Nature & Wildlife
Next week, I’ll mark another birthday. While I’m grateful for all the ones I’ve been fortunate enough to have so far, how quickly they seem to roll by now is somewhat daunting. That makes me a bit sad. In turn, that has me wondering: at what age are we our happiest?
Videos
Nature and the end-of-the-year holidays. If you ask me, they go together, traveling across Earth hand in hand at this special time. Maybe that’s because of all the evergreens, holly, mistletoe and poinsettias that we see everywhere we go. Or it could be that this is traditionally the time for awe, contentment, joy and peace.
News & More
Doctors in Scotland made headlines a few years ago when they began “prescribing nature” for their patients with a range of afflictions. That new practice was based on research that suggested that people who spent two or more hours per week in nature improved their health and well-being.
Nature & Wildlife
When children were recently asked to draw their “happy places,” more than half of them created drawings that included aspects of nature and outdoor spaces, such as gardens, grass, lakes, outdoor playgrounds, parks, rainbows, rivers, sunlight or trees. Trees, in particular, were drawn by a third of the children.
African Safaris
I have never been to Africa. Yet, I like to imagine being there: I picture myself on a safari in Botswana, Kenya, Namibia, South Africa or Tanzania.
Nature & Wildlife
Santa Claus has long been known as the world’s biggest spreader of happiness and joy, but he now has some competition when it comes to eliciting smiles on Christmas Day.
Conservation
While travel has the potential to positively impact the places visited—infusing money into local economies, supporting local artisans and conservation projects, and promoting understanding across cultures—it also has the capability to destroy the very things we seek to experience and explore.
Travel Tips
There’s a lot to be said for spontaneity. It allows you to take advantage of opportunities that pop up and opens the door for creativity, flexibility and freshness. But I prefer to operate in planning mode, and I like to anticipate what’s coming up on my calendar.
News & More
March 20th is International Day of Happiness, a special day created by the UN General Assembly to officially recognize the importance of happiness as a fundamental human goal and aspiration in everyone’s lives around the world.
News & More
A new study finds that introverts tend to live in mountainous areas and extroverts gravitate to flat regions. Are we genetically predisposed to landscape types?
Nature & Wildlife
Feeling pressed for time? Silly question, right? With smartphones, tablets, computers and other electronic devices constantly competing with our real-world lives and work and family obligations, who doesn’t feel rushed? We all know that nature can make us nicer, healthier and happier individuals.
Videos
What makes you happy? New research shows that spending money on having experiences—such as traveling—makes you feel cheerful and more upbeat than when you purchase things. Now, Academy Award nominated director Roko Belic is working on a feature documentary that will explore what makes people truly happy.
