“Sometimes, you need to get lost to find yourself.”
We’re sure you’ve heard an iteration of that old adage many times before, from generic inspirational posters, lofty educators and sagacious grandparents. Now, one particularly bold travel company is using it as an excuse to whisk you away to an unknown destination, set you up with the tools you need to survive and essentially aid you in your spiritual quest to get totally lost. It’s called, naturally, Get Lost, and it comes from Black Tomato, who also happens to design tours around picturesque locations from Game of Thrones. The operation is the first of its kind, and it just went live. Check it out.
Now, the way this works is quite simple. And yet, quite extremely radical as well. First, you’ll meet with one of their travel experts for a pre-trip consultation. Do you want to go domestic or international? Do you prefer a polar climate? A jungle? The desert? A frickin’ mountain? How do you want to feel? Are you going with a group? These are some questions you might be asked. Unless, of course, you want to really roll the dice—if that’s the case, no questions will be asked. And may god have mercy on your soul.
About six months after the consultation, give or take (this shit is bespoke), you’ll show up at the airport and finally accomplish that thing you’ve seen in movies but could never do in real life, which is just fly somewhere completely random, on little more than a whim. While giving away too many specifics would defeat the purpose of the trip, we can tell you that there is a chance you may end up fishing for piranhas in the Amazon, checking out a migratory dolphin pod on the coast of South Africa or exploring the famous Flaming Cliffs of Bayanzang. Also, you’ll be taking a private jet and/or helicopter to get there. Which felt worth mentioning.
In any event, once you arrive, you’ll be encouraged to leave your cell phone behind. A satellite phone, for use in case of emergencies, will take its place. Experts will provide you with the necessary tools and orienteering equipment; in addition, they’ll teach you the requisite skills, because you don’t just get dropped off into the middle of nowhere without the requisite skills. Then, you’ll set off into the wilderness. Daily checkpoints are there to keep you on track, but what you do in between is up to you. And don’t worry: should you really get lost—like, “I’m actually scared now” lost—guides are tracking your movement and are at the ready to come pick you up.
Most trips will take around 5-7 days, after which point, you’ll return home a changed person. Because, in a world where it’s increasingly difficult to go anywhere without the power of Google at your fingertips and work emails tracking you down, what could be more powerful than leaving everything behind to go completely off-the-grid?
We would implore you to find out.
