and writing truly is possible. I won’t take that final leap while my mom is still around as my dream currently is to spend as much time with her as possible.

That being said, mom and I do a great deal of travelling together. In the last year we have been to Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Colombia, Panama and Aruba. In addition, we have spent time in San Francisco, Santa Barbara, San Diego, Los Angeles, and Florida. We are currently planning trips to Catalina, Astoria, Vancouver, Victoria and a cruise through the Mediterranean!

Travel allows me to live a life of adventure. I love new sights, foods and especially the people I meet. I have made many wonderful friends all over the globe and look forward to seeing them again someday!

…because it has made me realise that no matter what, I’m going to be okay.

Because it makes me realize how truly little I need to be happy. Food, shelter, and a million things to discover. The best parts of travel are the immaterial, or at least the (paid for) experiences versus the paid-for material items.

11 Reasons Why Travel Makes You a Happier Person

Inspired, Tailor-Made Travel to Latin America, Africa, Asia, Australasia, Europe and the Polar Regions

Travel is good for lots of things, but it can also increase mental well-being - and not just in the short-term. Whether you're traveling for business, on a one-week family holiday, or have sold everything to pursue a life on the road, traveling can make you a happier person by building self-confidence, providing new experiences and memories, breaking routine and allowing you to meet people from all over the world.

Keith Jenkins, founder of the luxury travel blog Velvet Escape and prolific traveller, said:

I feel happy when I'm gaining new experiences and insights, and challenging my boundaries. Travel is the perfect catalyst for happiness, as it has allowed me to experience the natural, cultural and man-made wonders of the world. Being in foreign lands, it also continuously forces me to step out of my comfort zone - a great confidence-builder. In my book, travel is the best school there is: I've learned so much about the world and, most importantly, about myself.

Marilyn Tam, entrepreneur and author of The Happiness Choice , was travelling when I emailed her to ask her take on happiness and travel:

I'm travelling right now and yes, I am indeed very happy. I am in Myanmar and learning and appreciating another culture.' Tam worked with Minister of Home and Culture in Myanmar and the first Prime Minister of Bhutan to introduce the idea of the International Day of Happiness to the UN, an annual day which this year falls on 20th March. 'Travel expands our capacity for wonder, joy and appreciation of the amazing diversity on our lovely planet. It makes me very happy indeed. If I didn't travel, I may never have had the opportunity to meet the Minister and, who knows, maybe the International Day of Happiness may not have happened yet.

So the next time you find yourself heading out on a shopping spree to lift your mood, why not put that money towards a flight instead? Here are 11 ways in which travel can make you happier:

1. FIND YOUR SELF-CONFIDENCE BY DEALING WITH UNEXPECTED SITUATIONS

There comes a time when everyone must deal with an unexpected situation when they're on the road. Even if you plan your trip to the letter, things can take a surprise turn. Whatever happens, there is a way around the problem and knowing that you can deal with these situations is a big boost to self-confidence and therefore your happiness.

2. HAPPINESS IS INFECTIOUS

When locals are happy, smiling and friendly, it has an immediate knock-on effect. I found the people of Cambodia and Laos to be notably friendly and cheerful, despite the relative poorness of these countries and the former in particular having a very recent traumatic history. When faced with those big beaming smiles, it's hard to be annoyed at the hassling you might experience at busy sites like Angkor Wat ; putting that knee-jerk irritation to one side instantly lifts your mood and is a good habit to take home.

3. BEING AWAY MAKES YOU APPRECIATE FAMILY AND HOME

Being away from things we often take for granted -- family, close friends, home -- makes us appreciate them more. Calling home isn't a chore, but something to look forward to: no one enjoys listening to your envy-inducing travel stories more than your parents, so it's the perfect excuse to wax lyrical about whatever place with which you've just fallen in love.

4. YOU MAKE NEW FRIENDS

It's much easier to make new friends on the road than it is at home, where people are less inclined to chat to strangers on a bus or strike up conversation in a bar (at least, that's true of London). When people are away from home, there seem to be less boundaries to cross and making friends becomes much easier, whether it's a local curious to know where you've come from or a fellow travellers keen to have someone with whom to enjoy a beer or share a taxi. Social interactions make us happier and increasing our social circle means that we're talking more and meeting different, interesting people, which hopefully means we're learning more, too.

