Why travel?

6 days ago2 min read

BY OLIVIA ISLAS

March 5, 2025

Airplane wing during flight against a backdrop of fluffy clouds and a golden sunset, creating a tranquil and serene atmosphere.

When we travel, we often think of vacations, or work, but there could be a lot more to travel than basking in the sunshine, or waterslides. Traveling in its essence allows us to leave our predictable natural habitats and see a place unknown to us. Even if it's only been a year since you’ve visited a certain place, it isn’t quite the same as staying at home.

Traveling to a new location opens the mind up to the new experiences around you. Your brain is focused on absorbing everything and it creates the childlike bliss we all remember having often. (Rote, 2024) It’s not quite the same as the euphoria from an exciting purchase, which fades quickly. These memories last and can be rejuvenated when reliving events years later i.e., photo albums, talking about it, etc.

Planning for the adventure is half the fun!

It isn’t just the sense of novelty when traveling that creates endorphins, it’s also the sense of anticipation that builds as the trip gets closer. Planning and studying the location is a big part of a fulfilling adventure. When people are engaged in the process, they report an increased sense of happiness, hope, and anticipation as they look towards the future.

Research by Chen & Patrick, J. F. in 2013 provides this graphic that effectively lays out the benefits of vacations. The positive results of traveling include but are not limited to, increased productivity at work, lower blood pressure, better sense of self, increased creativity, etc.

Satisfaction image of study — Image Chen & Patrick, J. F. (2013)

To say more about this sense of anticipation, it forms an extrinsic motivation that can propel an individual to focus and work towards the long term reward. “...Extrinsic motivation result when a behavioral regulation and the value associated with it have been internalized” (Gagné and Deci, 2005). There are few things more satisfying than overcoming a difficult challenge. To top that with a reward that combines boat novelty and experience results in impactful memories that have a lasting richness to life.