If you travel often with your friends, you probably won’t realize that your upcoming trip with your friends will be the last one you do together. Not because of any tragedy, just because real life happens—some combination of new commitments, conflicting schedules, diverging priorities.

Life is like that, for everything. Take no ordinary moment for granted, because it might become extraordinary in hindsight.

Your future self will have more money, more experience and opportunity, and less time than you. Maybe less energy and mobility too. Having spent years or decades at the destination, due to your efforts, they might have wished you had spent your money and time a bit differently. Less hurrying, more exploring. 

Even if they do feel thankful, there’s a chance that they will also pity you. It’s not difficult to imagine them urging you to take it easier—not to delay all of the gratification, to take a share of it for yourself, because it’s not possible for them to experience it on your behalf anyway.

Thanks to Marie-Louis von Franz, Oliver Burkeman, and Jason Liu for the ideas.