A brilliant article. I have recently returned from a year and a half travelling the world, in which I came to many of the same conclusions that you discuss in this article. One of the key lessons to learn about travelling is that, wherever you go, you take yourself with you. You will not be a different person or escape yourself in some way, just because you got on a plane to a new place. If anything, it is harder to be happy when you travel because you’re away from many of the things you rely upon for happiness — friends, family, familiarity. My travels have given me a whole new appreciation for my “normal life”, my “box of experience”. Thank you for the reminder!