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Construct a private journey mission that makes each journey extra significant.
After I took my yr profession break and traveled all over the world for the primary time, I spent my time ticking off all the favored locations that I wished to see on the earth. I went to Hong Kong, the Nice Wall, did a safari, went to Rome, explored the nice barrier reef, noticed the Taj Mahal, went to New Zealand, considered the Nice pyramids, partied on the islands of Greece, and had memorable nights in Bangkok. After a yr or two or touring to those in style locations, my journey wishes began altering. Ticking locations off a generic bucklist was loosing it’s enchantment to me. I wished extra.
I began dipping my toe into longer journey journeys and journey targets that had a theme. In spite of everything – I LOVE a great theme! I began with studying the right way to drive a motorcycle in Vietnam as I lived in Ho Chi Minh Metropolis for a yr. I hiked the Camino de Santiago solo. I drove a automobile from London to Mongolia as a part of the Mongol Rally. I drove a Rickshaw throughout India for 2000 miles. These had been all journey tasks that drove me and challenged me – however additionally they launched me to totally different a part of the world, totally different cultures, and in the end I realized rather a lot about myself throughout these journey tasks!
I like huge tasks. They eat me and preserve me centered on dwelling within the current, fairly than simply repeating the identical outdated routine day after day. Journey tasks have a long-term, purposeful really feel, like an even bigger mission past simply “go on a visit.” They make me have a look at my travels otherwise than merely roaming round to sights, I journey deeper, slower, and extra introspectively when on a journey challenge.
I like Massive Journey Initiatives
My largest challenge that I had ever accomplished lasted for 9 years – it was referred to as the Niece Mission. After I stopped shopping for items for my nieces, I didn’t know it might flip into some of the significant journey tasks of my life. As an alternative of extra toys and devices, I wished to present them one thing they’d by no means outgrow — one thing that may form how they see the world.
So I made them a promise: once they turned 16, I’d take every of them wherever they wished to go. What began as a easy thought grew to become years of dreaming, planning, and unforgettable adventures — for them and for me.
This challenge didn’t simply change their lives. It modified mine too.
With the Niece Mission behind me, it didn’t take me too lengthy to provide you with yet one more journey challenge – my boldest but – taking up my dad’s outdated Capitol to Capitol challenge – biking to the entire Capitol buildings within the US.
I do know I’m not alone in the case of loving journey tasks. In spite of everything, there are a selection of people that have visited each nation on the earth.
Why Begin a Journey Mission?
While you journey with a private challenge in thoughts, each journey turns into a part of one thing greater — your personal story, your personal quest. As an alternative of simply ticking locations off an inventory, you construct abilities, deepen your understanding of the world, and keep motivated even when life will get busy.
The advantages of beginning a journey challenge embrace:
✅ Staying impressed to journey long-term
✅ Constructing experience and confidence
✅ Creating deeper cultural connections
✅ Turning journey recollections into a long-lasting legacy
✅ Fostering curiosity, creativity, and resilience
Journey tasks with a long-term, purposeful really feel, like an even bigger mission past simply “go on a visit.”
The Happiness of Pursuit
After I was beginning to plan my Capitol to Capitol challenge and make it a actuality, I learn a ebook referred to as The Happiness of Pursuit – by Chris Guillebeau. Some time again, Chris visited each nation and that impressed him to dig additional into the anatomy of massive private quests. His ebook covers all sides of objective planning from the preliminary step of figuring out your huge objective (or quest) by way of its execution. This contains discovering help, how a lot a quest may cost a little, the right way to deal with misadventures (or failure) and at last, what to do when a quest ends.
In The Happiness of Pursuit, Chris Guillebeau explores how setting a private quest — whether or not it’s touring to each nation on the earth (which he did), cooking a meal from each nation, or strolling throughout a continent — provides life extra construction, objective, and pleasure.
“When you’re going to construct a quest round journey, it helps to make it particular. Going in all places is much less vital than going someplace—particularly someplace that challenges you or modifications your perspective.” — Chris Guillebeau
His analysis and private expertise reveal that long-term targets aren’t simply motivating — they’re deeply transformative. Individuals who tackle quests really feel extra engaged with life, expertise higher readability, and report a stronger sense of identification.
“The pursuit of happiness isn’t about passive contentment — it’s about lively engagement.”
Chris Guillebeau
Advantages of Lengthy Time period Journey Initiatives or Quests
Guillebeau discovered that individuals who pursue daring, long-term quests — particularly ones involving journey — profit in 5 key methods:
- Renewed Motivation – When you’ve gotten a significant objective, even the planning turns into joyful.
- Better Resilience – Going through challenges whereas chasing your dream builds confidence and adaptableness.
- A Sense of Progress – Each journey turns into half of a bigger journey, providing you with objective.
