Table Of ContentPraise for Live, Love, Explore
“It took me at least ten years to understand the connection between my travels and the life lessons that got me
through tough times. Live, Love, Explore gets you there quicker to celebrate the wonderful, frightening,
unexpected journey of life.”
—Samantha Brown, world traveler and Travel Channel TV host
“Live, Love, Explore is a bona fide page-turner—full of inspiring personal stories, charming anecdotes, and
thought-provoking questions. You won’t want to put it down!”
—Light Watkins, founder of the Shine Movement
“Live, Love, Explore is a must-read for anyone searching for their true purpose in life. Inspiring and insightful, it
outlines the lessons of the Way of the Traveler, a way of life to which we can all aspire.”
—Mark Divine, Commander, US Navy SEALs (retired), founder of SEALFIT, and bestselling
author of The Way of the SEAL
“Live, Love, Explore is an instant classic. It reminds all of us that the big dreams we have in our hearts are within
reach.”
—Shane Jeremy James, founder of Actions of Compassion
“Leon has nailed it. It’s rare that one so young ‘gets’ what we all eventually find out; that the grandest and most
difficult of journeys is to find and make peace with ourselves. He not only speaks so eloquently of it, he shows
us the way.”
—Ted Klontz, coauthor of The Financial Wisdom of Ebenezer Scrooge
“Live, Love, Explore deserves my highest high kick! Leon’s book has helped me find the adventure in my crazy
life and can help you, too!”
—Fredrik Eklund, star of BRAVO’s Million Dollar Listing New York and bestselling author of The
Sell
“The life I was meant to live has always revolved around travel and media. To read real tips from Leon
Logothetis, one of the travel industry’s most inspiring figures, made me move beyond the mundane and dream
of magical moments and big dreams.”
—Annie Fitzsimmons, editor-at-large, National Geographic Traveler
“Once Leon Logothetis quit following someone else’s path, a brilliant new calling emerged. He discovered the
bliss that lies within each of us but is often ignored. Leon shares wonderful real-life experiences that are bound
to rejuvenate your soul—often from the most unlikely people and places. Live, Love, Explore is entertaining,
insightful, and inspiring.”
—J.P. Hansen, success coach, inspirational speaker, and bestselling, award-winning author of
The Bliss List and Find Your Bliss
“Leon does it again! In his newest book, Leon so generously shares his experiences which have provided me
“Leon does it again! In his newest book, Leon so generously shares his experiences which have provided me
invaluable guidance on living my best life.”
—Brad Jamison, founder of Good Citizen
“In Leon’s latest book, the reader is taken on yet another journey of self-exploration and enlightenment. Leon
truly represents the nomadic soul of a traveler seeking answers.”
—Dane Steele Green, CEO, Steele Luxury Travel, Huffington Post blogger
“Live, Love, Explore will introduce you to a world of profound teachings and amazing adventures. Leon weaves a
powerful story that will touch your heart long after you have turned the last page. A truly inspiring read!”
—Scott Flansburg, bestselling author of Turn On the Human Calculator in You
“In Live, Love, Explore, Leon shares his hilarious and heartwarming stores of his adventures on the road.
Through his wonderful gift of story, I’ve learned to live my life more fully and without regrets. Thank you!”
—Lyss Stern, founder and CEO, Divalysscious Moms, bestselling author and columnist
“Live, Love, Explore is a kind of beacon for the traveler in all of us. Even if you never leave the comfort of your
own home, you’ll find that Leon’s lessons from the road provide you a treasure map to a better life.”
—Oliver Bennett, travel writer for The Guardian, The Times, The Telegraph, and The
Independent
“Leon sets himself apart with his powerful message paired with such authentic delivery. His insights from his
personal experiences have helped me have a more clear vision for a more happy and fulfilling life. Live, Love,
Explore is funny, deeply moving and beyond inspiring.”
—Margie Warrell, life coach and bestselling author of Brave
CONTENTS
Epigraph
Introduction: My Way into the World
One: Taking Risks Is the Only Way
Two: There’s No Way to Do This Alone
Three: The Way Out of the Comfort Zone
Four: The Way of the Student
Five: The Way to Connect Comes through Disconnecting
Six: The Way to Mastery Is Getting Out of Your Own Way
Seven: Giving Back Is the Only Way to Take in Life
Eight: The Way of the Traveler Starts at Home
Epilogue: The Way of the Traveler Has Just Begun
Acknowledgments
About the Author
George, Con, and Nick
One for all and all for one
“We must be willing to get rid of the life we’ve planned so as to have
the life that is waiting for us.”
