Earlier this week I was half-listening-to, half-watching one of the network morning news shows. They were discussing ways one could improve mental abilities and possibly even ward off the effects of aging and dementia on the brain. The list included getting adequate sleep (eight hours a night instead of five or six), exercising regularly, avoiding certain foods and consuming plenty of certain others. And then my ears perked up: travel, their experts said, is very good for the brain. It makes sense: Landing in a new location immediately confronts one with issues (Which train do I take? What is the exchange rate? How should I conduct myself with this client in this setting?) which require some mental agility and flexibility. One is bombarded with new sights, foods, culture, language and customs that have those neurons firing like crazy. But in looking into this topic, I came across another way in which travel improves our thinking. An article on the Matador Network by Christine Garvin quotes Jonah Lehrer (author of How We Decide) on the advantages of travel. He states that gaining physical distance from a problem or issue we may be grappling with “allows us to envision larger outcomes and possibilities.” In other words, “When we escape from the place we spend most of our time, . . . we start thinking about obscure possibilities.” Our horizons expand and our brains find new connections and perspectives. It seems that the creativity required in dealing with the unknowns of travel boosts our imagination and helps us attack those mundane issues left back at home more creatively, too. Based on what I’ve read in our readers’ letters to the editor and blog comments, I would guess that Global Traveler readers would agree with Lehrer when he says that travel “endows us with a valuable openmindedness.” An excellent reason to plan that next trip soon! — Patty Vanikiotis, associate editor/copy editor