The memory of a tale makes it memorable

Bad events make deeper impressions than good ones. Over time, we forget the bad stuff in it and remember the good - known as the "fading affect bias." Researchers show that we will remember the positive ones with heightened emotions in them.

When we retell a tale, our minds revise it. With each retelling, it gets bigger. You don't just say the fish you caught was the size of a small car, you believe it because you remember it that way.

A journey is more memorable if it doesn't go according to plan. Some trips only have a few unplanned events, such as a missed connection or a rained-out parade.

Other trips turn into adventure literature, such as the 1910 Terra Nova expedition to Antarctica, "The Worst Jou...