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Frequent travel isn't all it's cracked up to be. This study shows why.

There's more to jet setting than racking up all those frequent flier miles.

Most people agree that travel is a great way to see the world, right?

Photo by Unsplash/Pixabay .

I know that I appreciate every opportunity I get to learn from other cultures. And I know firsthand how meeting different peoples can be life-changing. I don't just learn more about others. I also learn about myself during such visits.

And thanks to social media, we can get an up close and personal look at others on their adventures.

Facebook and Twitter feeds are full of Eiffel Tower selfies, beach pictures that look like screen savers, and snowcapped mountain treks. It can feel like everyone you know is traveling the world. But if you're anything like me, seeing that Instagram photo while at your desk can give you a serious case of FOMO ("Fear Of Missing Out").

I can't believe I made it to Africa. Let the adventure begin. #Vcation #SophieLyndon2015
A photo posted by Vanessa Hudgens (@vanessahudgens) on

Thanks a lot, Instagram.

But according to a recent study, we should probably chill before we become a green-eyed monster of jealousy.

Researchers from the University of Surrey and Lund University studied how the media does a really good job of making the jet-setting life look really glamorous. But thanks to the limited scope of what we are shown, we fail to see the full picture of what can happen after someone quits their job to travel the globe.

In this case, a picture might be worth a thousand words — but it also leaves out two thousand others.

The truth is that excessive travel isn't all it's cracked up be.

The next time you're scrolling through your Facebook friend's 10th vacation album, try to keep these findings in mind:

Traveling can take a toll on your body.

You probably don't see many travelers sharing a photo of the jet lag struggle. No matter how you look at it, adjusting to a new time zone is a real drag. Even with the best preparation, it can have an impact on the body. Jet lag can affect your gastrointestinal system, and it can affect you more than six days after you land. Other effects on the body include more exposure to germs and deep vein thrombosis. Yikes.

I feel your pain. I've so been there, Jake. GIF from "Adventure Time."

All that train- and plane-hopping can be stressful.

The pre-travel stress probably isn't being documented either. Prepping to travel to a faraway place (will I forget to pack something?!) and psyching yourself up for a TSA pat-down isn't exactly the most pleasant experience. I know I am not in the mood to take a selfie while I am waiting to get stared down by an immigration officer.

On the more extreme side of the spectrum, the researchers mentioned a study that found that World Bank staff who traveled for work had a 300% higher rate of psychological medical claims than their non-traveling counterparts. Traveling isn't always easy on the psyche.

There are friends and family back home.

Travelers may be having fun elsewhere, but they also are probably missing people back home — like you! Vacationing in a new land can expose you to great experiences, but sometimes it can be a bummer when you can't share them with all of your loved ones.

All that travel can take a toll on the environment too.

If you're an environmentalist, you probably know about the impact travel can have on our world. The study mentioned how hypermobility is probably not environmentally sustainable. A New York Times article states that just one round trip cross-country flight has the same effect on the atmosphere as two-three tons of carbon dioxide per person. That's a lot.

You can say your fewer vacations are your contribution to the world by slowing down the erosion of the ozone layer. You're welcome.

The truth is that every sort of lifestyle has its ups and downs, so don't be jealous if you can't quit your job and " Eat, Pray, Love " your way around the globe.

Not all of us can live like Don Draper. GIF from "Mad Men."

Community

Facebook group brings people together IRL to make meaningful friendships

True

Making new friends as an adult is challenging. While people crave meaningful IRL connections, it can be hard to know where to find them. But thanks to one Facebook Group, meeting your new best friends is easier than ever.

Founded in 2018, NYC Brunch Squad brings together hundreds of people who come as strangers and leave as friends through its in-person events.

“Witnessing the transformative impact our community has on the lives of our members is truly remarkable. We provide the essential support and connections needed to thrive amid the city's chaos,” shares Liza Rubin, the group’s founder.

Despite its name, the group doesn’t just do brunch. They also have book clubs, seasonal parties, and picnics, among other activities.

NYC Brunch Squad curates up to 10 monthly events tailored to the specific interests of its members. Liza handles all the details, taking into account different budgets and event sizes – all people have to do is show up.

“We have members who met at our events and became friends and went on to embark on international journeys to celebrate birthdays together. We have had members get married with bridesmaids by their sides who were women they first connected with at our events. We’ve had members decide to live together and become roommates,” Liza says.

Members also bond over their passion for giving back to their community. The group has hosted many impact-driven events, including a “Picnic with Purpose” to create self-care packages for homeless shelters and recently participated in the #SquadSpreadsJoy challenge. Each day, the 100 members participating receive random acts of kindness to complete. They can also share their stories on the group page to earn extra points. The member with the most points at the end wins a free seat at the group's Friendsgiving event.

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friendship
Education

In 125 years, millions of people have looked at this painting. No one really saw it until recently.

