Life is full of wonderful moments. As we grow older, we put more of these moments behind us — but the moments live on within us as joyful memories. And few things in life will generate as many beautiful memories as the vacations we take. Whether we travel to a distant city alone or relax on the beach with family and friends, our vacations are moments when we're at our happiest and most relaxed.

Memories matter

Vacations, by the way, are more than just fun and relaxing things. Experts say that vacations are actively good for us. They make us more productive and improve both our physical and mental health. And, as it turns out, memories are a part of why. When we return from a vacation, we dwell on happy memories and relive great moments in our minds. Our memories will be beautiful years later, but they're already having an effect the moment that we get back home. Happy memories make us happy, naturally, and that's great for our mental health.

Meaningful connections

Vacations memories aren't just about the events and sights of a great trip. They're also about the people we travel with. When you take a family vacation, you bond with your fellow travelers (even if you can get a bit frustrated with the kids sometimes) and build memories that will last a lifetime for everyone involved. Traveling with friends can bring you closer, and visiting acquaintances while you're traveling is a great way to catch up — and build some new memories, too. Even traveling alone can lead to greater insights; just as you can learn more about other people and grow closer to them, so can you come to better know yourself.

Doing things you'll never forget

Any relaxing and enjoyable vacation can help you build some great memories. But if you want to have an experience you'll never forget, take this bit of advice: Do something a little more adventurous than you normally would. If you're going down to the beach for a few days, why not look into parasailing or riding a Jet-Ski? A bit of an adrenaline rush can be a nice change of pace from laid-back beach days. And just because this stuff is exciting doesn't mean that it's dangerous, the experts who offer parasailing near West Palm Beach say. The pros that run vacation activities like this are used to keeping tourists safe as they scuba dive, parasail, or bungee jump.

Preserving memories (while still enjoying the moment)

You shouldn't experience your vacation through the viewfinder of a camera, but neither should you let your good times go undocumented. These days, almost all of us carry a great camera around in our pocket — modern smartphone cameras are better than many of the best digital cameras from years ago. So take that thing out and snap some shots. 

And be sure to preserve your memories, too. A great online photo storage solution can help ensure that your photos stay safe even if something happens to your camera, and such services (and the smart devices associated with them) also make it easy to share photos. Sharing photos with loved ones using a dedicated picture sharing website is safer than using social media, which can be monitored by crooks who would just love to know that you are out of the house for the week. Believe it or not, break-ins using this information can be quite common. You don’t need to choose between preserving memories and preserving your safety, though — just use a secure cloud storage solution.

You'll spend a lot of time in this life working, handling chores, and taking care of other obligations. But you'll also have moments of pure joy in your life, and those are the moments that vacations are made for. So plan well and build some memories.