way to journey status

175 Warm and Heartfelt Safe Journey Wishes for Friend!

Wishing your friend a safe journey is always a special gesture that shows how much you care for them.

Whether they are embarking on a trip for work, vacation, or any other reason, sending them your heartfelt safe journey wishes can make their travel experience even more enjoyable.

It not only lets them know that you are thinking of them, but also brings them a sense of comfort and assurance.

As you bid farewell to your friend and wish them a safe journey, you are essentially conveying your hopes for their wellbeing and smooth travels.

Your words carry the power to uplift their spirits and give them the confidence they need to navigate through their journey with ease.

Whether it’s a simple text message, a handwritten note, or a personalized card, your safe journey wishes will surely leave a lasting impact on your friend as they set off on their adventure.

So don’t hesitate to send them off with the warmth of your best wishes, and make their journey a memorable and safe one.

Safe Journey Wishes for Friend

Have a safe journey, dear friend! May your travels be smooth and filled with wonderful experiences.

Wishing you a journey filled with joy, adventure, and beautiful memories. Stay safe!

Safe travels, my friend! May your trip be as amazing as you are.

Bon voyage! Wishing you a safe and pleasant journey ahead.

May your journey be stress-free and your destination be filled with happiness. Safe travels!

As you embark on this journey, may every mile bring you closer to your destination and to the fulfillment of your dreams. Safe travels!

Sending you good vibes for a safe and smooth journey. Take care, and enjoy every moment!

May your travels be filled with excitement and wonder. Wishing you a safe journey, my friend!

Safe journey, dear friend! May the road ahead be clear and the skies above be bright.

As you set off on this adventure, may you be surrounded by positive energy and safe travels. Take care!

Wishing you a journey filled with pleasant surprises, new discoveries, and safe passage. Bon voyage!

May your travels be filled with laughter, joy, and beautiful moments. Stay safe and enjoy every second!

Safe travels, my friend! May the path ahead be smooth and your destination be everything you hope for.

Wishing you a safe journey filled with excitement and memorable experiences. Take care and enjoy the ride!

May the road rise up to meet you, and may your journey be safe and rewarding. Bon voyage!

Go forth and explore, brave soul! Wishing you a journey full of wonder and a safe return.

Sending you good vibes and positive winds for your travels. May your path be paved with sunshine.

May your journey be sprinkled with magic, paved with kindness, and blessed with safe passage.

Off on an adventure? Here’s to clear skies, open roads, and a heart full of wanderlust.

Bon voyage, dear friend! May your journey be as epic as the stories you’ll bring back.

Sending you a backpack full of good vibes and a passport stamped with happy memories. Travel well!

May every bend in the road reveal a new wonder and every step bring you closer to your dreams.

Go explore, dear friend! Remember, we’re here holding down the fort until you return safely.

Wishing you a journey as smooth as silk and a return as sweet as honey. Travel safe!

May your adventure be one for the books – filled with laughter, discoveries, and safe passage.

Off you go, explorer! Wishing you a journey that fills your soul with wanderlust and your mind with memories.

May your compass spin true, your spirit stay high, and your journey be full of safe surprises.

Sending you warm wishes and following winds for your adventure. Can’t wait to hear your tales!

May your journey be a canvas, painted with breathtaking sights and unforgettable experiences. Travel safe!

Go explore, dream big, and come back safe. We’ll be here with open arms and eager ears.

Sending you happy trails and safe miles, wherever your adventure takes you. Have a blast!

Short Safe Journey Wishes for Friend

Wishing you a safe and smooth journey! Take care and enjoy every moment.

Safe travels, my friend! May your journey be filled with exciting adventures.

Bon voyage! May your trip be as amazing as you are.

Have a fantastic journey! Take in the sights and create beautiful memories.

Safe journey, dear friend! May your travels be filled with joy and laughter.

Wishing you a hassle-free trip and a wonderful experience ahead.