Van Gogh saw something it took scientists another 100 years to see.

Image from Wikimedia Commons .

Van Gogh’s Starry Night.



Van Gough never got to enjoy his own historic success as an artist ( even though we've been able to imagine what that moment might have looked like). But it turns out that those of us who have appreciated his work have been missing out on some critical details for more than 100 years.

I'm not easily impressed, OK?

I know Van Gogh was a genius. If the point of this were "Van Gogh was a mad genius," I would not be sharing this with you.
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Health

Women do better when they have a group of strong female friends, study finds

We're stronger together.

Photo by Omar Lopez on Unsplash

Women do better when they have female friends.

Madeleine Albright once said , "There is a special place in hell for women who don't help other women." It turns out that might actually be a hell on Earth, because women just do better when they have other women to rely on, and there's research that backs it up.

A study published in the Harvard Business Review found that women who have a strong circle of friends are more likely to get executive positions with higher pay. "Women who were in the top quartile of centrality and had a female-dominated inner circle of 1-3 women landed leadership positions that were 2.5 times higher in authority and pay than those of their female peers lacking this combination," Brian Uzzi writes in the Harvard Business Review .

Part of the reason why women with strong women backing them up are more successful is because they can turn to their tribe for advice. Women have to face different challenges than men, such as unconscious bias, and being able to turn to other women who have had similar experiences can help you navigate a difficult situation. It's like having a road map for your goals.

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women
Education

3,700-year-old Babylonian stone tablet gets translated, changes history

They were doing trigonometry 1500 years before the Greeks.

via UNSW

Dr. Daniel Mansfield and his team at the University of New South Wales in Australia have just made an incredible discovery. While studying a 3,700-year-old tablet from the ancient civilization of Babylon, they found evidence that the Babylonians were doing something astounding: trigonometry!

Most historians have credited the Greeks with creating the study of triangles' sides and angles, but this tablet presents indisputable evidence that the Babylonians were using the technique 1,500 years before the Greeks ever were.

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education
Pop Culture

Millennials nearing 40 are sharing their biggest mistakes so everyone can learn from them

Here are 21 of the most powerful responses.

via Pexels

Millennials are now old enough to seriously reflect on life.

It seems like only yesterday a millennial was a college kid that baby boomers chided for being entitled and Gen Xers thought were way too sincere and needed to learn how to take a joke. Today, the oldest millennials, those born around 1980, have hit their 40s and have lived long enough to have some serious regrets.

They also have enough experience to take some pride in decisions that, in hindsight, were the right moves.

The good news is that at 40 there is still plenty of time to learn from our successes and failures to set ourselves up for a great second half of life. These lessons are also valuable to the Gen Zers coming up who can avoid the pitfalls of the older generation.

A Reddit user who has since deleted their profile asked millennials nearing 40 “what were your biggest mistakes at this point in life?” and they received more than 2,200 responses. The biggest regrets these millennials have are being flippant about their health and not saving enough money when they were younger.

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millennials
Joy

Stop blaming the 'Karens.' The people who complain the most have a different name.

The stereotype has been wrong all along.

via Rickey123/Pixabay

A woman giving a stern warning.

Over the past few years, women named Karen have taken a lot of heat in the media. The term "Karen" has been used to describe a specific type of entitled, privileged and often middle-aged white woman. Typically, "Karen” is depicted as demanding, self-important and constantly seeking to escalate minor inconveniences to authority figures, like demanding to "speak to the manager."

Identifying the folks who create unnecessary drama in our world is important. But calling them a “Karen” isn’t the best way to solve the problem. There are many reasons to have an issue with the “Karen” stereotype. First, it’s terrible for people named Karen, and it’s also a connotation that many feel is racist , sexist and ageist.

Further, according to a new study by Trustpilot , the stereotype isn’t accurate. A recent survey by the online media site found that the people who leave the most one-star reviews aren’t female, and the women who do it the most aren’t named Karen.

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memes
Family

People are mortified to find out how many moms daydream about being hospitalized

Yes, it's a real thing.

Canva, @emilykmay/X

Lying in bed and looking out the window with no one asking for anything? Yes, please.

It's hard to explain the relentless intensity of having young children if you haven't done it. It's wonderful, beautiful, magical and all of that—it truly is—but it's a lot. Like, a lot . It's a bit like running an ultramarathon through the most beautiful landscape you can imagine. There's no question that it's amazing, but it's really, really hard. And sometimes there are storms or big hills or obstacles or twisted ankles or some other thing that makes it even more challenging for a while.

Unfortunately, a lot of moms feel like they're running that marathon alone. Some actually are. Some have partners who don't pull their weight. But even with an equal partner, the early years tend to be mom-heavy, and it takes a toll.

In fact, that toll is so great that it's not unusual for moms to fantasize about being hospitalized—not with anything serious, just something that requires a short stay—simply to get a genuine break .

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mom life
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