>>2812305 (OP)
As a person with clinical depression and anxiety who loves to travel, I’ll state the obvious and point out that travel cannot ever cure real depression all by itself. Dealing with genuine neurochemical depression requires active work, often lifelong, sometimes with medical assistance. Wherever you go, you’re still going to be you when you get there, and you’re probably going to carry any unsolved problems with you.
That caveat aside, I always get at least a temporary lift, and a lot of welcome distraction, from unfamiliar new surroundings and experiences.
You may be similar. But it’s hard to suggest anything without an idea of what you like to do. Nature? Outdoor sports? Beaches? History?
If you’re outdoorsy and not looking for much culture shock, maybe camping or hiking in a national park just a few days’ drive from you will fit the bill. If you want old, pretty things, go to Europe—I’ve never had a bad time in Italy. If you want colder weather, it’s winter in much of South America—perhaps you want to ski in Chile or Argentina. If you want an easy but still relatively alien experience, consider Japan or Korea, or another richer bit of Asia. If you want National Geographic wildlife, think about a safari in Kenya and/or Tanzania for some Great Migration wildebeest vs. lion action (pic related).
>Kenya is also a good place to experience a guaranteed, sudden, extreme surge in attention from women, almost regardless of your looks, and without paying for it—almost everywhere in the world I’ve ever been, I’ve been left with the impression that the “just be white” meme is mostly nonsense, but it felt like a real thing in East Africa.
I’m not into buying companionship, at all, but if you’re not interested in Thailand, Costa Rica and the Dominican Republic are legal, popular destinations for single men. And CR at least also has some very beautiful nature—the DR is mostly just beaches, which are not my jam.
