Ray Bradbury – author of the space travel and colonization classic The Martian Chronicles – once wrote, “Half of the fun of travel is the aesthetic of lostness.” There is no doubt there is fun in adventure and surprise and so, there would be no exception when these apply to our travelling experiences. Besides the pre-trip research, which is a favourite habit for many of us, it is true that the unknown often has greater powers which tend to rank higher on the scoreboard of memories the end.
Have you ever wondered why the most unexpected events of a trip are always the best ones or the most memorable ones? Of course, there are plenty of books referring to the power of the unexpected and from a scientific perspective there is proof that there is a series of principles that contribute to a message or experience being memorable. One of these principles lays on the fact that if an event is uncommon and unique, it is easier to find its place in our memory log while the typical and expected ones are easy to be forgotten. Outside the scientific side of things, on a personal level, one thing I know for sure is that I can still remember that one time that I got lost in New York on my way from Hilton Midtown to a Chinese restaurant where I would meet a friend for dinner. It was early evening and for some strange reason I had persuaded myself that walking down 6th Avenue for sixteen blocks on heels was a good idea. A couple of plasters and a $8 taxi ride later, in need to be transferred for literally four blocks down the road when I realised I was unable to take another step in my bloody mussel yellow pair of shoes, the nightmare ended. Nevertheless, the memory of the whole incident is still alive in my mind although there was nothing exciting or fancy about it. I guess it was just so unexpected and intense for me at that time that it would be simply impossible to erase it, even if I tried. After all, we all know memories are not always created through pleasant events.
Another important factor related to the memories we create is the lessons we learn through experiences. In my case, I have definitely learnt my lesson in the hardest possible way on that day, so I will never again underestimate the pain sixteen blocks could cause but, even on a trip planning scenario, it is worth categorising the pre-booked experiences in way that filters down the type of memories these could create. For example, one would create different type of memories when booking a visit to the landmarks with a local tour guide rather than the type of memories they would create by participating in a drawing club in MoMa, although both of these experiences belong to the wider category of one’s cultural memories. To make that example more specific, if you close your eyes and imagine you describe that New York visit to a friend ten years later, which of these two sounds more likely to get mentioned as something you did in the past when you visited New York? The purpose of that example is to simplify the way our brain cells work when we travel and understand what kind of activities could make a trip even more enriched from a memories’ perspective. In fact, on that example, MoMa is more likely to get mentioned for two reasons; firstly, because it something less usual than the visit to the landmarks, making it an interesting story to tell, and secondly, because it was an interactive type of activity which has probably helped you feel more involved by being part of the action rather than being an observer, which automatically, makes it more memorable than the landmarks’ visit.
To an extend, pre-planning that type of special activities which can help in the creation of memories is key but it is essential to also allow some free space for spontaneity during trips, too. If you have heard of the theory of the structured chaos you probably understand where I am trying to get with this. You may be the type of traveller who prefers to have their upcoming trip planned by a Travel Advisor, which I personally consider to be very useful and convenient, or you may be the type of traveller who chooses to make all of their travel arrangements and planning entailed by themselves. Regardless of the route you end up choosing make sure you always allow some time for your own explorations and unplanned adventures because it is very likely your best memories will be created during that time.
#memories #travelinspiration