Safe travels! May your journey be as pleasant as your company.

Travel safely and come back with loads of stories to share!

Have a great trip! Enjoy the moments and make the most of your adventure.

Safe journey, my friend! May your path be filled with good vibes and positivity.

Wishing you a journey filled with new discoveries and delightful surprises.

Bon voyage! May your travels be a tapestry of beautiful moments.

Travel safely and soak in the beauty of every place you visit.

Safe travels, dear friend! May your journey be a masterpiece of joy and wonder.

May your adventure be sprinkled with magic and seasoned with wonder.

Sending safe passage wishes and excited to hear your stories upon return.

May your journey be full of laughter, discovery, and safe miles behind you.

Bon voyage, dear friend! Explore, dream, and return with a heart full of joy.

Go chase your dreams, wander with wonder, and always journey safely.

Sending you warm wishes and happy thoughts for a journey full of sunshine.

May your path be blessed with kindness, beauty, and a safe return home.

Wishing you a trip filled with open hearts, open roads, and open minds.

May your adventure be one for the books, filled with safety and happy endings.

Sending sunshine, smiles, and safe travels your way, wherever you explore.

Go out there, make memories, and always remember: your well-being is priority.

May your journey be a dance between excitement and peace, always safe and sound.

Wishing you a trip filled with breathtaking sights and safe, serene moments.

Let your compass guide you, your spirit wander, and your journey be one to cherish.

Sending you warm goodbyes and safe miles as you embark on your new adventure.

May your path be paved with wonder, your heart filled with joy, and your journey safe.

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Have A Safe Journey Wishes

Wishing you a smooth journey filled with pleasant surprises.

Have a safe and wonderful trip! Enjoy every moment.

May your journey be as amazing as the destination. Safe travels!

Wishing you a stress-free and safe journey ahead.

Bon voyage! May your travels be filled with joy and adventure.

Safe travels! May the road ahead be smooth and trouble-free.

Have a safe flight! May your journey be as beautiful as your destination.

Sending you positive vibes for a safe and pleasant journey.

Wishing you a journey full of happy moments and safe arrivals.

May your travels be safe, and may you return with wonderful memories.

Have a safe journey! Take in the scenery and enjoy every moment.

Safe travels! May your path be clear, and your journey be delightful.

Wishing you a safe and enjoyable trip to your destination.

Have a safe flight! May the skies be clear and the winds be gentle.

Bon voyage! May your journey be filled with laughter and good times.

Wishing you blessings of the road and joy in every mile ahead.

May your journey be as grand as your dreams and as safe as your smile.

Sending good fortune for a trip filled with wonder and happy returns.

May your path be paved with kindness and your journey filled with grace.

Safe travels, dear soul. May your adventure be written in laughter and light.

Wishing you tailwinds that carry you wherever your heart desires.

May your compass point true north and your travels bring sweet memories.

Sending warm wishes for a journey blessed with sunshine and serenity.

May your adventure be grand, your journey swift, and your return joyous.

Safe passage, brave soul. May the world unfold its beauty before you.

Wishing you skies filled with possibility and a journey that sparks your soul.

May your travels be filled with wonder and your return with tales to tell.

Sending blessings for a journey as smooth as the open road and as sweet as home.

May your steps be light, your heart be free, and your journey be filled with glee.

Safe travels, friend. May your adventure be etched in sunshine and laughter.

With open arms and hearts, we await your safe and happy return.

Safe Journey Wishes for Friend Funny

May your journey be as smooth as butter on a warm toast, and may you avoid turbulence like a pro!

Wishing you a trip so fantastic that even your suitcase is jealous of the adventure you’re about to have.

Bon voyage! May your travel playlist be full of bangers and your seatmate be a napping champion.

Safe travels! Remember, if you get lost, just follow the smell of good food – it always leads to amazing discoveries.

Have a safe trip! Don’t forget to pack your sense of humor; you never know when you’ll need it during airport shenanigans.

