Dear Lisa,
Have you had an adventure recently? Surely you must have.
After all, when we’re not being told that “life is a journey” we’re being assured that it “is an adventure.”
You can't walk down the street without some billboard inviting you to go on some adventure or other. The university in my town asks students to come on "the learning adventure". My local gastro-pub talks of "an adventure in fine dining". And, as for travel, well now even the most mundane of trips is promoted in terms that might have described the discoveries of Marco Polo.
Indeed, when applied to travel, "adventure" has become one of the blandest and emptiest words in the language.
The reality is that usually we are transported from one comfort zone [our home/work] to another [our hotel/villa/apartment]. The only element of the unknown that we encounter is at the airport. And the use of executive lounges has removed even that.
But what if, regardless of how challenging your day-to-day role might be, you still hanker after a real adventure that stirs the soul and fires the imagination? Indeed, one that takes you into the unknown and pushes you to extremes both physically and mentally?
How do you attain such a thing in a world where the primary achievement from a journey is usually just another 25,000 air miles?
Well, if you’re still with me, may I refer you to my last email in which I mentioned our concept of "Luxpeditions".
In that email, I explained the “Lux” part, and how we can arrange for you to enjoy unexpected comforts and indulgences in even the most remote of places. All you have to do is tell us your definition of what those indulgences might be, and we'll make sure you enjoy them.
It could be something as simple as crisp, clean sheets in a jungle clearing. Or as elaborate as a helicopter flying a loved one into the camp to share the experience with you for a couple of days.
But how about the “expedition” part?
Well, let’s get to basics and the fact that an expedition is “a journey undertaken by a group of people with a particular purpose, especially that of exploration or research.”
Those who have embarked on such a journey will tell you that while it might involve a foray into some forbidding terrain, it is also inner-directed.
The point is to stretch you physically and mentally. To explore your resilience and resources. To test how you cope with and adapt to a very different set of experiences to those you encounter in your daily round.
And, ultimately, to see if you emerge from the jungle ... the tundra ... the ocean ... the arctic waste ... as a slightly different person. One who knows themselves a little better and one who can take those learnings into their everyday lives.
And that is the point of our Luxpeditions.
If you already have an idea for your expedition - as a solitary venture, or with your family, friends or colleagues - please get in touch. I can help you realise your dream.
Indeed, my colleagues and I will enhance and enrich that experience. First, by truly understanding what you want to achieve from the adventure, and then ensuring that your emotional as well as your physical needs are met - and surpassed.
Then, we will arrange all the logistics of your travel - to the degree of hardship and/or hedonism that you desire.
However, if you simply have only a vague notion about where your expedition might take you, then tap into our expertise.
Either way, your Luxpedition will give you stories that you’ll enjoy telling for many years to come. But, just as importantly, will be the inner narrative that is written in the days and nights you spend on the margins of the self.
The sense of achievement will stay with you. But so, too, will a more nuanced notion of who you are and what you are capable of.
If you’re interested in a real “adventure” then give me a call on +44 203 358 0110 or email me at philippe.brown@brownandhudson.com.
Maybe you can do it from the airport lounge next time you’re travelling.
All the best
Philippe Brown
Founder