FILE 02Mike and Anne Howard
A honeymoon without the hurry home
Mike and Anne sold their belongings and set off on their honeymoon in January 2012. They gave the journey room to continue beyond a couple of weeks.
Read file 02FUCK IT. BOOK IT. / LIFE MOMENTS
Travel
Nine stories in which going somewhere changed what happened next.
CHAPTER 01 / 09 FILESOPEN THE FIRST FILEFILE 01 / 09
Subject / Riley Whitelum and Elayna Carausu
The dream boat became the actual boat
Riley saved for a sailboat, bought one in Italy and set off around the Mediterranean. A day sail with Elayna became an invitation to island-hop for a month.
Read file 01
THE TRAVEL CHAPTER / CONTINUED
Eight more ways to leave the maybe behind
From a nine-day walk to a first dance in Buenos Aires, these files follow the moment a long-held idea became a place to be.
FILE 03Ashley Schmieder and James Sissom
The aisle was nine days long
Ashley and James spent months preparing for vows at Everest Base Camp. After nine days of hiking, they changed into wedding clothes at base camp.
Read file 03FILE 04Dean Nicholson and Nala
He left on a bike. He gained a co-pilot.
Dean set off from Scotland to cycle the world. Near the Bosnia–Montenegro border, a kitten followed his bike and joined the journey.
Read file 04FILE 07Joel Gill and Jessica
He asked her out again
A last-minute trip brought Joel and Jessica to the same Mexico City rooftop bar. After an awkward morning, Joel asked to see her again.
Read file 07FILE 08Charlie and Emily
From van-life videos to van life
Charlie and Emily saved for a van and converted it around their jobs. In February 2023, they set off on the road.
Read file 08
FILE 09Kate McCulley
The dream island was a bus ride away
Kate took a bus to see Sveti Stefan on her last full day in Montenegro. The island gate stayed closed, but she finally saw the place she had wanted to visit.
Read file 09FILE 10Lauren Juliff
An alarm worth setting
Lauren took a sunrise hot-air balloon flight above Lake Bled. The island, castle and Julian Alps came into view from the basket.
Read file 10FILE 11Martha Chomyn
The feet did not get the memo
Martha tried tango at a Buenos Aires studio. She learned to keep dancing through awkward steps and mistakes.
Read file 11
BACK TO THE WHOLE STORY
There are other ways to begin.
Travel is one chapter. Browse the full archive for the first tries, big dreams and human encounters that started with a decision to go.
Return to the archiveDraft editorial prototype. These are original retellings of public accounts, not interviews or endorsements. Sources are linked in the individual stories.