My two sisters and I are like three peas in a pod. We grew up in Chicago, spent all of our downtime together, and attended the same university. You can say that we are inseparable. However, after college, we had to move to different states due to the demands of our careers and education.

This meant we no longer got to see each other, which became a challenging time for our Relationship and mental health. Then, in 2019, we decided that we would embark on a yearly sisters' Trip to ensure we got to spend more time together. And I soon discovered that there were a plethora of wellness benefits to traveling with your siblings. 

Having lived in cold climates for most of our lives, we joked often about how we needed to get more sun. So, for our first trip, we jetted off to San Juan, Puerto Rico on New Year's Eve. Unlike some nightmarish holiday airport stories, our flight thankfully had an on-time departure with no delays. When the clock struck midnight, the pilot shouted through the intercom, "Happy New Year." My sisters and I watched fireworks explode in the air, and our fellow passengers cheered and clapped. Strangely, I felt connected to all of these strangers on the plane and even more so to my sisters, whose faces I saw light up from my aisle seat. 

Having had a tumultuous childhood and growing up in a low-income household, it made me happy to finally see my sisters happy, traveling, and well-fed. (This concept of feeling happy when others are happy is a concept known as positive empathy, according to Gail Saltz, a clinical associate professor of psychiatry at the New York Presbyterian Hospital.)

"We are social beings with the capacity for great empathy. Not only do we empathize for individuals when they feel hurt, [but] we also feel for them when they are happy," Angela Wu, a licensed marriage and family therapist based in Los Angeles, told Travel + Leisure. "This is a strength that furthers our ability to connect with one another and strengthen our bonds — it communicates, 'Me too, I get it, we're in it together.'" 

During our week-long trip, we soaked up the sun and watched the waves crash into the sand at Isla Verde Beach, and walked the cobblestone streets in San Cristóbal, admiring the colorful facades of the buildings adorned with lush foliage draping from the balconies. We also tried mofongo — the island's quintessential dish, crafted from fried green plantains, which are mashed and infused with a blend of garlic, olive, oil, and salt — for the first time.

What's great about travel is that it allows you to have experiences and make memories with those you love, "both of which are important to the bonding and sustaining of relationships," Saltz told T+L. Saltz added that "strong, trusted, long-lasting relationships are important for general happiness, well-being, and mental health." 

I also experienced mental health benefits when traveling with my sisters. In Puerto Rico — and on subsequent trips — I found it therapeutic to have a dedicated time and space to catch up. Whenever we sat down for drinks or meals, we'd share our struggles, goals, and dreams. For example, I shared the challenges of navigating graduate school as a first-generation student and the stress I was feeling about the job application process.

These talks helped us bond, and I found solace in knowing that we had each other's backs no matter what life threw at us. "A huge protective factor for mental health is having supportive family or peer relationships," said Wu. 

Another benefit of traveling with siblings is that it can help bolster resilience in our relationships. While family vacations don't always have the best reputation due to the potential for conflicts and tensions to arise from travel-related challenges like flight delays and local transportation disruptions, encountering these stressful situations can actually be a good thing for relationships.

"When we are traveling, we may have to depend on each other more than we would if we were just responsible for ourselves," Wu explained. "This forces us to have to face and work through the conflict with each other. Working through conflict is another way to deepen our understanding of others and their needs and how we can meet them, which ultimately strengthens our trust and bond with one another." 

When my sisters and I accidentally missed our train from London to Paris on our 2022 sister's trip, we were distraught. I could see my sisters grow anxious, and we slowly became irritated at each other as we pointed fingers at who to blame. Ultimately, the situation enabled us to work together, and we ended up rebooking the train for later that day, and the problem-solving strengthened our relationship. Now, we joke about it.

"Traveling with siblings can definitely cultivate stronger bonds as you are forced to communicate with, rely on and be reliable, and work together to navigate travel stressors," Wu said. 

If you have siblings — no matter how many — booking a siblings trip can improve mental health and help you strengthen relationships. For me, taking sister trips over these past four years has not only allowed me to explore various parts of the world but has also strengthened the relationships that mean the most to me. That's why I keep booking that yearly trip — over and over again.