Our Travel Manifesto

Maybe it’s a bit pretentious to have a travel manifesto. But at Shared Suitcase, we don’t travel for work or to boast about passport stamps. We travel because we love it—because it teaches us, challenges us, and leaves us with experiences we’ll carry forever. Like many of you, we work nine-to-fives, filling our days with meetings, emails, and deadlines. But travel is where we find freedom, where the ordinary gives way to the extraordinary, and where we remind ourselves of the boundless beauty this world holds.

We’re starting a family and if we can be successful in one thing, it would be that our kids explore. In the words of one of the greats:

“The world isn’t in your books and maps, it’s out there.”

― J.R.R. Tolkien

For us, travel is about moments that make your heart race and your spirit soar. Like climbing Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania, step by gruelling step, until the sunrise at the summit makes every ounce of effort worthwhile. It’s drinking jungle juice on the beaches (and on the boats, and on the docks waiting for the boats) of Mauritius, the warm sand between your toes and the sound of the waves a background melody. It’s dog-sledding with huskies through the pristine snowscapes of Lapland, their energy pulling you across a winter wonderland that feels like another world. It’s seeing the Duomo of Florence, or the Mezquita of Cordoba, looking at someone and sharing that ‘Jesus Christ…’ moment. And those moments happen all the time when you’re travelling – be it through human endeavour, the power of nature, or the kindness of people.

These moments stay with us, woven into the fabric of who we are.

Off the Beaten Track

We believe the magic of travel lies beyond the guidebooks and tourist trails. It’s not just about the cities, though places like Florence, Kraków, and San Francisco have their undeniable charms. It’s about what happens when you venture further—when you explore the places where the world slows down, and you can truly connect with a destination.

In Bilbao, the draw might be the city’s iconic architecture, but stepping outside its limits reveals quiet trails and breathtaking views that feel untouched by time – think San Juan de Gaztelugatxe. In Naples, it’s not just about marvelling at the city’s energy, but savouring the simplicity of life in its surrounding countryside or the similarity between then and now in Herculaneum or Pompeii.

Every destination – be it at home or abroad – offers a chance to dig deeper, to find something unique, to broaden your horizons in ways you never expected.

And the beauty of travel isn’t just in the escaping—it’s in what you bring back.

Bringing It Home

What travel teaches us most is perspective. It shows us the vastness of the world, the richness of its cultures, and the infinite ways people live their lives and it helps us appreciate difference. But it also makes us appreciate what we already have.

Coming home to the Peak District after a couple of days in foreign lands feels like reconnecting with an old friend. Its rolling hills, stoney villages, and winding trails hold a quiet perfection that’s uniquely ours and simultaneously everyone’s. The lessons learned in distant places only deepen our love for the beauty of the familiar. And so we talk about the Peaks on here – because it’s great!

So, Let Your Suitcase Be Shared

At Shared Suitcase, we believe in the transformative power of travel. It’s not about how far you go or how many countries you visit (if any). It’s about embracing each journey with an open heart, bringing back the lessons and memories that shape who you are.

So pack your suitcase (or your rucksack, or your car, your caravan or your cargo pants). Fill it with wonder, with questions, and with the hope of discovering something new. Let it take you to mountaintops, snowy trails, bustling markets, and quiet beaches. But most importantly, let it take you home again, full of stories, gratitude, and inspiration.

Let your suitcase—and your spirit—be full, and shared. Because the world is too beautiful not to explore, and life is too short not to share it.