1 . A new study in the journal of Tourism Analysis shows frequent travelers are happier with their lives than people who don’t travel at all.

Chun-Chu Chen, an assistant professor at Washington State University, conducted a survey to find out why some individuals travel more frequently than others and whether or not travel and tourism experiences have a lasting effect on happiness and wellness.

The results of his analysis show individuals who pay more attention to tourism-related information and frequently discuss their travel plans with friends are more likely to go on regular vacations than those who aren’t constantly thinking about their next trip. Additionally, participants in the survey who reported regularly traveling at least 75 miles away from home also reported being about 7% happier when asked about their overall well-being than those who reported traveling very rarely or not at all.

“While things like work, family life and friends play a bigger role in overall reports of well-being. The accumulation (积累) of travel experiences’ does appear to have a small yet noticeable effect on self-reported life satisfaction,” Chen said.

Participants in the study were asked about the importance of travel in their lives, how much time they spent looking into and planning future vacations, and how many trips they went on over a year. They were also asked about their life satisfaction. Out of the 500 survey participants, a little over half reported going on more than four pleasurable trips a year. Only 7% of respondents did not take any vacations.

As travel restrictions (限制) due to COVID-19 pandemic begin to relax in the future, the research could have important effects on both tourists and the tourism industry. Based on the results of the study, Chen said travel companies, resorts and even airlines, could launch social media campaigns, such as creating signs about the scientific benefits of vacation, to spark people’s interest in discussing their opinions about travel.

3 . My time here in China is going well. I love my new school and classmates. Over the October holiday, my parents and I are planning to go to Xi’an to see the Terra-cotta Army. I’ve heard that it is an amazing sight, and I can’t wait to go. To me, the story of the Terracotta Army is almost unbelievable. It’s amazing that there are more than 8,000 statues, and no one in modern times knew about them until the 1970s.

We’re also planning to visit several other places in Xi’an. My dad and I are both look ing forward to going to the ShaanXi History Museum, because my dad loves history and I have heard that this museum is known as a “Chinese treasure house”! We’re also going to the Xi’an City Wall and a few other famous sights.

We’re taking the train, leaving the day before the October holiday begins. We’re arriving at 9: 30a.m. and will start sightseeing right away, so I hope we sleep well on the train! I guess that’s all for now! I’ll write again soon and send photos! Do you have any plans for the coming holiday? Hope to hear from you soon.

4 . Do you like traveling? If you are interested, come to our travel service (旅行社) as soon as possible. We offer (提供) the following travel lines for you to choose.

2-Day Huai’an Culture Group Tour

How about going to Huai’an for the weekend? You can visit Zhou Enlai Memorial and taste delicious Huaiyang food such as lobsters (龙虾) and crabs (螃蟹).

Tour Price: ¥300

Call us at 800-817-7223.

5-Day Colorful Taiwan Group Tour

If you like to take a round-island trip, Taiwan is the best place for you! You can climb Ali Mountain, go boating in Sun Moon Lake and experience the various culture of the island.

Tour Price: ¥8,500

Call us at 800-850-8288.

8-Day London Private Tour

Come to London to enjoy the view of the Thames (泰晤士河) and visit such places of interest as Tower Bridge and Big Ben.

Tour Price: 1 person: ¥16,800 2-5 persons: ¥15,800/person 6-9 persons: ¥13,800/person

Call us at 800-830-7288.

Yours,

LiHua

On our way to the house, it was raining     1    hard that we couldn’t help wondering how long we would spend     2    (get) there. It was in the middle of Pearl City.

We were first greeted with the barking by a pack    3    dogs, seven to be exact. They were well trained by their owners     4    had great experience with caring for these animals. Our hosts shared many of their experiences and    5     (recommend) wonderful places to eat, shop, and visit. For breakfast, we were able to eat papaya(木瓜) and other fruits from their trees in the backyard.

When they were free from work, they invited us to local events and let us know of     6     unique competition to watch, together with the story behind it. They also shared with us many    7    (tradition) stories about Hawaii that were     8    (extreme) popular with tourists. On the last day of our week-long stay, we     9    (invite) to attend a private concert on a beautiful farm on the North Shore under the stars, listening to musicians    10     meeting interesting locals.

10 . On my first round-the-world trip in 2006, I planned everything out in advance. I knew where I was going, staying for how long, and how 1 would get there. And then half-way through I ditched the plan and went with the flow(随大流). Over the years, how I plan my travel has changed. Now, I’m a last-minute planner and seldom travel with any plan.

Traveling without a plan gives you great flexibility (灵活性). Since nothing is booked far in advance, you can turn to something different when you change your mind or something better comes along. I changed my plans to meet a friend on an island in Thailand and stayed for a month. I wouldn’t have had that experience if I had kept to my planned schedule.

However, most new travelers are the opposite — they overplant their trips. Their whole journey is scheduled. Two days here, three days there. I understand why people do that. When time is short, you want to see as much as possible. You don’t want to waste a single second.

Actually, it is better to slow down your pace. Spending more time in one place allows you to get a better feel for the rhythm of life. You can visit at a more relaxed pace, see more than just the attractions, and open up your schedule to the happy accidents of travel.

When I first made my travel plan, I tried to include everything in it. Then I realized it was unrealistic, and revised my plan. I came up with a list of one or two things I want to see each day and spaced everything out. It’s an important lesson to learn. I think the best trip plan is to work out the general path you want to take, book the first few nights of your trip, and let your travels unfold from there. This way you are never locked into a certain place if your feelings change.