Destination Earth: A New Philosophy of Travel by a World-Traveler

by Nicos Hadjicostis

''Travel is the departure from one's little pond. It is the bold renouncement of the petty comforts that hold us prisoner. It is a movement away from the known towards the unknown and unimaginable. Travel is expansion, widening, opening-up...''

After years as a media executive, Nicos Hadjicostis abandoned the business world and set his sights on a larger and more fulfilling goal: to explore our planet as if it were one huge country, a single destination. Starting from New York and traveling west for six-and-a-half-years, the author visited six continents and seventy countries delving deep into their peoples, cultures and natural wonders.

Destination Earth: A New Philosophy of Travel by a World - Traveler is the result of this life-transforming journey. While many travelers today concern themselves with destinations solely for amusement, relaxation, and entertainment, the author proposes a more meaningful, rewarding, and fulfilling way of viewing Travel and its relation to Life.

Enriched with travel incidents and some of the author's best travel color photos, Destination Earth sheds light on both Travel and Life. Ideas and experiences are interwoven into a newly created Philosophy of Travel that is practical and easy to read.

Genres: Travel, Nonfiction, Philosophy, Memoir

275 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 8, 2016

About the author

Nicos Hadjicostis studied physics at King’s College, London. For over a decade he managed the largest media group in his birthplace, Cyprus. In 2003, he left his country in order to explore the world and himself. He is now a writer and a world-traveler. "Destination Earth – A New Philosophy of Travel by a World-Traveler" is his first book. For more information, visit http://nicoshadjicostis.com

Reviews

[Cheri Roan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life And The World Are Meant To Be Experienced...

“Travel is expansion, widening, opening-up. It is the conquering of one’s fears, insecurities, prejudices. It is the hovering above one’s life, past and present, and seeing it in the larger context of the world. It is the fierce struggle against our already formed concepts of the ‘other’; the vanquishing of our dearly held beliefs, of what is familiar, intimate, cherished.”

Travel is more than visiting a place with a set itinerary. Travel is becoming lost in the culture, the beauty, the history and yes one’s own self.

Let’s be honest, if the reader is seeking a travel book that one may sit and read about the world or a plan to take a trip this isn’t it. It’s a how-to, not just how to see the world, but to feel it, breathe it, experience it fully. It’s a life philosophy of discovering one’s own self within the scope of the world. Where the world becomes a single destination where one can experience the past, present and the future within it’s boundaries and never leave the planet. It is “Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance” meets philosophy and the great explorers. It’s seeing the world we live in, opening our minds to the concept of eight continents instead of seven. It is more than a travel book, more than philosophy; it is deeper than the religions of the world all rolled into one.

I have to be honest; I wasn’t sure about this book when I first began reading. However, Nicos has a way with words that captures the imagination that gave me a hunger and set me on a world quest to experience life in my own current surroundings as well as the desire to see myself within the world. I found I couldn’t put this book down. I wanted to not only read, but also absorb and meditate upon each word. I loved the little stories of Nicos’ own travel experiences that were more than just simple adventures, but discoveries within themselves. Even each chapter’s footnotes are not to be missed, giving more detail on quotes, further discussions and more. The pictures not only capture nature’s beauty, but seeing real life in other parts of our globe – whether day-to-day activities, funerals, religious ceremonies or university students taking a break. Life and the world are meant to be experienced and through the words, thoughts and philosophies of Nicos Hadjicostis we do just that. Deep, powerful, inspiring must read.

“…as a wolf searches and finds its deer, and as a bird finds its seeds, every human finds what his body and mind searches for.”

[Ryann Hall · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book

A pleasurable envy overtook my emotions when I read Destination Earth. I grew up reading National Geographic, imagining myself in distant lands. This book, based on an around the world Odyssey, approaches travel as full immersion into these foreign lands. I loved the way the writer set forth a philosophy to immerse yourself as you travel, even considering the "difficulties and struggles" that a traveler inevitably faces at some point during his explorations. I also liked the inserted vignettes with the travel stories that always have something substantial to teach. One in particular, still has me thinking. In “Legs and Arms” he writes, “My legs are the symbol of my strength and independent spirit. My arms are the symbol of my weakness and my dependent nature.” A fascinating read that brought me back to my childhood love of NG and ignited my wanderlust.

