Turn Escape into Purpose: Don’t Wait for Retirement to Travel the World
Travel doesn’t have to be expensive — but it has to be intentional.
For a long time, I used travel as an escape hatch. And successfully so - it worked. When things got overwhelming at work, in life, or just inside my head, I’d book a trip. Run away. Reset. Come back with just enough breathing room to do it all over again.
It worked... for a while. But then something shifted.
When I first started showing my photography at gallery events, I noticed a pattern. People weren’t just admiring the images, they were feeling them. They’d lean in, eyes wide, and whisper something like, “I wish I’d gone there.” People were connecting with the destinations and the stories I shared.
That connection stuck with me. Over and over again, I heard the same longing. A deep yearning for somewhere more. To see something else. To experience a life that had been put on hold.
Finding Freedom
People attending my art shows weren’t talking about vacation. They were talking about freedom.
Eventually, that idea became the seed for my first book, The Freedom Project: Travel. I never planned to write a guidebook, or a travel checklist. My plan was to provide a practical approach to stop postponing the life you say you want. To stop waiting for “someday”.
Travel isn’t about budget. Or influencers pretending to do it better than you. Or waiting until you’re 65 and retired. Travel is a mindset. It’s a way of seeing the world (and yourself) differently, every day. At its core, that worldview is available to you right now, even when you’re at home, but it’s easier to achieve when you strip everything familiar away for a while.
The power of better travel
Most people think they need more money to travel better. But what they really need is a better system.
When I design my own travel experiences, I don’t just look for the cheapest flight or hotel. I curate the best experience from start to finish, even the parts most people dread.
That means:
Free airfare (yes, really)1
Airport lounges with complimentary food and showers2
Hotel upgrades to suites I didn’t pay for3
Perks like late checkout, room credits, and champagne/cocktails on arrival
All without being some elite frequent flyer or spending a fortune. This isn’t about “budget travel.” It’s about upgraded living.4
It’s what I teach in my Travel Revolution program — a travel hacking course designed for real people with real lives who want better experiences without spending more.
How I built a travel life that works — and how you can too
I created the Travel Revolution as the follow-up to my travel book, because I wanted to go deeper and show the exact steps, my accounts and the tools I use.
The Travel Revolution is my all-inclusive system for turning your travel dreams into real experiences, with nearly 100 short, actionable lessons split into distinct modules:
Travel Hacking Airlines: Learn how I book flights for free or deeply discounted — using the same methods I used to fly to the Bahamas every year with just the taxes covered.
Travel Hacking Hotels: I can’t remember the last time I stayed in the room I actually booked — I almost always get upgraded. This module shows you how to unlock perks like free meals, premium rooms, and extras without chasing hotel points like a second job.
The Travel Revolution isn’t about “travel tips” or clever packing hacks. It’s about systems. Memberships, promotions, and strategies that the travel industry loves — because when done right, everyone wins.
Stop delaying the life you want
Where would you go if your airfare was free?
What kind of experience would you say “yes” to if someone else was picking up the tab for your hotel room?
What would change if you no longer had to choose between doing something amazing or being “responsible”?
You don’t have to wait until retirement. You don’t have to quit your job. You don’t have to be rich or famous or “lucky.” You just need a plan — and the courage to follow it.
“A year from now, you’ll wish you had started today.”
I did it — and so can you. Travel doesn’t have to be a once-in-a-lifetime thing. It can be part of the life you design on purpose. One that feeds your creativity, your soul, and your sense of possibility.
Let’s see the world differently.
Get Into Action
If you’re ready to stop settling for mediocre travel — and finally start experiencing the kind of trips you really want — join me inside the Travel Revolution.
This isn’t just a course. It’s the blueprint for a new way to travel. One that’s more free, more luxurious, and more you.
Get free preview access to The Travel Revolution by clicking the button below:
Further Reading
My Travel Revolution students get a “golden ticket” to write their ultimate destination on.
being an insider and having certain cards and memberships are what can make all the difference. It gives me access to experiences that enhance my overall travel experience, like business class lounges, even when I fly economy. Details here.
With the right strategies, you can elevate your hotel stays to a whole new level without paying extra. Strategies here.
My trip to Lima, Peru was a good illustration of my approach to travel hacking. Before the hotel tugged at my credit card limit (this was not a shoestring stay), they managed to tug at my heartstrings with thoughtful welcome amenities. A local cocktail on arrival goes a long way, and a surprise birthday cake with a bottle of champagne and flowers in the room exceeded even my expectation. Full story here.