I am currently reading a book called The Happy Traveler Unpacking the Secrets of Better Vacations by Jamie Kurtz, a happiness researcher. In the book the author talks about the things that can make a vacation more enjoyable and memorable.
A few things the author talks about resonated with me. They are:
Anticipation and having something to look forward to increases our joy and excitement.
Memorable moments often center around food.
Going with the flow and opening yourself up to new experiences can can be rewarding, and totally immersing yourself in the experience helps you get the most out of it.
We are more likely to remember something being good if there is something pleasant at the end of an experience.
Until reading Jamie Kurtz's book, I did not understand why the best meal of my life was so memorable. It was the second to last night in Cancun, and we (my boyfriend and I) decided to order a special meal for our last night there. We talked to the hostess and explained to her that we wanted to order our favorite Mexican dish that was not on the menu. She confirmed that we could order it and brought the chef over. She starts translating to the chef, explaining what we want. The meal we ordered does not translate exactly in Spanish. We ordered a Molcajete. In Spanish this translate to lava rock, the dish the meal is cooked in. After some back and forth, we were all set to come back the next evening for our special meal.
The next evening we arrive at the restaurant and order our wine and explain to the waiter that we had ordered a special meal. After a few minutes the waiter comes back and asks how we would like our steak cooked. Of all the the Molcajetes I have eaten in the states, none were served with steak. Generally, they come with beef, chicken, shrimp, chorizo, and Mexican cheese all cooked in a red sauce in the molcajete. We were wondering exactly what had we ordered, and the anticipation grew. We made a decision at that time that we were going to enjoy whatever was brought out to us, even if it was not what we were intending to order. Worrying about what was to come was not going to do any good at this point and would have made our last night there less enjoyable. We were going with the flow, or as my daughter says we were "vibing".
When our meal finally came it was everything and more than what we had expected, and it even included a little show in its presentation. The Molcajete was served with a tomahawk steak (I had never had one before) that was served flaming.
This meal had all the elements listed above that make a vacation experience memorable. First, it was centered around food. Who doesn't love a good meal? We had something to look forward to on the last night of our trip. We were excited have our favorite Mexican dish prepared in Mexico by a Mexican chef. There was also the anticipation of the unknown. Did the hostess convey correctly what we wanted? What was the meal going to be like? How would it compare to the Molcajetes we had in the states? We were trying something new, ordering a meal that was not on the restaurant menu. We were totally immersed in experience. Except to film the meal presentation, our phones were put away. We were enjoying each others company and our last evening at the resort, taking in the smells, the sunset, the happy patrons around us in the restaurant, and reminiscing about all the things we did in Cancun. This experience happened several years ago, but I can still remember all the details and thinking about it still brings a lot of joy. Until reading The Happy Traveler, I did not understand the psychology behind what made this such a good experience and such a memorable one.
Lastly, the author talks about money spent on experiences that bring us joy, is money well spent. We were on the all inclusive plan and could have foregone the expense of this meal. In looking back, it was the best money spent. This meal was one of the most memorable experiences of our trip and the best meal of my life. Had we not spent the money, I would not have this great memory that will last a life time.
I will leave you with this. Make the most from your vacation experiences! Have something to look forward to. Book your activities before you arrive or a few days in advance. Booking something the day of is less joyful because you don't have the anticipation leading up to it and something to look forward to. Do something new that you may not normally do and totally immerse yourself in the experience. Fully experiencing something makes it much more memorable. If we are distracted by our cell phones or thinking about tomorrows adventure, it takes away from the moment and will be less memorable. When traveling do not do all your exciting or fun excursions or activities at the beginning of a trip, rather leave a few fun, enjoyable things for the end of your trip as well. Having a good experience at the end of your vacation will make it more memorable. Happy vacationing!
For the full psychology around the tips discussed here and more, read Jamie Kurtz book the Happy Traveler Unpacking the Secrets of Better Vacations.
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