[Nikita Goel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Truly enjoyed reading this book and learning about Nicos’ travel philosophy. The book explores many aspects of travel that I have never thought about before and that I have not seen other travel writers mentioning them. For example, in chapter 3, the one in which he explains his philosophy, he talks about the “mindset” that a true traveler ought to have -- how to deal with the unpleasant realities of the world, how to defer judgement, why it’s more important to formulate the right questions rather than find the right answers, how to be spontaneous while having an overall plan (this last one was my favorite, since it resolved something that I was thinking about for years), and more. I especially liked the idea of the wise-line that he then connected to one’s life-journey as a whole.

The inserted travel stories are very insightful. Nicos does not stay on the external events but tries to sift the meaning of what has occurred. I’m sure he could have written many more stories, but now that I just started following his blog, I realize that he is a philosopher-writer and he wanted to concentrate more on creating his philosophy of travel. Although he borrows ideas from many fields as well as a number of different writers (such as Jung, Seneca, and Frankl from the West and Sri Aurobindo, and Tibetan Buddhist writers from the East), I think that he blended them nicely and created an original philosophy that is his truly own.

I’d love to have the chance to sit down with him over a cup of coffee or a glass of wine and hear more about his journey and his many ideas. I saw some of his videos on his website and he seems like a very approachable and easy-going guy.

[N. P. Thao · Rating 4 out of 5]

Exactly what I'm looking for: a philosophical framework to guide one's travel.

Despite different travel styles (I'm more on the backpacking style and he chooses the Middle Way), I see myself in his thoughts. I have also experienced some points he mentioned yet in a fragmented and vague manner, and I'm grateful to Nicos for having done the favor of putting all of his learnings into words and frameworks, enabling his fellow travellers to maximize their travels.

On top of my mind:
- Travel sparks our connection of different knowledge branches. This is truly the effect I'm experiencing after my travel.
- Shift our visual perspective from a Europe-centered to a Pacific-centered portrayal of the Earth.
- Move with ease between different strata of the society for total immersion. This is an ideal approach but it requires money. Definitely what I lacked in my last trip.
- Wise line how-to: we've seen travel routes pre-designed in travel guides, here Nicos shows us 'behind-the-scene' work. Very practical and detailed indeed.
- The ultimate endeavor of one's travel is to capture the soul of the destination, and eventually to transform the core of our being. Couldn't agree more. Such transformation is what I'm going through and also exactly what I was looking for before my travel.
- Collect to enrich one's own library of senses and experiences (his stinky tofu experience is very illustrative)
- Redirect our focus: from finding the right answers to formulating the relevant questions

In brief, an essential read for anyone who values travel as a means to learn. Above all, his application from travel to life is what struck me the most. Unexpected yet the most crucial learning for me from this book: our life journey as a wise line.

Oh and I'm in love with his photo of 'The traveler hermit: A lone penguin returning home at sunset'. He was so lucky to be able to capture such a moment!

On the other hand, I wish he didn't insert too many quotations (too many!) and his tone didn't get too self-centric or dramatic in some travel incidents.

[Rebecca Weiss · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nicos Hadjicostis is an insightful author. Destination Earth is a exploration of the lessons he learned traveling the world. Rather than merely document each destination, Hadjicostis focuses on the experiences that changed his understanding of the world and of life. My favorite parts were the “capsule” anecdotes throughout the book. Some were humorous, some intimate, and all so human. I felt as though I was chatting with an old friend.

“Travel is a departure from one’s little pond.”

Hadjicostis encourages us to step out of our ponds and into the world. He compares watching travel documentaries to looking at a photograph of your loved one, rather than being with them in person. He wants us to be in the world, not just look at it from the comfort of our homes.

His concept of the “wise line” is both poetic and practical. The basic idea is to cut a cross-section of culture and geography with your travels. You won’t learn anything if everywhere you go is exactly the same! I was impressed with Hadjicostis’ practical tips on how to plan your own “wise line”, going as far as identifying criteria and how to judge them.

Humorous, intelligent, and beautifully written; this book is a call to adventure. It tempts and inspires you to follow in the author’s footsteps. I highly recommend it.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A few days ago, I was listening to my favorite podcast, Travels with Rick Steves, and came across an episode with Nicos Hadjicostis, author of Destination Earth. Their conversation was so interesting that I immediately bought Nicos's book. I just finished reading this new masterpiece and I highly recommend it. Destination Earth is well-written and offers deep insights into long-term travel and how to maximize a travel experience. Excellent reading, especially for travelers.

