Setting the Scene

Abstract

Why do some people decide to leave everything behind, sacrifice long-term relationships and potential or established careers, in order to travel the world? And what are the outcomes – if any – of such a break, other than a “gaping hole” on the CV? The goal of this thesis is to explore the notion of transformative travel and shed light on the perceived identity transformations long-term independent travelers attribute to their travel experiences. More and more people today are engaging in long-term independent travel and seeing it as a vehicle for learning, self-discovery, self-awareness and an increased sense of self-determination (Goeldner & Ritchie, 2009; Hirschorn & Hefferon, 2013; McNamara & Prideaux, 2010). Long-term travel brings people into contact with new cultures and value systems and forces them to use their own resources to manage such situations.