When “Someday” Finally Speaks Back: Michael’s Story

You know that feeling where travel lives in your imagination more than your calendar?

When life is full of responsibilities and routines, your biggest adventures are saved for someday. Someday when there’s more time. More freedom. Fewer reasons to say not yet.

Michael knows that feeling well. And his story is a reminder that while someday will arrive, curiosity doesn’t have to wait for permission.

In 2022, Michael retired, and suddenly someday was no longer theoretical. It was real. Instead of continuing to wait, he chose to say yes.

Traveling with his best friend, a lifelong world traveler, Michael stepped fully into the adventures he had postponed for years.

Over three years, their journeys unfolded across Great Britain, Central Europe, and the Balkans.

Each journey built on the last, stretching Michael’s world wider and reshaping how he viewed travel. It was no longer something added to life. It has become a meaningful part of it.

With every new destination, Michael added a token to his Wander Club collection. These were never about counting countries. 

Each piece became a marker in time, representing who he was in that season, what that year held, and who shared the experience with him.

Along the way, something unexpected happened. He began forming real connections. From hotel bars and quiet cafés to group tours and boat rides, strangers became friends. 

These were not passing conversations, but shared meals, long walks through cities, and laughter that carried beyond the trip itself.

Two moments stand out above all others.

In Sarajevo, Michael was invited into a local family’s home for dinner. They shared a meal and stories of life, history, and tradition. 

“That evening changed the way I think about travel. It reminded me that the real heart of a place isn’t found in landmarks or photos. It’s found in people who open their doors and their stories to you.”

In Split, Croatia, time slowed. Days were filled with morning walks along the Riva, swims in the Adriatic, long dinners, and easy laughter.

“Split didn’t feel like a stop on a trip. It felt like a glimpse into a life I could imagine living. Some of these journeys were about discovery. Some were about joy. All of them were about friendship, both the one I was traveling with, and the ones I never expected to find along the way.”

In the end, Michael’s story is not about how many places he has been. 

“It’s not about how many places I’ve been,” he reflects. “It’s about the conversations. The laughter. The shared moments.”

Michael, thank you for reminding us that wandering is not about being lost, but about choosing curiosity over routine.

Do you have a story behind your Wander Club collection that marks a season of your life? 

We would love to hear it. Share your journey with us on social @thewanderclub or email hi@thewanderclub.com for a chance to be featured as our next Wanderer of the Week.