The average day from waking to sleep, for most people, is around 15-17 hours.

Most of us do this nearly every day. We wake up, have a little routine, go to work, eat supper, more routine, and sleep. Some version of that anyway. And the days tend to pass more quickly as we go on. 17 hours can seem to go by in a blink.

Yet the same amount of time spent over a travel day can almost be disorienting.

The idea that novel experience creates more memories isn’t a new one. I’ve written about how these new memories give us the sense that we’ve lived longer. But I forgot how powerful this effect is.

At the end of a recent trip, for example, my wife and I packed our bags and made our final walk down the beach to catch a boat. This was a little before 8 am.

From the boat, we took a taxi through the city and spent several hours at the airport. After a six-hour flight and a quick snack at the next airport, we boarded another plane. An hour later, we landed and had another small meal before taking an Uber home.

All said the journey took almost exactly 17 hours — including breakfast that morning. Yet it felt as though it was two or three days. Looking back at breakfast and the walk along the beach we asked each other for confirmation “Was that really today?”

It’s fascinating how little it takes for this effect to happen. Even just a few hours in different surroundings or breaking from your routine can give the sense that time slowed down.

So while your day may have only been as long as every other, your perception will tell you otherwise.