Hi Reader,

I have always thought that part of the fun of traveling happens long before you arrive.

It starts when a place shifts from somewhere I would love to go someday to I am actually going there.

And apparently, there is some science behind that feeling.

GetYourGuide recently surveyed 4,000 travelers in the U.K. about what happens when we book a trip. Nearly half said they felt an immediate burst of excitement after booking, and 42% said it improved their mood.

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But this was the part that really caught my nerdy little attention:

Once the trip was booked, people started anticipating it.

They pictured what they would do. They started making plans. They imagined themselves actually being there.

Nerd Alert: In positive psychology, there is a concept called savoring. It is the intentional act of generating, maintaining, and even amplifying positive emotions around an experience.

In other words, we do not have to wait until we are standing in front of the Colosseum, wandering through the medieval streets of a UNESCO World Heritage city, or staring at a painting we have read about for years to start enjoying a trip.

We can begin enjoying it months beforehand.

And I think history-loving travelers may be particularly good at this.

Because researching a destination is not simply figuring out which train to take or where to have lunch.

It is discovering that the unassuming building around the corner witnessed a revolution.

It is learning why that cathedral looks completely different from the one you visited 2 days earlier.

It is realizing that the street you are going to walk down has been used by travelers, merchants, soldiers, pilgrims, and ordinary residents for hundreds of years.

By the time you finally arrive, the destination already has layers.

That is one of the reasons I love travel planning so much. The trip begins taking shape in your imagination before your suitcase ever comes out of the closet.

So, if there is a place you have been thinking about for months, perhaps this is your permission to move it one tiny step closer to reality.

Research the neighborhood.

Read the history.

Choose the museum.

Book the experience.

Give yourself something wonderful to anticipate.

Because apparently, the joy of travel does not begin at the airport.

It may begin the moment the trip becomes real.

Happy travels,
The Nerd Traveler

P.S. Already know where you are going next? You can start exploring my personal recommendations below!