Hoping your flight is as uneventful as a goldfish’s day – just swimming along smoothly.

Bon voyage, my friend! May the only turbulence you encounter be deciding between pizza or pasta for in-flight meals.

Wishing you a journey so great that even your GPS says, “You’ve arrived at the destination of awesome.”

Safe travels! May your suitcase be filled with all the necessities – snacks, good books, and your sense of adventure.

Have a fantastic trip! May your travel memories be as epic as the time you tried to dance at that wedding.

Bon voyage! May your journey be so entertaining that even the in-flight safety video gives you a standing ovation.

Safe travels! Remember, if the airplane food disappoints, there’s always the promise of amazing local cuisine at your destination.

Wishing you a trip full of laughter, joy, and the kind of adventures you’ll be telling your grandkids about.

Bon voyage! May your suitcase be magically resistant to overpacking and your passport always find its way back to your pocket.

May your luggage be light, your passport mistakes hilarious, and your tan lines perfectly illogical. Bon voyage!

Safe travels! Remember, if you get kidnapped, yell “I have bad WiFi!” They’ll lose interest instantly.

Wishing you a trip with more duty-free tequila than turbulence. Bottoms up and happy landings!

Don’t eat the airplane peanuts, they’re rumored to come with complimentary jet lag. Pack your own snacks just in case.

May your selfie stick never jam, your wifi never die, and your travel stories be so epic we need a miniseries.

Safe travels! Remember, if you see a giant octopus attacking the plane, it’s just your headphones tangled in your hair again.

Wishing you a trip with more postcard sunsets than lost socks. Happy adventures!

May your journey be smoother than a baby’s bottom and your passport stamps more colorful than a toddler’s crayon masterpiece.

Pack light, laugh often, and remember, sometimes the best souvenirs are the stories you bring back. Safe travels!

Bon voyage! May your trip be filled with more “wow” moments than awkward airplane conversations.

Sending good vibes and travel luck! Remember, if you get lost, just follow the sound of your laughter. It’s contagious, anyway.

Wishing you a trip with more duty-free shopping sprees than mosquito bites. Happy exploring!

May your passport be full of new stamps, your camera roll full of epic memories, and your heart full of wanderlust. Safe travels!

Pack your sense of humor, an empty stomach for questionable street food, and an open mind for unforgettable adventures. Bon voyage!

Don’t forget, sometimes the best travel souvenirs are the friends you make along the way. Happy connections!

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Safe Flight Wishes for Best Friend

Wishing you a safe and smooth journey, dear friend. May the skies be clear and the winds be gentle.

Bon voyage! May your flight be as pleasant as our friendship, and may you reach your destination with joy.

Safe travels, my dear friend! May your flight be uneventful and your landing be perfect.

Sending you good vibes for a safe flight. May the clouds beneath you be fluffy, and the skies above, clear.

Fly high, fly safe! May your journey be filled with comfort, peace, and a dash of in-flight entertainment.

As you embark on this journey, may your flight be as delightful as our memories together. Safe travels, buddy!

Wishing you a safe and uneventful flight. May the airplane snacks be delicious, and the turbulence be non-existent.

Bon vol! May your flight be as smooth as silk, and your landing as gentle as a feather.

Safe journey, my friend! May your flight be a breeze, and may you arrive with a smile on your face.

Take off into the skies of adventure with safety and ease. Bon voyage, my dear friend!

May your flight be a masterpiece of calmness and tranquility. Safe travels, and enjoy every moment of the journey.

Wishing you a flight filled with relaxation and serenity. May the skies be your peaceful haven.

Safe flight, buddy! May the flight attendants bring you extra snacks, and may the pilot make it a smooth ride.

Smooth skies, gentle winds, and a landing as soft as a feather. Safe travels, friend!

Wishing you clear skies, calm turbulence, and an adventure that exceeds the horizon. Soar high!