- Private Development – A quest stretches your consolation zone, forcing studying and reinvention.
- Deeper Tales – As an alternative of fragmented recollections, you construct a cohesive narrative that lasts.
Ottsworld Favourite
The Happiness of Pursuit: Discovering the Quest That Will Convey Objective to Your Life
A ebook that challenges every of us to take management—to make our lives be about one thing whereas on the identical time remaining clear-eyed concerning the dedication—The Happiness of Pursuit will encourage readers of all ages and aspiration. It’s a playbook for making your life rely.
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08/27/2025 06:24 pm GMT
Massive Journey Mission Concepts For You to Taken on As Your Personal
“A quest doesn’t should be grandiose; it simply needs to be yours.”
Whether or not you’re visiting each desert on the earth or chasing down the world’s greatest libraries, your journey challenge turns into greater than a guidelines — it turns into a supply of pleasure, identification, and that means.
As a result of I’m loopy about having to be totally different, I wished to create a list of journey challenge concepts which can be extra inventive and much less apparent than “go to each nation.” Right here’s what I got here up with. Be happy to make use of any of those concepts to your personal journey challenge!
1. Chasing the Equator
Go to all of the nations the Equator runs by way of (there are 13!). Think about touring by way of Ecuador, Gabon, Indonesia, Kenya, Uganda, and others — and documenting how life alongside the Equator differs all over the world.
Lengthy-term objective: Discover “life at zero levels” — local weather, tradition, and biodiversity.
2. Pilgrimage Routes of the World
As an alternative of simply mountaineering the Camino de Santiago, construct a lifetime challenge to finish well-known pilgrimage routes throughout totally different faiths and cultures — like Japan’s Kumano Kodo, India’s Char Dham, or Mexico’s pilgrimage to the Basilica of Guadalupe.
Lengthy-term objective: Stroll sacred paths across the globe.
Learn my article about Through-hikes all over the world: Options to the Camino de Santiago
3. Island Nations Solely
Concentrate on visiting solely island nations — from the Maldives to Iceland to Madagascar to Wrangle Island. Doc how island life varies throughout totally different oceans and cultures.
Lengthy-term objective: Perceive remoted ecosystems and distinctive cultures formed by the ocean.
I really like visiting distant islands – learn my article about South Pacific Journey: Go to 14 of the Most Distant and Culturally Fascinating Islands
4. World’s Finest Practice Journeys
Create a challenge to expertise the world’s most iconic practice rides — the Trans-Siberian Railway, India’s Palace on Wheels, the Rocky Mountaineer, Switzerland’s Glacier Specific, Australia’s Ghan, and so forth.
Lengthy-term objective: See the world from a sluggish, immersive perspective.
5. Festivals of the World Tour
Plan your travels round attending distinctive festivals globally — Holi in India, Día de los Muertos in Mexico, the Working of the Bulls in Spain, Lisdoonvarna Matchmaking Competition in Eire.
Lengthy-term objective: Have a good time humanity’s various methods of honoring life, dying, seasons, and pleasure.
6. Historical Civilizations Path
Journey to see the ruins and legacies of historical civilizations — suppose the Mayans, Greeks, Egyptians, Khmer, Incas, and so forth. Not simply the favored ones, however lesser-known ones too (just like the Nabataeans or the Etruscans).
Lengthy-term objective: Piece collectively humanity’s historical tales throughout continents.
7. One River, Many Lives
Observe the course of 1 main river (the Amazon, Nile, Danube, Mekong, Mississippi) by way of totally different nations, learning how the river shapes cultures, economies, and every day life alongside the way in which.
Lengthy-term objective: Inform the story of a river by way of the eyes of those that dwell by it.
8. World Capitals at Evening
Go to main world capitals, however deal with exploring and photographing them solely at evening — seeing how cities remodel after darkish.
Lengthy-term objective: Create a portfolio or picture sequence of “the world after sundown.”
9. Border Crossings Mission
Journey overland throughout worldwide borders and doc the experiences, particularly in distinctive locations the place cultures visibly change throughout an invisible line — like crossing from France to Spain within the Basque Nation or from Thailand to Myanmar.
Lengthy-term objective: Discover what borders imply — and the way synthetic (or actual) they really feel on the bottom.
10. World Libraries or Bookstores Tour
When you’re literary, design a journey challenge round visiting essentially the most stunning, historic, or quirky libraries and bookstores all over the world — from Livraria Lello in Portugal to the George Peabody Library in Baltimore.
Lengthy-term objective: Have a good time international tales and structure tied to studying and information.
11. Summit the World’s Iconic Mountains
Climb legendary peaks — Kilimanjaro, Fuji, Mont Blanc, and Desk Mountain — whether or not by technical climb or mountaineering path.
