In Vietnam, small acts like helping Cha Cha open a coffee stand and building New a website changed two women’s lives.

I fell in love with the vibrant, seaside city of Brighton, following multiple weekends away here, I made the move from London.

I’ve traveled far and wide. And all this time, these amazing adventures and stories to remember were here, in my own country—Ukraine.

Leaving South Africa for Australia. Not fleeing, but choosing change. Saying goodbye to the land that raised me and hoping to build a new kind of life.

I thought I’d seen it all in Southeast Asia—tree rats, Komodo dragons, detergent-eating monkeys. Then I landed in Nepal, and everything changed.

These six travel books recount real journeys with the depth and emotion of great fiction.

We quit our jobs and traveled through Thailand with no return ticket. We were chasing freedom over routine.

If there’s one thing we’ve learned, it’s this: fulfillment doesn’t come from ticking society’s boxes. It’s about choosing to live intentionally.

Until a few years ago, I only traveled twice a year. But hitting 40, and with my teens growing up, I realized I’d hardly seen the world. So, I started taking extreme day trips.

Roanoke reminded me what makes travel meaningful. It’s not just about the scenery (though the mountains certainly don’t hurt). It’s about the stories.