5. DETOX FROM SOCIAL MEDIA

Social media can be used for both good and bad, but it's healthy for everyone to have a break from the internet every once in a while. Wi-fi is so prevalent that it's hard to turn off and you can quite often find yourself tuning out whatever amazing place you're in with your face in your phone, checking Twitter, scrolling through your Facebook feed, checking your emails... stop . Turn it off . Better yet, find somewhere with no reception and no wi-fi so that you don't have a choice. It's liberating and allows you to better enjoy the 'here and now', which nicely ties into the following point.

6. GETTING SOME 'YOU' TIME

Traveling gives us breathing space that is often lost in our usual day-to-day existence. Having a moment to take advantage of peace and quiet and to simply 'be' allows us to let go of stress and tension and just enjoy being in the moment -- a key focus of meditation and a practice you can take home with you. If you're traveling with a partner, it's a chance to spend time with only each other for company, which is a thought that probably shouldn't fill you with dread.

7. EDUCATION, EDUCATION, EDUCATION

Whether it's learning a new skill such as cooking Thai food or learning a new language, travel presents ways in which we can further our knowledge and education. Learning makes our brains more active, which psychologists have found increases our level of happiness - particularly when learning something we find enjoyable.

8. GET A VITAMIN D BOOST

Whilst it's a bit of myth that you need to be on a sun-lounger for twelve hours to feel the full effects of vitamin D (20 minutes of exposure to sunlight is enough), there's no doubt that in the same way that the cold and dark of winter makes us unhappy (feeling the effects of seasonal affective disorder or SAD), sunshine and warmth generally put us in a much better mood. A beach break is a great way to relax and enjoy the health benefits of a warm climate. Admittedly, this is more of a short-term boost, but a healthy glow makes everyone feels better and lasts for a few weeks after your trip is over.

9. YOU'RE MORE INTERESTING

You don't need to be a 'travel bore' to have a few interesting stories to tell. Traveling throws up a lot of bizarre, funny and sometimes serious situations that relating back to people will make you -- at least -- feel interesting. Making someone laugh is an easy way to instantly bump up your self-esteem, so hold on to those embarrassing memories -- no matter how much they might make you cringe.

10. NEW EXPERIENCES GIVE US MOMENTS TO REMEMBER

For most people, travelling is about the new experiences. I will always remember that moment of awe when I stood watching the sunlight leak out over the rainforest around the ancient temple of Borobudur in Java at sunrise, the sky turned a striking shade of violet: it was one of the most beautiful sights I've ever seen. Recalling memories of happiness can sustain a feeling of contentment long after the moment has passed, and new experiences are memories that can stick with you forever.

11. THE EFFECTS OF TRAVELING AREN'T JUST SHORT-TERM

Aside from making you happier in the short-term, traveling can make you a much more contented, happy and relaxed person in the long run, too. Of course, most travel enthusiasts are constantly planning their next trip, but when we're at home or past a point of being able to jet off whenever we like, past travels leave us with the memories and personal skills - such as confidence, broad-mindedness, friends and a more worldly perspective -- that make people happy. And that's why travel makes you a happier person.

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Personal Development

4 reasons why traveling can make you better

Traveling goes way beyond exploring new places, it can make you a better person! Find out the reasons why travel make us and the world better.

Leonie AspieGirl

Apr 01, 2023

Have you ever had the feeling and desire to escape as far away as possible?

Going on a trip is not an issue to many people nowadays. We are free to choose the help of a travel company private tours, group tours or travel independently. The last option is especially noteworthy, because planning a trip independently raises our mood from the very beginning.

We can choose a place to sleep with an environment that feels comfortable - it can be a luxurious hotel room, a family hotel or a simple hostel.

For your itinerary, choose places that evoke the most positive emotions. Determine and plan financially what you can afford. Find out about local prices, what it costs to eat, travel, hop on a bus or go sightseeing.

Keep reading: 5 ways to make the best out of a bad situation and How to include (and leverage) travel on your resume

Why can travel make you a better person?

Modern life is too busy, and people spend most of their time at work . This can cause stress, irritability and other negative effects. Because of this, many of us have lack in efficiency and sense of health!

So, being more relaxed is one way that travelling can make you better . When we travel, stress also leaves us. Relaxing in a new environment awakens feelings, it can make us more kind and calm.

Seeing new things and places, and gaining impressions about them while travelling completely changes the psychological and emotional state in the human body for the better.

