How I help people ditch the fear of travel and live their best lives

Hey there - Geneva here! I’m an avid traveler from New York who has been wandering the world for 6 years in search of adventure, visiting 45 countries and enjoying Bungee Jumping, Skydiving, and Road Tripping along the way. I recently unpacked my backpack long enough to begin my new career as a Travel Coach, helping others take action on their dreams to explore the world. 

Have you ever found that one thing? That one thing that becomes such a huge, all-encompassing part of your life? The thing that makes you so happy, you just want to stand on a rooftop and shout about it for the whole world to hear? Yeah, that thing! Well for me, that thing is travel. Travel changed my life.

What started out as a 3-month career break to go Backpacking in Europe quickly became a full-fledged adventure that spanned over the course of 6 years and 45 countries. Want to know the scariest part? It almost never happened.

When I was in university, I dreamed of living abroad. I remember doing hours of research, looking everywhere I could think of to find out what my options were, and “How to move abroad.” It felt like the research never ended.  It seemed nearly impossible to know what my options were and whether or not they were feasible. I hadn’t known anyone who had done it before so it often appeared as some unattainable, far-fetched dream. 

Eventually, I decided I’d have to just save up and venture out on one big backpacking trip to just get it “out of my system.” But that one trip changed everything. Through meeting other travelers along my journey in Europe, I learned of so many other amazing opportunities abroad. Visas in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, South Korea – all over!  There were so many options I’d never found through all those hours spent Googling. But why?

Because, well, when you don’t know what you’re looking for, it can be really hard to find the answers. Turns out the answers came easily when talking to other people who had already “been there, done that.” They had the answers already and they were much more fun to hang out with than Google!

BECOMING A TRAVEL COACH

Fast forward 6 years - when 2020 began doing its thing I became ‘stuck’ in the US while in-between Visas. I was exploring Hawaii in March 2020 while en route to New Zealand to begin my new Work Visa. While there, the Covid-19 outbreak was officially labeled a “Global Pandemic” on my birthday. Shortly afterward, the email came through that International borders had shut - only 3 days before my big move to New Zealand.

When such huge, unexpected events cause big disruptions in life, I feel we need to embrace the opportunity to get creative and forge a new path for ourselves. That’s where my idea to build a business around sharing all my Visa knowledge and long-term Backpacking experience came in. Enter the new age of personalized travel guidance: Travel Coaching.

The decision to become a Travel Coach came from repeatedly hearing “I would love to travel, but…” How often have you said that? Probably too many times! Here’s the thing - the ‘but’ is often an obstacle which we have created ourselves. An obstacle that doesn’t need to be there. One that’s really just standing in our way and preventing us from reaching our goals. More often than not, the only one stopping us from taking action on what we truly want is ourselves. We have doubts about taking a break from our careers, moving away from our families 
or seeing the gap in employment on our resumes. It becomes easy to give into our concerns, our fears, and the uncertainty of it all. Fear of the unknown can be a powerful thing, but we shouldn’t let it stop us from the ultimate goal of chasing our dreams and seeing the world.

Through my work as a Travel Coach, I simplify the process and help clients understand and navigate their options. I help those in their 20’s achieve their first backpacking trip in Europe or Southeast Asia or take the leap to move abroad to work in Australia or New Zealand. Together we tackle certain necessary parts of the process like assessing visa options, budgeting, packing, and planning. We set action plans that ultimately bring clients one step closer to making their travel goals a reality!

Travel Coaches can focus on many different things. Some help their clients use travel as a tool to overcome hardship, achieve personal growth, professional growth, or achieve a Digital Nomad lifestyle. At the end of the day, options are endless as we are only limited by our imaginations when it comes to creating something new and different.

WANT TO WORK ABROAD?

Interested in obtaining your first international work visa? Keep these 3 things in mind to help bring that goal one step closer to reality:

#1- KNOW YOUR OPTIONS

If you’re unsure where you can go and what you can do, talk to someone who already knows! Hiring a Coach, for example, can help you speed up the process so you can spend less time looking and finally get booking.

#2- Be Open Minded

Sometimes, the best options are ones that we wouldn’t have initially pictured for ourselves. Being open to new locations or new job opportunities can help open a lot of International doors!

#3- Don't be afraid to commit

So often we get wrapped up in the research and want to feel “ready“ before committing to our big plans. But in doing so, we overlook the simple steps that bring it all to reality. Pay for the visa. Book the flight. These actions will actually get you there!

Wondering what your options are? Reach out! As a Travel Coach, my goal is to break down the barriers that stand in the way of making your wildest dreams come true. I do this out of passion. Out of love. Out of a genuine appreciation for all that this world has to offer. I want to help you see it. Life is too short, putting our dreams to the side can often become an endless cycle. It’s up to us to take action! 
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Question is, when will you? Comment below. 

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Geneva Lutomski

Geneva is an Internationally Certified Travel Coach from New York specializing in Adventure and Work Abroad opportunities for those in their 20’s looking to explore the world through long-term backpacking trips and International work opportunities. Having lived, traveled, and worked abroad for 6 years, she has traveled to 45 countries and is on a mission to help others lead similar paths in life. Through Unwrap Your Map™ Geneva guides aspiring adventurers in turning travel goals into reality through practical planning and effective budgeting, making the way for life-changing experiences abroad.    ​

www.unwrapyourmap.com