[Kelly Gunderman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Essential Reading for Travelers


For all travelers, Destination Earth is essential reading. The author addresses many different concepts and ideas that will only make your travels more expansive, more interesting, more transformational. This is the new travel bible.

[Ted · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel compelled to explain such a low rating, since I rarely rate or even read something that I don't like. In this case, I had high hopes for the book and was severely let down. It is not well constructed; one could say there is a reason the book was self published. The book, which quite short as travel books go, is highly repetitive and verbose, and ends up saying almost nothing at all of any substance. It was in serious need of a proper editor to cut out the unneeded material, which in my guess could have been more than half the book.

For those like me who expected a description of one man's six and a half year journey around the world will be disappointed to find out almost nothing about his journey. This in NOT a travel book in the traditional sense.

It could have been; and might have been quite good. I have read dozens of travel books which have managed to relate a sense of the journey while adding a modicum of philosophical musing on the nature of the world and man's place in it; that is to be expected in a good travel book. He seems intent on a new philosophy of travel, instead, which again could have been woven seamlessly into a well crafted book, but he chose not to do that.

The author is overly fond of lists and breaking things into categories, which is distracting and can be easily and less intrusively enacted with a little editing. As an example, in categorizing which places to visit when planning your journey he suggests to essentially categorize your locations into 1) the most important place to visit, 2) the second most important place to visit, and 3) the third most important place to visit. This is hardly worthy of a list, and can be stated much more elegantly.

In addition he is overly fond of telling us what to expect in later pages with such words as "as we will see in the next chapter," which can easily be left out because the reader, if he chooses to continue, will understand from himself as he moves on with the reading. No explaining is necessary. An example of the repetitive nature and the over explaining can be found on page 157, where he writes, in yet another list, "While one explores a country, he must ... prepare for the next one. This is the "next country planning" which appears as second on his list. The statement is simply self-evident and can be removed without loss of understanding.

The whole construct of the book has a negative effect on the tone of the work. It separates the story from author through a distracting use of the third person pronoun "one," as in "while one explores a country" from the paragraph above. A simple switch to "I" could change a lot; so the sentence might read, "while I explored a country, like (give an example), I found it very useful to prepare for the next country I wanted to visit."

Even the little vignettes that are included throughout the text fail to help enliven the prose. Many are written in voices that cannot convey the scene he is trying to evoke. Most if not all travel books are written in first person (I cannot think of one not in first person). This is done because it does the best job conveying the immediacy of what the author in seeing, touching, tasting, feeling. The vignettes quickly turn away from storytelling (which should be at the heart of any good book), into ethereal, hypothetical cases and philosophical musings, rather than hard demonstrable facts. Musing can be fine, but weave them into the story!

People might object that I am being too critical or unfair to this book. It says it is a "new philosophy of travel" right on the cover. My answer is you are right. However, I mistakenly thought it was going to be a rendition, retelling or relating of what sounds like a rather amazing journey around the world, and offer me real tips on travel. It wasn't and it didn't. And I don't want others to make the same mistake I did.

[Tina Janssen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Destination Earth is not the typical travel book, suggesting what to see and where to go. It's a unique book that encourages you to rethink of the way you see travelling and to wonder why we travel. Wonderful photos capture the moments from the author’s travels as he related it to the text. Captivating stories make you feel the vibe. I especially enjoyed reading his ideas about how we all live in the same world and how essentially, we are all world citizens. It is a great choice for either real or imaginary travellers.

[Max Rubin · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book will open your appetite for meaningful and transformational travels. The author presents a new travel philosophy that is based on his own extensive travels. It is also inspired by some of the greatest thought leaders, ie. Seneca, Viktor Frankl, Sri Aurobindo. I also appreciated the Appendices which offer more practical advice on how to plan a world journey and how to structure your days while on the road. Great read!

[Donovan K. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a unique type of travel book, unlike any I have read before. I really liked the author's approach to world travel and made me consider travel as a way to open myself to new experiences that lead to my own growth as an individual. The idea that I loved the most was the Wise-Line in travel and how it parallels my own life journey.

