When Vacations Don’t Make Us Happy

Is this your idea of a low-stress vacation? Photo by Clark Norton

Happy International Day of Happiness! I just found out that this is the second annual such day, boosted by the United Nations, which must be timed to coincide with the first day of spring — in the Northern Hemisphere, at least — and its sense of renewal (even though as I look out my window, snow is still covering my upstate New York landscape).

So I thought it appropriate to revisit the issue of whether or not travel makes us happier. Earlier this year I reported on findings that travel, in general, does make us healthier and happier than those who don’t travel, particularly as we age.

“Travelers,” one study found, “report higher satisfaction with regard to their stress levels and their physical health and well being.” It cited travelers’ reports of beneficial effects on “mood and… Continue reading →