All my life, ever since I started travelling, I have been denying myself pre-trip happiness.
No happy trip feelings allowed!
I kept rationalising that I was not on my trip yet.
I suspect this was a learnt behaviour. Maybe from my parents? Maybe from my surrounding? In the society I grew up in? But then, it can’t be a reason to keep carrying this travel-specific nihilistic attitude, can it?
In the taxi back from work today, I replayed the conversation I had with Jik over the weekend. She asked me whether I was excited about the upcoming Japan trip. It was not the first time she asked me about it, and it was not the first time I answered with a variation of “not yet”.
Why not yet, though? Why can’t I drink the whole pre-trip high and bask in the glory? I mean, I worked hard for the trip to happen. I paid for the ticket, the hotels and the pricey JR pass. I took leave from work and had to pay the time off with multiple overtime days, including today. So why not???
I realised it was up to me to drop this belief and that I could drop it immediately as this attitude doesn’t serve me a bit.
I then got reminded of Sonja Lyubomirsky’s advice in her book, one of my fave self-help books: How to Happiness. Something about making efforts to savour the good feelings. This reminded me of Tal Ben Shahar’s advice in his book, Happier, ━ to prolong the moments and good feelings attached to the happy moments as long as possible so I can cultivate more happiness from one happiness.
Therefore, I have decided that I am going to savour and prolong my happy trip feeling as long as possible, before and after. Before planning and after writing it here. There I even have the methods for it. I am so ready!
Happiness for the Japan trip starts now!
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