[Claire - The Coffeeholic Bookworm · Rating 5 out of 5]

As some other reviewers have already written, this is not a travel book, nor a travelogue. The author doesn’t discuss his 6-1/2 year long journey. Rather, he addresses the lessons he learned and describes the transformations the journey had on his psyche and his way of thinking. He explains how traveling helped him examine his life and life in general at a much deeper level. Finally, in light of his philosophy, he eloquently makes the case that we are all world citizens. A truly enjoyable read and one that I shared with my 25-year-old digital nomad niece, who also loved it.

[Nikag · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this new philosophy of travel. It offered many insights into how to approach different cultures as a traveler, rather than as a tourist. I especially loved the short stories that gave a glimpse into the author's travels. My favorite story was Legs and Arms, that reveals a deep observation of how we relate to others and to ourselves - not just in travel but in life. I highly recommend this book.

[Davorah Stetson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was such a surprise to me! I thoroughly expected to open up this book and flip through a sort of compendium of travel data, tips, and tricks, and maybe even mapped sketchings or two.

I was extremely pleased when, as I continued to journey into this non-fiction book, I discovered a more philosophical approach to the conversation about traveling the world.

Nicos took me on a wonderful ride through his understanding of the very fabric of reality as it is perceived by myself, as the reader.

I felt such an engagement with his words as they developed beautiful thoughts in my head which helped me to really enjoy his philosophically tailored communication style.

One thing that he speaks of at the beginning of his book is that Travel is the Ultimate University. I truly believe and subscribe to this notion. I feel that the Chinese Proverb that he quoted, in the beginning, is so poignant and completely blew my mind, as I had never looked at travel in such a manner as that of never really "needing" a book if you are traveling the world and learning about everything through your own First-Hand account.

I really enjoyed how Nicos spent some time showcasing some really interesting thoughts on culture and how it has changed shape throughout the continents and the ages. He was extremely descriptive with so much of his thought process about so many of the cultural nuances that exist today and that have existed through time. You can see his string of thoughts working on undoing the knots of cultural misunderstandings.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a more philosophical look at things in life.

[Karrar · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book offers a completely unique perspective of travel from a true world-traveler and explorer. The author explains how to get the most out of travels and how, with the right attitude, travel can be the “ultimate university.” I loved his section on the inner journey and how it parallels the outer journey.

[Alexander Pyles · Rating 5 out of 5]

For the curious aspiring and globetrotting travelers, "Destination Earth" offers a new philosophy of travel. This philosophy is well-explained and built upon. The last chapter is different from the rest of the book since it addresses world citizenship – a poignant subject in today’s uncertain political world. Although I very much liked the author’s rich and quite elaborate travel philosophy, the last chapter was my favorite. Liked how he brings into consideration many arguments making the case for why we are all already world citizens. I loved the idea that “the greatest sons and daughters of every nation are those who have managed to fulfill their highest national ideal, and in achieving it, have become universal.” This idea was eye-opening for me. The author also includes short stories from his journey as well as exquisite photographs that wonderfully complement the philosophy. Very original book and a pleasure to read. Five stars.

[Mary Russell · Rating 2 out of 5]

You know when an 18 year old gets back from their first international trip and although it was genuinely life-changing and good for them it is now kind of annoying because even though it’s been 6 months since they returned they still can’t stop talking/bragging about it?... That’s how this book felt to me. I read it because it was free on the Kindle app and I’m glad I didn’t pay for it. It wasn’t awful, he really did have some decent observations but his condescending tone negated anything positive. He literally compared himself to a Greek god. I don’t care if he’s from Greece, it was weird. If you want to read a book in travel philosophy just go travel yourself and come to your own conclusions. And do it whichever we way works best for you... short or long, remote or touristy, preplanned or flexible.. you do you boo.

[Maura Higgins · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is exactly what its description says! I loved writer's point of view on travel! Among others, I enjoyed reading about how to get the most out of travels with an open mind, even when visiting foreign cultures and experiencing completely different ways of life. A must read for travelers and non-travelers alike!

[Grady · Rating 5 out of 5]

‘The culmination of every supreme nationalism is a consummate universalism.’

