My first transformation through travel didn’t come with a plan or even intention.

It came from a dream sparked in the most unlikely place: a school assembly.

I was an introverted teenager, quietly listening to a guest speaker who had just returned from a year as a high school exchange student in the United States.

And in that moment, I thought:

What if? What if I could do that?

It was an outrageous thought.

My father had passed away suddenly at 41, leaving my mother widowed with six children.

We were even left homeless. ..

There was no way she could fund such a wild dream.

But still… I applied.

My mother didn’t encourage me, but she didn’t discourage me either. She simply and quietly supported me.

And after nearly 12 months of applications, interviews, and waiting, the impossible happened.

I was accepted.

A host family was found, and the exchange organization offered me a full scholarship.

My mother and my host mother began writing to each other by airmail letters (remember those?).

And before I knew it, I was boarding a plane with 300 other exchange students from Australia and New Zealand, bound for a new family, a new community, and my final year of high school.

I was 17. I had never been on a plane.

And suddenly I was flying halfway across the world to live with strangers. That alone was transformational!

The Accidental Transformation

The real change began once I landed.

Yes, I was still an introvert, but I pushed myself not to reinvent myself, but without even realizing it letting more of me out into the world.

I threw myself into American high school life: Friday night football games, drama club, even the school prom. I

spoke at schools across the state about life in New Zealand.

I joined the National Honour Society and celebrated graduation by staying up all night with my new friends.

And I wasn’t alone.

I bonded with fellow exchange students from around the world, Karen from Norway, Alejandra from Argentina, and me, the Kiwi.

Together we were a trio of curiosity, laughter, and courage...

And years later I would get to travel to Norway.

Looking back, I can see the transformation clearly:

☀️ I discovered the thrill of independence.

☀️ I built confidence I didn’t know I had.

☀️ I realized the world was bigger and so was I.

It wasn’t intentional...

At 17, I didn’t set out looking for transformation.

But by the simple act of stepping onto that plane and living in another country, transformation found me.

The Deeper Purpose

At its heart, the exchange program’s mission was simple:

“To provide intercultural learning opportunities that help people develop the knowledge, skills, and understanding needed to create a more just and peaceful world.”

That mission shaped me.

My year abroad ignited a lifelong love affair with travel and gave me something deeper: a sense of purpose.

To grow, to learn, and ultimately here we are today where I love helping other women grow and learn through the experiences of travel.

When I left, I thought I’d come home to New Zealand, go to university, and become a math and geography teacher.

When I returned, I knew that wasn’t my path.

I didn’t know exactly what I would do, but I had found a level of confidence, optimism, and a new belief: that I had choices.

Why Am I Sharing This With You?

Today, as I reflect back to that 17-year-old, I feel gratitude. For her courage to dream.

For stepping into the unknown.

For choosing to be open to opportunities, even when the odds looked impossible.

That first transformation led me to live and work in other countries, to keep growing through travel, and now to share those stories with you.

Just as that exchange student once inspired me in a school assembly, I hope my stories inspire you.

To listen to what’s in your heart. To take that first step. To travel. To be curious. To allow yourself to simply be.

Because here’s the thing:

✨ Travel will transform you whether you set out with intention, or stumble into it by accident.

✨Sometimes the transformation is monumental. Other times, it’s incremental. But you will always grow.

And one day, you’ll look back knowing: you didn’t just dream of your best life. You lived it!

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So cheers to wheels up to winging your way on your next travel building lasting memories.