Lengthy-term objective: Doc your ascents in a private journal or “Seven Summits” problem.
12. Expertise the World’s Deserts
From the purple sands of Namibia’s Sossusvlei to the white dunes of New Mexico, to the rocky Gobi Desert, and the salt flats of Bolivia, immerse your self on the earth’s arid magnificence.
Lengthy-term objective: Create a photographic sequence titled “The Silent Landscapes.”
13. Go to All Continents Earlier than You Flip [Age]
Set a private milestone to the touch all seven continents — sure, even Antarctica — earlier than a particular birthday (30, 40, 50?).
Lengthy-term objective: Full a private documentary referred to as “Seven Continents, One Life.”
14. Cross a Nation Completely on Foot
Trek throughout a complete nation, whether or not it’s the UK’s Coast-to-Coast Path, New Zealand’s Te Araroa, or Japan’s Nakasendo Approach.
Lengthy-term objective: Write a memoir titled “Step by Step: Crossing Borders on Foot.”
15. Go to the World’s Extremes
Journey to the world’s most northerly, southerly, highest, lowest, wettest, driest, and hottest factors.
Lengthy-term objective: Compile a report referred to as “The Fringe of the Earth: My Excessive Adventures.”
Examine my 7 Finest Locations for Excessive Journey
16. Observe the World’s Volcanic Ring of Fireplace
Go to volcanic hotspots like Hawaii, Iceland, Japan, and Chile, witnessing earth’s rawest energy firsthand.
Lengthy-term objective: Create a journey documentary titled “Residing With Fireplace.”
17. Journey by Historic Commerce Routes
Observe historical commerce paths just like the Silk Highway throughout Central Asia, the Spice Route by way of the Indian Ocean, or the Amber Highway by way of Europe.
Lengthy-term objective: Construct an academic weblog referred to as “Routes That Formed Civilization.”
18. Dive the World’s Finest Coral Reefs
Scuba dive or snorkel by way of the Nice Barrier Reef, Raja Ampat, the Maldives, and the Pink Sea to witness marine biodiversity earlier than it disappears.
Lengthy-term objective: Curate a conservation-focused picture sequence “Beneath the Floor.”
19. Go to the World’s Nice Wine Areas
Tour iconic vineyards from Napa Valley to Bordeaux to Mendoza and South Africa’s Stellenbosch.
Lengthy-term objective: Create a tasting journal referred to as “The Grand Wine Tour: Sipping Throughout the World.”
20. Monitor Endangered Animals within the Wild
Hunt down the world’s rarest creatures — mountain gorillas in Rwanda, snow leopards in Mongolia, orangutans in Borneo, and polar bears in Churchill Canada.
Lengthy-term objective: Develop a conservation storytelling challenge titled “Wild Encounters: Saving the Final Ones.”
Tremendous Area of interest Cat Journey Initiatives
As you all know – I’m a cat lover. So after all I’ve provide you with a number of cat journey tasks for the cat lover on the market. Or you possibly can be part of me on my Cat Tour of Japan to get began! Plus – if you need extra cat journey concepts – take a look at my CatLadyTours.com (coming quickly) website for all cat journey!
Right here’s a deep dive into cat-themed journey tasks that may be each long-term and travel-intensive, not simply “go to one place,” however a actual private mission:
1. The International Cat Cultures Mission
Journey to nations the place cats are deeply woven into the tradition — Japan (cat cafés, shrines), Turkey (road cats of Istanbul), Egypt (historical worship), Greece (island cats), Morocco (medina cats), Russia (Hermitage cats).
Lengthy-term objective: Doc the other ways cats are revered, protected, or built-in into on a regular basis life all over the world.
2. Road Cats Documentary Journey
Journey to cities with massive, seen road cat populations (like Istanbul, Marrakech, Rome, Athens) and {photograph} or movie their every day lives — their interactions with individuals, how they’re cared for, or not.
Lengthy-term objective: Make a heartfelt mini-documentary “Road Souls: Cats With out Borders.”
3. Cat Islands and Sanctuaries Tour
Go to well-known cat islands and main cat sanctuaries:
- Tashirojima, Japan
- Aoshima, Japan
- Lanai Cat Sanctuary, Hawaii
- Rome’s Largo di Torre Argentina, Italy
- Greece’s Syros Island
- Kalkan’s KAPSA group, Turkey
Lengthy-term objective: Create a photograph sequence, weblog, or perhaps a documentary referred to as “The place Cats Rule the World.”
4. Rescue Across the World Mission
Volunteer with or go to cat rescue organizations globally — from group cat initiatives within the U.S. and Europe to temple cat caretakers in Asia. Perhaps even companion with small rescues to focus on their work.