Nicos Hadjicostis offers his own pertinent background that adds immensely to enjoying this his first book. ‘I’m a world-traveler, writer, and former businessman. I’m also a master chess player, parrot trainer, olive-oil producer, and more. After studying Physics at King’s College, London, I worked briefly as a journalist in my birthplace Cyprus, and published a Greek-language magazine called “Introspection.” I then created the first private radio station on the island whilst working in our family-owned media group, the largest in Cyprus. I eventually became the COO of the group. In 1999, at the age of 35, I heeded the call of a mid-life crisis and left the business world to retreat to a hillside country house. There, I read books, wrote, and meditated on the meaning of life for four years. In 2003 I left my country for good. For a while I lived in Berlin, St. Petersburg, and then London. In the spring of 2005 I traveled to New York from where I embarked on what would become a 6.5-years-continuous-around-the-world journey. My aim was to treat the world as a single destination, and to explore it as if it were one huge country. During the journey I wrote all of my thoughts and discoveries in my “Diary of Ideas.” Out of those ideas and meditations on travel, the world, and life in general, my first book organically took form. For now, I reside in the countryside in a cottage amid orange groves and olive trees, outside the historic seaside town of Nafplio in Greece with my partner Jane Kayantas, whom I met on the third day of my journey’

This splendid book is at once an observation of the entire globe, a mesmerizing reflection on the differences and similarities of all peoples, a beautiful collection of excellent color photographs of many different locales, and a haunting series of thoughts about a 6 ½ year continuous journey around the world. But it is also a meditation on philosophy, or as Nicos phrases it, “Travel is the departure from one’s little pond. It is the bold renouncement of the petty comforts that hold us prisoner. It is a movement away from the known towards the unknown and unimaginable. Travel is expansion, widening, opening-up…”

In this book Nicos pauses to offer conversations he had throughout his long journey, and form these interactions with people for around the world he draws conclusions that stimulate us to reconsider how we approach the concept of travel, of peoples, and of our view of the universe. ‘There seems to be a cultural-evolutionary law whereby all important human inventions, discoveries, and advances become over time the common property of all humanity. Greek philosophy an dart, Roman law and engineering, Islamic and Buddhist ideas have been assimilated and absorbed over a gestation period of millennia by many other cultures outside of their places of origin. It is because of this that Nussbaum may call herself a Stoic, while a modern German might decide to define himself a Buddhist. Over a period of 5,00 years of human history and, before that, over the period of prehistory and human biological evolution, almost every place on this Earth has had its moment of great achievement, irrespective of how long it lasted…there are the natural wonders of the Earth that are randomly distributed in all continents…every single county, even every single region or local group on this planet, has something unique to offer the rest of humanity – even if that one thing happens to simple be its mere existence and difference from all the rest.’

This is a rare find of a book – the thoughts and ruminations of a sensitive man who devoted his mind and body to seeing the entire globe as one destination. Highly recommended.

[Tatiana Roseman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A different type of travel guide! Great thoughts on the philosophy of traveling, wonderful pictures and a good writing! Highly recommended!

[Jonna Higgins-Freese · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, at least I followed my practice of asking the library to order this before I paid for it myself, though now I honestly feel a bit guilty about the library expending resources on it. It was perhaps interesting enough for a brief article about being open to experience and newness -- sort of a Buddhist mindset of non-judgment as helpful to travel.

The photographs were beautiful and were perhaps the best part.

There seemed to be a lack of awareness of his privilege, in financial, gender, and perhaps racial/ethnic terms, that was troubling, especially the explicit decision to speak of the traveler as "he." Being a "he" traveler is very different from being a "she" traveler (cf _Wild_ and Hope Jahren's article on being assaulted as a female traveler in a town in broad daylight: https://www.nytimes.com/2014/09/20/op...)

[Lupita Ebovure · Rating 5 out of 5]

I felt like I have just traveled with Nicos! The short stories and beautiful photos put me in the place, so I experienced the world with him. His philosophical essays made me reflect deeply. He tells the reader that travelling is not simply a vacation, but an adventure, and how to enjoy the moment without being obsessed with logistics. It is about freedom of the spirit, and the rewards of traveling with curiosity and an open mind.

[Alfred Nobile · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not a travel book, but rather a book about travel. Not the tourist traps sold to us by the big tour operators but the fact that the traveller must explore not only the country but immerse themselves in the culture, language and beauty of the countries they visit.
Nicos sets the reader the conundrum that if we do away with man made borders between countries, we enter the unknown and become aliens on our own planet! Hence the title of the book Destination Earth!