There are many reasons why travelling is beneficial for our mental health. Travelling is one of the best things to bring you happiness, and it is something you will remember for a lifetime. It is true that in many cases, it is not easy at all just to pack and go, but sometimes it becomes necessary.

Sometimes, you just have to go to a place where there will be a lot of entertainment and leisure, sometimes you just need to escape from everyday life, sometimes it is justified.

Sometimes, it is very good to look forward to the date marked on the calendar and to know for sure that on a marked day you will sit on the plane and fly away on a trip.

Anticipation is the happiest part of a travel journey . It is a delightful process, and I can promise you that it does not matter where and for what purpose we travel - because any trip fills us with new experiences that become part of our lives.

You might also like: TOP 5 Reasons why you should volunteer abroad and Why you should travel to gain global competence for today's job market

1. Traveling can help you make new friends

I'd recommend staying in a hostel when you travel abroad alone, because there are plenty of opportunities to meet other guests. People are social beings, you do not need to be a great talker to have a simple conversation with locals or other travelers, people are more than happy to help.

Diving into the culture is another enjoyable process of travel. You will be able to learn the lifestyle of another country, meet new people, maybe even a partner, or just a good friend. Get to know traditional food, mastering a new language and much more. This kind of experiences are great to make new friendships without even noticing it.

2. Traveling can increase your self-confidence

The more we open up to others, the more sincere we become to ourselves. Travelling has given me the opportunity to engage in a heartfelt dialogue with myself and to reflect on the mistakes I have been avoiding.

I always plan my trip in detail, but no one is safe from surprises, pleasant or unpleasant. Overcoming sudden challenges in the unfamiliar environment of a different country has especially boosted my self-confidence.

Related : Nadya Simone talks about How traveling as a solo person of color gives the ultimate confidence boost

3. Traveling can give you memories for a lifetime

During any trip, we find ourselves immersed in a different culture, learning the language and lifestyle of locals. We get used to the new, and learn how to communicate with it.

There's so much to see, so always carry a camera - you never know when you are going to see a great shot.

Photos, notes, memories With the help of all this, you can totally recall the trip, even if it was a long time ago. You will have the opportunity to recall every moment in memory.

4. Traveling allows you to do something out of the ordinary

I personally used to just travel without a destination. I just wanted to go to as many countries as possible. When 3 or 4 free days would show up, I would just buy a ticket, get a backpack, get on a train or plane, and go to another country.

So, I went from Paris to Los Angeles for 3 days, spent almost 28 hours round trip on a plane, toured for 1 day, visited the Chinese theater and rodeo drive, posed in front of the Hollywood sign, flew by helicopter around the city.

It was complete madness though the emotion lasted for several weeks and I will always remember it. It was one of the best and craziest 3 days that completely changed my life and opened my eyes to a new kind of way.

You may also like volunteering, check out the Top reasons why volunteering is important for personal development

Staycation: Become a tourist in your city

If you do not have the time or money to travel to a foreign country, then you have an alternative - become a tourist in your city. Take a walk through the streets, visit the places which have never been seen before.

Even in the big, densely populated cities can be found undiscovered places that are worth being discovered.

Related content: What is a Staycation and why now is the best time to have one

Often travelling is associated with pink-coloured performances but hey, travelling is often challenging, but that is what helps you see the world with your own eyes what it really is, and that is wonderful.

A long journey can change our prospects, old beliefs fade away when you think the world is much more diverse and complex.

Do not be afraid, be confident, live the life you want to have. We live just once.

We all know that life is not a party, sometimes we need to get away from work and life routine get more aha moments in life. We do not need to look for chances to change our life, every day is a new chance to change our life.

Read more about travel and personal development:

How to develop your soft skills through cultural immersion experiences
9 ways to step out of your comfort zone while traveling
14 ways traveling stimulates inner growth
What are you really searching for on your travels?

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Leonie Wolfskin

Passion of travelling. Solo female traveler. Love life and travel.

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Write here your questions and greetings to the author

Jun 17, 2021

Being a traveller made me so much better, for sure :D

Feb 22, 2022

I totally agree!

TOP 5 reasons why you should volunteer abroad and how to do it

What is a Staycation and why now is the best time to have one

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Complete your profile, watch the video lessons in the Academy, and earn certificates to stand out to hosts.

Apply to as many positions as you like, and get in contact with our verified hosts.

