Travel has always been one of the best ways to make new memories

Ruth Westheimer, with the gentle clarity of one who spent her life guiding others in matters of the heart, once said: “Travel has always been one of the best ways to make new memories and reconnect with your loved ones.” Though spoken in modern times, her words carry the resonance of ancient truth. For since the dawn of humanity, journeys—whether across mountains, seas, or humble roads—have bound families together, forged friendships, and left behind treasured memories that no thief, no war, no decay of time can steal.

The act of travel is more than movement; it is disruption of routine, a stepping away from the ordinary tasks and burdens that so often weigh us down. In this space away from the familiar, hearts open anew. Laughter springs more easily on strange roads. Conversations deepen under unfamiliar skies. To travel is to lift oneself from the haze of habit and rediscover not only the world but also the faces of those who walk beside us. This is the origin of Westheimer’s wisdom: in leaving home, we often return more fully to one another.

The ancients knew this well. The great pilgrimages of old—whether to Delphi, Mecca, Jerusalem, or Santiago—were not only about reaching sacred ground, but also about the bonds formed along the way. Families and companions reconnected as they walked, prayed, ate, and endured together. And the memories they created on the road became treasures that lived long after the journey ended. Thus, the wisdom is timeless: when we set out upon a road with those we love, the shared experience becomes a thread that binds hearts closer than before.

History gives us vivid examples. Consider the Odyssey. Though Odysseus’ voyage was long and filled with hardship, the central hope that sustained him was reunion—reconnection with his wife Penelope, with his son Telemachus, with the hearth of his home. The journey was not only about discovery, but about returning with stories that would become memories, tales to be told and retold around the fire. Or look to the pioneers who crossed continents together. Though the road was difficult, the shared struggle became the foundation of family legends, each hardship transformed into a story of unity and survival.

Westheimer’s words also reveal a profound psychological truth. In our daily lives, surrounded by work, technology, and endless obligations, we may find ourselves distant even from those closest to us. Travel breaks these chains. It places us side by side in unfamiliar settings where we must rely on each other, laugh at each other’s quirks, and cherish each other’s presence. The simple act of sharing a sunrise on a beach, or getting lost together in a winding city street, forges bonds more powerful than months of routine interaction.

The meaning is therefore clear: travel is not luxury, but medicine. It heals the fractures of distance, softens the edges of resentment, and refreshes the well of love between companions. The memories made are not only photographs or souvenirs, but living treasures stored in the heart—moments that can be recalled in old age, bringing warmth even when the road has long ended. To reconnect with loved ones is to remember that life is fleeting, and that presence, shared fully, is the greatest gift we can give.

The lesson for all generations is luminous: make journeys together, great or small. They need not be voyages across seas; even a walk to a new village, a day in a nearby forest, or a weekend away can become the soil from which lasting memories grow. Do not wait until tomorrow, for tomorrow is never promised. Set out now, with those you love, and let the world outside your door remind you of the treasure that walks beside you.

Thus Ruth Westheimer’s words stand as both gentle counsel and heroic call: “Travel to make new memories, to reconnect with your loved ones.” For in the end, what we carry with us is not gold nor conquest, but the laughter shared in strange lands, the love deepened beneath unfamiliar skies, and the knowledge that the road taken together is always better than the road walked alone.