Lengthy-term objective: Create a worldwide community of cat rescue tales, increase consciousness, and even begin a small basis.
Journey Motivation Initiatives
Perhaps these concepts are extra journey than what you are able to do presently, or perhaps you’re simply searching for a non-traveling challenge to maintain you ‘journey motivated’. Listed below are a number of tremendous inventive methods that will help you keep enthusiastic about journey and discovery, even between journeys! I name these – journey motivation tasks.
1. “Across the World” Studying Problem
Learn one ebook from each continent — bonus factors in case you learn novels set in a particular nation or written by authors from there.
Aim: See the world by way of native voices.
2. Bucket Record Delicacies Problem
I really like cooking, and I particularly love cooking totally different ethnic cuisines. Choose a rustic every month and grasp a dish from there. Submit a photograph diary, weblog, or mini video sequence.
Aim: Journey by way of your style buds!
3. Microadventure Mission
Not each journey needs to be far-off! Set a objective to do one native “microadventure” a month — mountaineering a path, visiting a cultural neighborhood, exploring a close-by small city.
Aim: Keep adventurous at dwelling.
4. The Nation Alphabet Problem
Choose a rustic for each letter of the alphabet (A for Argentina, B for Botswana, and so forth.) and be taught one thing about every: a recipe, a bit of historical past, a film, a competition.
Aim: Increase your international information one letter at a time.
Additional Studying: Books That Encourage Significant Journey & Private Quests
If The Happiness of Pursuit sparked one thing in you, these books will gas your fireplace to tackle a journey challenge that goes past the strange:
1. Vagabonding by Rolf Potts
A timeless manifesto for long-term journey
Explores how journey isn’t an escape from life, however a deeper dive into it. Encourages sluggish journey and intentional wandering, very best for anybody beginning a journey quest.
Vagabonding By Rolf Potts
Vagabonding is about taking time without work out of your regular life–from six weeks to 4 months to 2 years–to uncover and expertise the world by yourself phrases. Veteran shoestring traveler Rolf Potts reveals how anybody with an impartial spirit can obtain the dream of prolonged abroad journey.
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08/28/2025 05:13 am GMT
2. A Sense of Path by Gideon Lewis-Kraus
A memoir about strolling pilgrimage routes in Japan, Spain, and Ukraine
A reflective and typically humorous have a look at how journey quests assist us wrestle with identification, objective, and spirituality.
A Sense of Path: Pilgrimage for the Stressed and the Hopeful
A Sense of Path is Lewis-Kraus’s dazzling riff on the perpetual battle between self-discipline and need, and its attendant casualties. Throughout three pilgrimages and lots of a whole lot of miles – the thousand-year-old Camino de Santiago, a solo circuit of 88 Buddhist temples on the Japanese island of Shikoku, and, collectively together with his father and brother, an annual mass migration to the tomb of a well-known Hasidic mystic within the Ukraine.
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08/28/2025 05:16 am GMT
3. Tracks by Robyn Davidson
One lady’s journey strolling solo throughout the Australian desert with camels
A uncooked, empowering story that demonstrates the transformative energy of committing to an excessive journey objective.
5. Into the Wild by Jon Krakauer
The story of Chris McCandless and his quest for that means in nature
A cautionary however inspiring story concerning the extremes of self-reliance and the deep craving for an genuine life path.
Into the Wild
Into the Wild is the mesmerizing, heartbreaking story of an enigmatic younger man who goes lacking within the wild and whose story captured the world’s consideration.
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08/28/2025 05:21 am GMT
6. Journeys of a Lifetime by Nationwide Geographic
A visible dream board for journey quests
Options 500 of the world’s biggest journeys and concepts, excellent for sparking your personal long-term challenge.
7. Alone Time by Stephanie Rosenbloom
A mild, fantastically written celebration of solo journey
Displays on how solitude in cities like Paris, Istanbul, and Florence creates area for introspection and transformation.
Alone Time: 4 Seasons, 4 Cities, and the Pleasures of Solitude
Stephanie Rosenbloom considers how being alone as a traveler – and even in a single’s personal metropolis – is conducive to turning into aware of the sensual particulars of the world – patterns, textures, colours, tastes, sounds – in methods which can be troublesome to do within the firm of others.
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08/28/2025 05:24 am GMT
8. The Artwork of Non-Conformity by Chris Guillebeau
One other highly effective ebook from the creator of The Happiness of Pursuit
Encourages readers to design a life round their passions — and never accept the default path.
Let Your Travels Develop into Your Legacy
The great thing about a journey challenge is that it retains you linked to your passions whereas opening doorways to surprising adventures. Whether or not you full the challenge or not, the journey itself turns into your private masterpiece.
Prepared to select your challenge?
👇 Inform me which one you’re dreaming about — or share your personal inventive thought!