If a host thinks you’re a good fit for their position, they’ll pre-approve you.

Get your documents and tickets ready for your volunteer trip.

Confirm your trip to enjoy all of the safety of Worldpackers.

Have a transformative experience and make a positive impact on the world.

If anything doesn’t go as planned with a host, count on the WP Safeguard and our highly responsive support team!

After volunteering, you and your host exchange reviews.

With positive reviews, you’ll stand out to hosts and get even more benefits.

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Top 7 reasons why travel makes people happy in life
7 Ways Travel Makes You Happy
Why Traveling Makes You Happy: 7 Facts Backed By Science
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Top 7 reasons why travel makes people happy in life
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Why Traveling Makes You Happy: 7 Facts Backed By Science
1. Traveling Rewires Your Brain. Image Source. According to neuroscientists, when we travel, we rewire our brains. This is because new experiences are the key to building new neural pathways in the brain. By rewiring your brain, you become more creative and accepting of new ideas. This is why travel makes you happy.
Travel makes us happy: Here's why
"Travel makes me very happy. I enjoy discovering new cultures and embracing the history of the country I'm in. I'm lucky to live in a cosmopolitan city so it makes travel even more interesting.
20 Reasons Why Travel Makes You Happier
Here are 20 reasons why travel makes you happier: 1. Travel exposes you to new experiences. Traveling opens you up to a new world of experiences. Whether you travel near or far, there are bound to be new experiences that will broaden your horizon. You can try new foods you've never heard of, learn about local customs, discover new ...
Top 7 reasons why travel makes people happy in life
Before planning your dream trip, make sure to purchase the best travel insurance and have a safe trip! Index [ Hide] 1 How to be happy through travel. 1.1 More self-confidence. 1.2 You make new friends. 1.3 Disconnect you from social media. 1.4 New beautiful memories to share. 1.5 Travel is learning.
Why Travel Makes You Awesome
Because being outgoing, funny, social, happy, confident, and smart are all qualities that make people more successful in everyday life. Travel makes people better versions of themselves. When you learn more about the world and the people in it, push your boundaries, and try new things, you become a more open, outgoing, and awesome person.
Five Reasons Why Travel Is Good For Your Mental Health
"Travel definitely makes me happy," agrees Wilson. "Even the act of planning a trip gives me something to look forward to and brings me happiness," says Wilson. Turns out, she's not the ...
Travel Happy: How to Be a More Joyful Traveler
Travel is a great opportunity to hit the reset button, and once we've reset we have the luxury of engaging our senses to practice being present. This can look a lot of different ways, but a ...
11 Reasons Why Travel Makes You a Happier Person
Here are 11 ways in which travel can make you happier: 1. Find your self-confidence by dealing with unexpected situations. There comes a time when everyone must deal with an unexpected situation when they're on the road. Even if you plan your trip to the letter, things can take a surprise turn. Whatever happens, there is a way around the ...
10 Reasons Why Travelling Makes Us Happy
What's more, the benefits - and memories - we gain from travelling are numerous. Here are 10 reasons why travel makes us so happy. Photo credit: Rod Julius Go 1- According to science, travel is the secret to happiness. At least, that's the assumption we'd like to make after discovering the results of a study done by Cornell University ...
The Scientific Case For Why You Need To Travel More Often
Here are the science-backed reasons why traveling boosts our happiness: 1. Traveling gives you joy before, during, and after the experience. Positive Psychology studies show there are 3 ways why traveling makes you happy: Anticipatory Joy: Before travel, you get happiness boosts while planning your holidays.
Does travel make you happy?
5 reasons why travel makes you happy. 1. Travel creates lasting memories. The results of research conducted by Cornell University in 2017 found that happiness is greater when going on vacation than acquiring material objects. If we purchase a physical object, our happiness will steadily fade because we get used to it.
Why travel makes you smarter and wiser
Why travel is the ultimate test of a relationship. Humans' "nomadic strategy meant that we were constantly confronting new environments," wrote learning expert Alison Gopnik in her book ...
Will Travel Make Me Happier?
A new study from the Institute for Applied Positive Research found that booking travel generates happiness and can alleviate stress and uncertainty during the COVID-19 pandemic. Here, 97% of survey respondents reported that having a trip planned makes them happier and that 74% of respondents reported that planning something would make them feel ...
Why travel makes you happier
Why travel makes you happier. 15 March 2022. In recent years, many people have come to the conclusion that experiences rather than material possessions are what makes you truly happy. In line with ...
How does traveling make us happy?
According to our research, 70% chose a sunny beach as their happy place. Traditional, laid-back small towns (42%), snowy mountains (32%), or hills and fields (38%) were voted by more participants as happy places than large cities (24.4%). "Spending time in nature can do a lot for your well-being, as it has been shown to reduce stress levels.
Why Travelling Makes Us Happy
Travelling has made me aware of how inconsequential so many things are, be they material items or moments of frustration or sadness. It has helped me to let go of the small things that used to bother me so much, and instead introduced me to the idea of embracing each day with a smile and an open mind. Essentially, travelling makes me happy ...
11 Reasons Why Travel Makes You a Happier Person
Here are 11 ways in which travel can make you happier: 1. FIND YOUR SELF-CONFIDENCE BY DEALING WITH UNEXPECTED SITUATIONS. There comes a time when everyone must deal with an unexpected situation when they're on the road. Even if you plan your trip to the letter, things can take a surprise turn. Whatever happens, there is a way around the ...
4 reasons why travelling can make you better
2. Traveling can increase your self-confidence. The more we open up to others, the more sincere we become to ourselves. Travelling has given me the opportunity to engage in a heartfelt dialogue with myself and to reflect on the mistakes I have been avoiding.
Study: Frequent travel makes people 7% happier, planning trips Covid
New research confirms what many travel buffs have been missing out on during Covid: frequent travel makes people happier. And although traveling is not safe or advised amid the pandemic, even ...
About me: Why Traveling the World Brings Me Happiness
Travel Makes Me Happy blog. New Orleans, Louisiana, 70119. Travel Resources and Recent Posts: I decided to compile all of our favorite craft cocktail bars to visit in New Orleans that are not on the Bourbon St. corridor (well, one is) and put them on a map in a DIY self-guided tour that you can take on if you visit New Orleans.
Why Traveling the World Won't Make You Happier
On a daily basis, we don't feel connected to our families, our neighbors, and our careers, but we are able to form connections with strangers in other countries. This isn't because travel is ...
What To See in Key West: One Day Itinerary
Welcome to the Travel Makes Me Happy blog! My name is KJ and I've discovered many things throughout my lifetime. I am from one of the (in my opinion) best cities in the world, New Orleans, Louisiana. I have always been surrounded with great food, great music, and fun growing up and living here. There is always a festival, music, or food event ...
Travel Makes Me Happy- Fun Travel Blog
Explore Texas Wine Country With An Unforgettable Road Trip. Articles, Favorite Destinations, Travel Guides and How-to / By K. J. Discover the beauty and bounty of the Texas Wine Country on this unforgettable road trip. As the fifth-largest wine-producing state in the U.S., Texas boasts more than 400 wineries, with most of them concentrated in.

