I am trying to have a good attitude about getting older.

Aging is talked about as though it is a slow motion slide into decline. But what if part of healthy and productive aging comes not from supplements or miracle serums (not that I don’t recommend both), but from a boarding pass? What if the secret to keeping your brain sharp and your spirit young lies in a suitcase packed and ready to go?

I have been thinking about what traveling does, not just to my perspective, but to my mind and my body. Each new city, each set of unfamiliar streets, each unexpected meal brings me into a state of alertness. My senses turn on, my awareness heightens. That spark, it turns out, is not just a nice feeling, it is neurological.

Neuroplasticity is the brain’s ability to adapt, rewire, and form new pathways. For decades, scientists thought this capacity declined sharply with age. Research from our finest educational institutions has confirmed that adults can build new neural connections throughout life, especially when challenged with novelty, learning, and social engagement. Travel fulfills all three. You learn a few words in a new language. You navigate an unfamiliar transit system. You talk to strangers who live lives radically different from yours. You walk 10,000++ steps each day. This, according to neurologists, strengthens your cognitive resilience and helps buffer against decline.

The science is finally catching up to what travelers have always felt: movement and discovery keep us young. This seems a bit obvious, but now the research confirms it. Older adults who traveled regularly reported higher cognitive function and lower stress markers than those who stay home. Researchers in Australia have recently suggested that travel may be linked to reduced risk of dementia because it layers together protective factors: physical activity, rich sensory stimulation, social connection, and problem solving. In other words, a week in Lisbon may be doing more for your brain than that crossword puzzle you swore would keep you sharp.

Travel is also a kind of biohacking, though I prefer to think of it as a return to our original settings. Long walks through markets, unstructured afternoons, fresh foods straight from the source, conversations with strangers, laughter. These are not luxury add-ons, they are the lifestyle habits that support healthy brain chemistry and longevity. Movement regulates mood. Novelty spikes dopamine. Sunlight resets circadian rhythms. Laughter lowers cortisol. Travel delivers all of it, neatly disguised as pleasure.

With that, travel is not all ease and delight. I’m calling out those missed trains, wrong turns, and meals that feel like a dare (please see the story about healthcare in the tropics, previous). I also see those same researchers pointing out that stress in manageable doses is good for the brain. I can confirm this is true anecdotally. It forces adaptation, builds problem solving skills, and strengthens resilience. Each time you solve a problem abroad, figuring out the bus system in Rome or finding your hotel when GPS cuts out in Marrakech, you are literally exercising your brain’s flexibility. Neuroplasticity is built on this kind of challenge.

Longevity science is full of people chasing immortality in labs and clinics, and I am not discounting this. But some of the most potent practices for long and healthy living are right in front of us. Daily movement, community, and purpose are the pillars of longevity. Travel, done intentionally, checks every one of those boxes. You walk more, you connect more, and you open yourself to new meaning.

Travel is a longevity practice, not an indulgence (see what I did there, permission granted!). It is not just about where you go, but how you go. Walk when you can. Talk to people you might otherwise pass by. Try the unfamiliar dish. Rest deeply when you are tired. Let the journey move you. In doing so, you are building a body and mind that stay younger, longer.

This is the philosophy behind Robinson & Roam. Travel is more than pleasure, it is brain food. It is resilience training. It is a longevity hack with joy. Of course, travel is escape. Travel is medicine. It is the quiet, beautiful practice of aging well.

Recommending this immensely readable science book -