The Secret to Making Weekends Last Longer

I’ve recently re-learned something about weekends that I tend to forget. It has to do with travel. Ever wonder why a weekend (or week) away tends to feel longer than the same amount of time in one’s regular routine? Basically, you’re out of your rut — seeing and doing new things — so you’re actually noticing the world, no longer on autopilot. That means you’re fully alive in every moment and experiencing every detail. As a bonus: you’re also doing more fun things (unless you’re travelling for work); you’ve literally left the grind of work and other daily responsibilities behind; and you’re probably getting more exercise (walking!) and more nature. I’ve found this time-dilation phenomenon to be true of all sorts of travel, from long-weekend hops to a nearby town or city, to multi-month overseas expeditions, and everything in between. Last weekend I took a road trip through gorgeous countryside to another city, poked around a trendy street, stayed in a place I’d never been before. Earlier this fall I spent a weekend in Montreal, doing much the same things. This summer I went hiking in the Rockies for most of a week. A year and a half ago, I spent three months backpacking around Asia. All of those trips felt twice as long as they really were. Here’s the secret: you don’t have to actually travel.

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