"All journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware."
When I read this quote for the first time, I couldn’t help but smile. Written by Martin Buber, a philosopher born 150 years ago, it describes with modern efficacy a notion that I now hold dear, yet took years to understand. Here’s how I ended up interpreting it.
Destinations are more than just dots on a map. They’re fond memories, exciting places, new found love, unforgettable experiences, and fulfilling successes.
Journeys are more than lines connecting dots. They are the complex and winding threads of existence that when stitched together form the tapestry of your life.
You are the traveler, bound to your threads with the confident ability to look only backward at the patterns you’ve woven.
The moments that form the strongest fabric are those that are spun out of spontaneity and surprise–the “secret destinations” that cannot be found, because they find you.
I’ve been lucky to see more beautiful countries than I can count in the last four years.
I still remember the uncertainty of stepping off my first flight out of North America into the unfamiliar landscape and culture of Europe, instantly creating the first invisible thread that would bind me to more destinations. I had no idea what to expect– I don’t think I met a European before setting foot in Stockholm for the first time. After a while, I learned to let go of any expectations.
I woke up every morning with the insatiable urge to explore, meet new people, and be left speechless by the stories I heard of others’ travels and lives.
I threw myself into the intrepid lifestyle of traveling that had taken hold of me like nothing I had ever experienced before. It sparked a fire in me to see and do so much more.
Along my journey, someone let me in on a secret that changed my life.
In a passing comment made under a beautiful Sydney sunset accompanied by overpriced Australian beer, one of my new friends taught me how to find travel deals that were so cheap I wanted to spit my beer out. (No beer was spilled — I’m not rich, after all.)
I stumbled upon a moment, a secret destination, that forever altered my journey and ignited a fierce passion to one day share the methods of travel I used over the years.
I finally can, thanks to our amazing and hardworking team.
I hope it will help fuel your wanderlust, enrich your life with destinations both foreign and familiar, and most of all meet people that will impassion you for your entire life, as I have. That you too will weave these found moments into something beautiful.
So here it is, a gift to all of the incredible people, both home and abroad, that I’ve met along my journey: Secret Travel.
