Choosing Experiences Over Things: How Travel Reminds Us What Really Matters
We live in a world that constantly tells us to buy more. The next phone, the next outfit, the next piece of décor that promises happiness. But when I think back on the moments that have actually stayed with me, they aren’t things I’ve bought. They’re experiences I’ve lived.
And travel, especially the kind that’s simple and real, reinforces that truth again and again.
The Fleeting Joy of “Stuff”
There’s nothing wrong with wanting nice things. But possessions have a short shelf life when it comes to fulfillment. The excitement of something new fades quickly and is soon replaced by the next desire on our list.
Experiences, on the other hand, grow in value over time. The budget-friendly guesthouse where you made friends over coffee, the local bakery you stumbled into on a rainy morning — those memories age beautifully. They become part of who you are, not just what you own.
How Travel Reinforces the Value of Experiences
When we travel (especially as adults without kids), every day holds the potential for discovery. Whether it’s figuring out a foreign train system, tasting a dish we can’t pronounce, or watching the sunrise in a place we’ve only ever seen in photos, these moments make us feel alive.
They’re fleeting but somehow permanent, etched in memory long after the souvenirs have gathered dust.
In his book Die with Zero, author Bill Perkins calls this the memory dividend. It’s the idea that every experience you invest in pays ongoing returns through the joy of remembering it — the stories you tell, the feelings you revisit, the perspective you gain. Each trip or moment you truly live keeps giving back long after it’s over.
Travel teaches us that:
A shared meal with new friends can be more memorable than a Michelin star dinner.
A disastrous hike through the rain can become one of your favorite travel stories.
Some of the best souvenirs are the ones you can’t pack: laughter, awe, and connection.
Why Experiences Deepen Our Relationships
When we choose experiences over things, we also choose connection. Travel naturally brings people closer through shared challenges and discoveries. We remember the time we huddled under one umbrella in a downpour, the bus ride that went completely sideways but led to an incredible (or hilarious) story, or the quiet comfort of just being somewhere new together.
Those moments build a deeper kind of wealth that no possession can match.
Bringing the Mindset Home
You don’t have to constantly travel to live this way (who could afford that?!). Travel simply teaches us how to notice, and to appreciate the ordinary as if we were seeing it for the first time. It’s the same mindset that makes an impromptu picnic, a new recipe, or a walk at sunset feel just as meaningful as a faraway adventure.
Because when you value experiences over things, you start to realize: the richness of life isn’t in what you own, it’s in what you live every day.
Final Thoughts
Travel reminds us that happiness isn’t found in what we own, but in what we experience.
And the best part? You don’t need a luxury budget to live that way. Just curiosity, openness, and a willingness to trade more stuff for more living.
Ready to start collecting your own memory dividends? Plan a trip that focuses on moments, not things — even if it’s just a weekend getaway close to home.