7 Reasons Why Traveling Makes You Happy

1. Traveling Rewires Your Brain

2. It Improves Relationships

3. It Builds Connections

4. Experiences Are More Valuable Than Things

5. Memories Play Tricks On Us

6. Travel Experiences Make Good Stories

7. It’s Hard To Compare Travel Experiences

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Best Places To Visit In India By Month

Top 7 Reasons Why Travel Makes People Happy

How to be happy through travel

More self-confidence

You make new friends

Disconnect you from social media

New beautiful memories to share

Travel is learning

Makes you a better person

More time for yourself

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History & Culture

The Scientific Case for Why You Need to Travel More Often

1. Traveling gives you joy before, during, and after the experience.

2. Traveling triggers the release of Serotonin, the happiness chemical.

3. Traveling can help you get off the “hedonic treadmill.”

4. Unfamiliarity, novelty, and déjà vu of traveling make you happy.

5. Travel experiences become more valuable with time.

Can traveling make you happy?

Are people who travel a lot happy?

How does traveling make you feel?

How to plan your perfect holiday trip?

Final Words

About Author/Editor

Does travel make you happy?

5 reasons why travel makes you happy

2. Travel fosters existing relationships

3. Travel builds new relationships and connections

4. Travel rewires your brain and enhances creativity

5. Traveling keeps us healthy

Other related travel happiness articles:

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To mark the 10th anniversary of the International Day of Happiness back in March, we asked this very question… and got some stats to back up the answer. Here comes the science!

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