What the Journey Gave Me

Some journeys give us joy. Others give us clarity, courage. Travel has a way of placing us in unfamiliar spaces where the noise falls away and the truth has room to surface.

By Jake Leske, Driven By Adventure

I grew up in country South Australia, spending most of my time outdoors hunting, fishing, and exploring the conservation park that backed onto our family farm. I was always curious, always poking around to see what was over the next rise or down the next track. Being outside wasn’t something I thought about much back then, it was just normal.

Years later, in March 2023, I paddled roughly 2,200 kilometres down the Murray River. It started as a simple goal to get back into shape after a shoulder injury.

Not long after, one thing led to another and I found myself in Papua New Guinea, leading treks on the Kokoda Trail. Kokoda is a unique place to take groups. The physical and mental challenge is real, but it’s layered with Australian war history, PNG culture, and the intensity of the jungle environment, making it a very powerful experience.

Around the same time, my partner Emilie was stepping into this world too, from a very different starting point. She was a city girl through and through, with little time spent outdoors growing up, but had travelled extensively through Europe while living in the UK for a couple of years. Coming along on some trips was a steep learning curve, but before long, she loved it. The discomfort, the shared effort, and the simplicity of life on the trail clicked.

What I’ve seen again and again, is how powerful that combination can be: a shared

challenge, a clear goal, getting uncomfortable in a good way, switching off from the daily noise, and spending time outdoors with like-minded people. Sitting around a campfire at the end of the day, swapping stories and laughing about what went wrong or what surprised you, does something that’s hard to replicate elsewhere.

Being out of phone service for a week is rare these days, and for most people, it’s a relief. There’s still safety and communication through satellite phones if needed, but the constant pull of social media and notifications disappears. People settle into a different rhythm.

One of the most rewarding parts for me is hearing from people months after a trip. An email or a text saying how much that time away impacted them, or that they’ve made changes in a completely different direction since.

Driven by Adventure grew naturally out of all of this. Emilie brings a strong foundation in logistics, systems, processes, and event management, which pairs well with me leading trips and focusing on the experience on the ground. Together, we now run a mix of international treks and accessible adventures here in Australia.

At its core, Driven by Adventure is about well-run trips, good people, and spending time outdoors doing something that feels worthwhile.

If you would like to learn more about heading on your next adventure with Driven by Adventure, reach out to one of our WeExplored Travel Experts.

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