The Thrill That Stays

Hiking up a mountain isn’t just a hobby; it brings you real happiness. I don’t say this lightly; research backs it up. When I first started hiking, I felt my joy growing. Gratitude started bubbling inside me too. I’ll mention the research in a bit. Hiking made my happiness spike like never before. A study from Cornell University researchers Drew Carter and Thomas Gilovich in 2010 shows that experiences, like trips or memorable moments, give longer happiness than material things.

My Happiness Before Hiking

Before hiking, my joy level was low. My outlook wasn’t happy. But since I started hiking and swimming, my happiness climbed, and I stayed happier than before. This wasn’t ordinary; it was huge for me because I wasn’t that happy earlier. Why did I become so much happier? I dug into it, searched, and found the answer. One big reason is that experiences give lasting joy.

Why Experiences Beat Stuff

You do an adventure or go on a trip; that gives more happiness than buying material things. Material joy doesn’t last long; it’s short and fades. Like when you buy a new phone; first day it’s thrilling, second day less, third day even less. A week later, it’s normal because you’re used to it. Whenever you buy something new, it gives joy, but time passes, you get used to it, and the joy stops.

The Dark Room Example

It’s like coming from a dark room into bright light; your eyes sting at first, but soon they adjust, and you don’t notice the brightness anymore. Your eyes get used to it. Same with material things: first day you’re not used to it, so big joy, but slowly you adapt, and the joy ends. That’s why when you do an experiential thing or go on an adventure, it gives more happiness than buying stuff.

My Own Experience

That’s why when I started going for hiking, it was an experience, an adventure. When I went there, it not only made me happy while going; it’s a physical activity experience. When I experience it, when I remember it again, I get happy. When I think about going again, it gives me joy. When I think I went on an adventure before, it gives me a lot of joy.

The Problem with Material Things

With material things, there’s another issue: you always compare. It’s human nature to compare, and comparison kills happiness. When you buy a material thing, you compare it with others. Like if you buy a phone, you compare: how could a better phone be? If someone has a better one, you compare your material things that way, so they don’t give joy; your happiness ends.

Experiences Don’t Invite Comparison

When you do an experience, meaning when you go on an adventure or to a place, you don’t usually compare that adventure with someone else’s experience. You remember your own experience, and it keeps giving you joy. Experiences become part of your identity. You remember them. They become a story. As your age passes, you remember them like stories, and when you remember that experience again, your happiness refreshes. It’s just like you’re experiencing it again or when you think about experiencing it, it gives you joy.

Building a Stronger Self

Besides, it makes your sense of self and happiness both stronger. You can feel yourself. Your connection with yourself gets strong because when you remember the experience, you say, I went there, I felt that. This way you feel your existence and happiness too. This way you get more happiness. When you buy a material thing, three days later you get used to it, and you forget you bought a material thing.

Time Makes Experiences Sweeter

Last summer, I hiked a steep trail near a mountain stream; the air was crisp, smelling of pine, and my boots crunched on loose gravel. When I reached a clear pool fed by a spring, I dove in, the cold water shocking my skin awake. Months later, sitting in a stuffy room, I close my eyes and that moment rushes back; the splash, the chill, the quiet hum of the forest. Unlike a new gadget that loses its shine, that hike grows richer in my memory. Time polishes experiences like stones in a river; they become treasures you carry forever.

No Comparison, Just Joy

You do an adventure; it’s yours. No comparison like, How was my experience? So your happiness doesn’t end. The happiness of experience keeps coming back to you. Second, experiences become part of your identity. You remember them. They become a story. As age passes, you remember like stories. When you remember the experience again, happiness refreshes. It’s like experiencing again or thinking about experiencing gives joy. Besides, it makes sense of self and happiness strong. You feel yourself. Connection with self gets strong because remembering the experience, you say I went, I felt. This way you feel existence and happiness. So more happiness. When buying material, three days later used to it, forget bought material.

Why Experiences Like Hiking Outlast Material Purchases

The paper by Drew Carter and Thomas Gilovich explores how experiential purchases, like travel or events, bring longer-lasting happiness than material ones, such as buying goods. Key findings show that people feel more satisfied with experiences because they foster social connections, create enduring memories, and become part of one’s identity. In contrast, material items often lead to quicker declines in joy. A main reason is adaptation: people get used to material goods fast, reducing their emotional value over time, while experiences resist this, keeping happiness alive longer. Another factor is comparison: material purchases invite unfavorable social comparisons, like envying better versions owned by others, which erodes satisfaction. Experiences, however, are more personal and less prone to such judgments, preserving their positive impact. The core difference lies in the purchase intent; to “do” (experiences) versus to “have” (materials); shifting focus from fleeting ownership to meaningful actions. Connecting to outdoor themes like hiking, this suggests trips to nature yield sustained happiness through memories and self-growth, unlike buying gear like tents, which may fade via adaptation or comparisons to fancier equipment. These insights highlight experiences’ edge in well-being, supported by studies on subjective happiness and satisfaction.

Your Turn to Find Freedom

Grab some boots, find a trail, jump in a lake; start small. Your body will get stronger, your doubts will get quieter, and your heart will get lighter. Follow my journey on Storily.me; raw stories, unfiltered moments, just me and the wild. Let’s find that peace together, one step at a time. Visit Storily to feel the freedom through my eyes!

Write email to writer at kazmi@storily.me