He also makes the point that Europe, and by default the western world, eg. the USA use the Europe centred map which distorts our view of the world. He agues that we should use the Pacific centred map it would give us a truer picture of the Earth. This would show how close North America and Asia are. Also the vastness of the Pacific is larger than all the land masses of the Earth put together.

He argues that some travel is better than no travel; but his premise is that long term travel is the best travel of all. The traveller, in his opinion, can explore more, and become more.
If you immerse totally in the language, culture, history and beauty of the country you are travelling in; you become Italian, Brazilian or Russian.


Travel becomes not means of moving from one place to another, but a pilgrimage or a Zen like experience. The reader may not agree with everything in the book, but Nicos gives us food for thought. A good read!

[Edwina Caito · Rating 5 out of 5]

Destination Earth is a thought-provoking and engaging book. It made me question the way I travel, which is usually short and strictly-planned. I mostly go on a 1-week vacation, taking selfies with some tourist spot as the background and posting them on my social media accounts. Pretty basic and shallow, I know. Isn’t this what most people do? This book made me think about how to shift my travel style to be more aligned with what the author calls ‘3- and 4-dimensional travel’. It just seems like a much more interesting way to experience the world. This book offers many nuggets of wisdom, and they're not just all about travel. I’m not sure I can travel without too many comforts for too long, nor whether I can see the ‘bowels and intestines’ of the world, as the author says, without cringing. But he made me think that maybe I and most of us who prefer ready-made trips are just lazy and maybe a bit SCARED too! Reading the book made me feel less scared, but I’m not sure ... I’m not lazy!! :))

[Courtney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Travel and philosophy are two of my favorite subjects so when a friend recommended ‘Destination Earth,’ I bought it without any hesitation. And what a great recommendation it was! This book is an eye-opening read that examines travel through a philosophical lens with the aim of better understanding the world and also oneself. The author draws inspiration from many different traditions and schools of thought: Stoics, Buddhists, Hindus, Jung, Frankl and more. He also includes short stories from his own personal travel experiences around the world that lasted for almost seven years. It’s one of those rare books that is for both the thinkers and the doers. Highly recommend.

[Nancy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a pleasant surprise for me! It asks you to leave behind any prejudices and assumptions you may have about places, to open your mind and heart and meet the world head on! Exploring different places and cultures - even those completely different from your own – can be a transformative experience that is worth it! A fascinating read!

[Nadine · Rating 5 out of 5]

This non-conventional non-travel book that expounds a new philosophy of travel is an eye-opener for travelers and aspiring travelers. Its philosophy is easy to understand as it explains how to keep an open mind to embrace the differences we encounter when visiting other countries. The short stories and photos are excellent and give a strong sense of what the author experienced during his own world journey. I especially appreciated the appendices where he explains how to choose the places to travel to. I loved this book and highly recommend it.

[Melinda Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an extraordinary read, which penetrates into the philosophy of travel. Many fresh and original ideas some of which I had to read multiple times to allow them to sink in. A great companion with which to explore the world. Highly recommend!

[Sarah Whitlam · Rating 2 out of 5]

One of those books where I really needed to concentrate. Unless you're big into philosophy, I'd pick an alternative travelogue.
Whilst I agree with much of what he writes, I can't help feeling judged -that my kind of travel is not really travel. But not many people can take 6 years out of life.

[Sarah Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm guilty of visiting mostly touristy places and doing touristy things. Reading this book made me reevaluate my way of traveling. I realize that I should be more flexible with my travel plans and more willing to explore off-the-beaten paths to experience more of the culture and learn more about the country. Traveling isn't just about ticking off your bucket list. It's immersing yourself in a new culture, interacting with the locals, being open to the new and the weird, and being ready to experience some of the unpleasant realities of the world.

It's true what the author says that traveling is indeed the ultimate university. I knew it before, but when I read it it somehow flashed like a new realization:” travel brings together theory and practice and harmonizes knowledge with life.” Yeap, that’s why we learn so much when we travel.

It seems that Nicos’s transformative experiences came at specific moments in the journey. At least that’s how I felt when I read some of his travel stories that are very inspiring and thought provoking. The practical advice in the end is good too -- how to think about planning a long journey around Europe, how to choose the countries and spread your time.

I think that even if one finds the philosophical writing a bit demanding it is worth buying the book if only to see the great photos. In themselves they give a beautiful “glimpse of planet earth.” Not just the landscapes and places, but also the people and their activities. I really loved them. I think everybody can find something to love in this book.