I have good news for you: Planning a vacation is a huge boost to your happiness. Anticipating a vacation escalates your happiness for eight weeks. Actually taking the vacation is a different story. If your vacation is self-described as "neutral" or "stressful," there will be no post-trip increase in happiness. And even if you feel your vacation was "very relaxed," your happiness will only increase for two weeks, post-trip.*
This is very good news for those of us who love to plan trips but know we won't be able to actually take the trips any time soon....It doesn't matter anyway, because planning the trip is going to make us much happier than actually taking it. Let me say that again, in case you missed it: Planning a trip is going to make us much happier than actually taking the trip.
Who is in?
Who wants to plan a trip to Paris with me?
What's the best time of year to go? Shall we stay a month? Two? Longer? What shall we do while we are there? Shall we learn to draw? Or make bread? What shall we eat there? Where shall we stay?
To prepare for the trip, perhaps we need to do some things now, like practice our French and read books about Paris and lots of other things that maybe you can remind me of.
So, who is in?
*All this from a recent study, published in the journal Applied Research in Quality of Life, as described in the article "How Vacations Affect Your Happiness."
Please join this weekly meme. Grab a copy of the photo above and link back to An Accidental Blog. Share with the rest of us your passion for France. Did you read a good book set in France? See a movie? Take a photo in France? Have an adventure? Eat a fabulous meal or even just a pastry? Or if you're in France now, go ahead and lord it over the rest of us. We can take it.
Paris is my child's dream! She is taking French in school (all 100s!), her room is decorated in a Paris theme, and she has an online fundraiser to be able to go on a school trip to Europe, including Paris. I would love to go with her, although my personal dream is Tuscany ...
ReplyDeleteYes, in 2013 I was in Paris and I do not mind coming back again!
ReplyDeleteOH MY WORD... I am SO in!!!!
ReplyDeleteYou know my love affair with Paris, and even though I went for two weeks in 2011, I yearn to go many more times and stay much longer.
I am much happier now than I was two minutes... just by reading the post about planning a vacation :)
I think we should plan for both Paris and Tuscany! Why not?!
ReplyDeleteI was lucky enough to go in 2010 with my sister and her two daughters. My sister is an amazing trip-planner. The trip was perfect. Just thinking about that trip makes me happy. Just looking at the photos from that trip make me happy.
ReplyDeleteI was pretty sure you'd join in, Molly. Shall we schedule a month or so for some photography classes? I think we shall.
ReplyDeleteI was just there three weeks ago-but just thinking about returning has put a smile on my face.
ReplyDeleteThree weeks ago? Oh, lucky you! Yes, we must all think about returning.
ReplyDeleteI'm in! what about 3 weeks in Paris next Spring?
ReplyDeleteThree weeks next spring sounds perfect.
ReplyDeleteYou know that Paris is my dream- always. I must disagree with your quote though. While anticipation of a trip is lovely- and Australia is so far from anywhere, and it's so expensive to get to Europe (and back, sadly always back) that there is a lot of anticipation time. As you know last year I spent an amazing month in Paris. It was a huge trip, with 10 friends and family in Paris at one stage. That trip had several years of lead in, and a good year of active planning and anticipation. The trip itself was amazing, every day another highlight, every day worth going for. The after glow certainly lasted longer than 2 weeks. It's still working to some extent six months after we got back. Although now it is mixed in with the planning stages of the next trip! I've been to Paris in May/June/July- a fantastic time to go. Next up, cooler weather- October/November.
ReplyDeleteThis study may have overlooked or underestimated one aspect of happiness...remembering happy events. Still it is nice to know that one can derive a great deal of happiness from a trip in simply planning for it.
ReplyDeleteAnd I'm happy you are planning for a real trip already. Good for you, Louise!
ReplyDeleteI feel so vindicated. I've had a hobby for decades of planning trips that I never take and people give me very weird looks when I tell them that!
ReplyDeleteI'm in for Paris in the spring! I just reviewed the first lessons in Rosetta Stone, so I can help there -- as long as all we need to talk about are people running, eating, and drinking.
How much more do we really need to know, Joy?!
ReplyDeleteHaven't been so will be following you with all the others! enjoy the planning.
ReplyDeleteGood! Can't wait to see all of you there!
ReplyDeleteOh, I loved Paris. We went when I was pregnant so I would like to go back and get to experience the wine and ALL of the cheese :)
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