Why a trip is better with people you know

There's a moment when a trip you've been talking about becomes something you're actually going to do. That line opens the Experience section of the Encounter invitation, and the rest of that section is about the people: the messages that start, the friend who finds a restaurant, the one who wants to arrive a day early. Research on happiness points in the same direction.

In 2003, Leaf Van Boven and Thomas Gilovich surveyed people about purchases they'd made, and respondents said their experiences made them happier than their possessions. In a lab experiment, simply thinking back on an experience left people in a better mood than thinking about a possession. The authors suggested a few reasons. We look back on experiences more fondly over time, they become part of who we are, and they're more enjoyable to talk about with other people.

Ten years later, Peter Caprariello and Harry Reis looked more closely at that last reason. Across four studies, when they looked at both questions at once, sharing the experience with other people was what made the difference. Experiences shared with other people were valued more than either possessions or experiences on your own. Solitary experiences turned out to be no more valued than possessions.

So the people on a trip may count as much as the place. That fits what the Encounter invitation describes: "You might arrive knowing someone mainly from a screen and leave with a friendship that lasts a lifetime." And between trips, you keep learning together, catching up, and looking forward to the next time you'll see each other.

When you post about travel, show the people as well as the view, with their permission. Use your own photos and describe the trip honestly. If you booked it independently, say so.

Try this: think of one person you'd love to share a trip with. Tell them why, even if there's no trip planned yet.