—JOSEPH CAMPBELL
“The key to immortality is first living a life worth remembering.”
—BRUCE LEE
INTRODUCTION
MY WAY INTO THE WORLD
“We travel, initially, to lose ourselves; and we travel, next, to find ourselves.”
—PICO IYER
I was tired of living someone else’s life.
Since childhood, I had been told what to do, how to act, who to be. I had been
instructed through other people’s expectations, their demands, even their unspoken
judgment, that the only way to be happy was to become a carbon copy of the
people around me. And for many years, I was okay following in their footsteps. I
was okay showing up to my office job, wearing the suit, playing the role, but that
was the thing: I was playing a role. I wasn’t actually being my truest self.
I was tired of living someone else’s life. I wanted to live my own. And I wanted
my life to be amazing. I wanted it to be filled with adventure. I wanted to live with
such unbridled passion that every bit of food would taste richer, every inch of sky
would be brighter, every breath of air more alive.
Which is how I ended up in Nepal.
It was a haphazard trip, really. I went there with only my plane ticket, a
backpack, and the quiet, desperate knowledge that my life had to change.
Something did. For two weeks, I followed a guide through barren landscapes,
along treacherous mountain passes, through bustling cities, and crowded slums. I
met strangers on buses, and fell in love with every face that greeted me along the
way. And I never wanted to leave.
On one of my last mornings in that magnificent land, I woke up to watch the
sunrise. I stood out on a balcony overlooking Kathmandu, and as though to
announce the beginning of a new life, an eagle flew overhead, calling out in the
morning fog, calling out to me. It felt as though I were looking out across the whole
of the world—filled with billions of lives and stories waiting to be heard, and
adventures waiting to be lived. I wanted to meet every one of them. I wanted to
honor their stories. I wanted to live and breathe and embrace adventure in such a
way that it would become a part of my DNA, a thread so embedded in my life, I
could never again exist without it. And there, on that balcony, on that fateful
morning, I began to discover what it meant to live the Way of the Traveler.
During that trip through Nepal, I discovered that the world held more than just
landmarks. It held lifetimes of wisdom and centuries of dreams, both fulfilled and
unfulfilled. Standing there, looking out at that magnificent sunrise, the eagle
soaring ahead just as the first light of day crested the horizon, I realized that for
once, I was finally living my dream. For once, I was authentically, brazenly alive.
I had dragged along a copy of Moby-Dick because books have often been the
great stimuli of my adventures, igniting my curiosity and driving me out into the
world. At that point in my life, I felt like I was hunting my own white whale: I was
searching for my purpose.
The day after I landed in Nepal, I met Aardash, a guide who offered to take me
across Nepal for a nominal fee. Aardash was about a foot shorter than I am, with
thick arms and legs, and a dark bowl of heavy hair. We were nearly the same age,
but while I walked like a man who didn’t know where he was going (because at
twenty-two, I really didn’t), Aardash had a strong and easy gait, matching a
demeanor that calmly accepted every twist in our tumultuous road.
Though at first most of Aardash’s words had centered on telling me when to
stop and when to go (“We walk now,” was his most frequent command), we soon
found a rhythm to our relationship. Over two weeks, we had trekked across Nepal,
until the morning when I ended up on that balcony overlooking the world.
As Ishmael says in Moby-Dick, “Whenever I find myself growing grim about the
mouth; whenever it is a damp, drizzly November in my soul . . . then, I account it
high time to get to sea as soon as I can.”
Call me Leon.
Call me the traveler.
Call me the accidental teacher, who took a walk through Nepal, and ended up
seeing the whole of the world.
What I found there—and what I have found in the nearly ninety countries I
have visited since—is that we are all looking for the same thing. No matter who we
are or where we live or what sort of travails befall us, we all want to be seen and
heard and loved. We all crave connection, and we are all inspired by the greatest
adventure of all: finding the life we were meant to live.
So, what is the Way of the Traveler, you ask? It’s simple, my friends. The Way
of the Traveler is a state of being. It is a road map to living your best life, to loving
with all your heart, to exploring the world around you, and even more importantly,
to exploring the world within yourself.
The Way of the Traveler teaches us how to live with unbridled passion—the
type that makes food richer, the sky brighter, and yes, every breath of air more alive.
It is a movement. It is a way of life. And ultimately, it’s about being fully present in
every moment, in every choice, in every thought and feeling, so we never again end
up playing a role. It demands that we walk away from old ideas, and instead walk in
the direction of our dreams. And it shows us how to dance more deeply with
ourselves so we may dance more frequently with one another.