Buckle up, my friend! Bon voyage on your aerial journey. May your flight be as smooth as our friendship.

Sending good vibes for a flight filled with sunshine, good reads, and zero jet lag. Can’t wait to hear about it!

Up, up, and away! May your journey be swift, comfortable, and packed with anticipation for amazing adventures.

Sending air hugs and happy landings. Remember, wherever you roam, you’re always close in my heart.

May your flight be like our laughs: light, breezy, and full of joy. Bon voyage, dear friend!

Touchdown with a smile, my friend! Safe travels, and see you soon on the ground of new experiences.

Wishing you clouds that whisper adventure, winds that sing a sweet lullaby, and a journey that lands you safely in paradise.

Buckle up for take-off and embrace the excitement! May your flight be a reminder that life’s greatest journeys begin with a leap of faith.

Don’t forget to peek through the window and marvel at the view. Safe travels, and remember, your grounded friend misses you already!

May your flight be as smooth as silk, your entertainment as thrilling as our stories, and your arrival as joyful as a reunion.

Sending happy landing wishes and pre-emptive celebration vibes. Here’s to new horizons and an adventure you’ll never forget!

Blue skies, fluffy clouds, and a soundtrack of pure wanderlust. Wishing you a flight that fuels your soul and lands you refreshed and ready to explore.

Up, up, and away to amazing stories waiting to be written. Safe travels, friend, and bring back souvenirs of laughter and memories.

What are some best safe journey wishes for a friend?

May your journey be smooth and trouble-free. Wishing you a safe trip!

Sending you good vibes for a safe and pleasant journey. Take care!

Wishing you a journey filled with beautiful moments and happy memories.

Have a safe and enjoyable trip! Take in every moment and cherish the experience.

May the road ahead be clear and the skies above be calm. Safe journey!

Travel safely, my friend. May your destination be everything you hope for.

As you embark on this journey, may each step bring you closer to happiness. Safe travels!

Wishing you a safe and wonderful journey. Take care and enjoy every moment.

May your travels be full of pleasant surprises and delightful discoveries. Stay safe!

Safe journey wishes for you! May your adventure be as exciting as you’ve dreamed.

Bon voyage! Wishing you a trip filled with joy, laughter, and unforgettable moments.

Travel safe and sound, my friend. May your journey be filled with blessings.

As you set out on this new adventure, may the path be smooth and the memories be lasting.

Wishing you smooth journeys, open hearts, and memories that last a lifetime.

Sending safe passage wishes and a sprinkle of adventure dust. Make it sparkle, friend!

May your travels be filled with breathtaking vistas and experiences that touch your soul.

Go boldly, explore freely, and remember, we’re just a heartbeat away, no matter the distance.

Wishing you a journey painted with kindness, wonder, and the colours of your dreams.

Happy trails and adventurous days! May your path lead you to where your heart truly sings.

Wishing you a tapestry of new sights, sounds, and connections. Embrace the unknown, friend!

Sending safe passage wishes and a reminder: you are braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think.

May your journey be a dance with joy, a whisper of wonder, and a symphony of experiences.

Wishing you open roads, open hearts, and open minds. Go explore, dear friend!

May your journey be paved with kindness, your path illuminated with hope, and your spirit forever curious.

May your travels be sprinkled with laughter, serendipity, and stories that become legend.

Sending sunshine kisses and safe passage wishes. Remember, wherever you roam, you carry a piece of our hearts with you.

May your journey be like a gentle breeze, whispering adventures in your ear and guiding you to where you belong.

Go chase your dreams, dear friend! May your journey be a vibrant canvas painted with experiences that shape your soul.

Safe travels, happy landings, and a heart brimming with wonder. Can’t wait for your stories!

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170 Cheerful and Bright Merry Christmas Wishes for Sister in Law!

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Dive into the Summer ’24 Release

As an admin, you can help your organization succeed by staying up to date with the latest Salesforce releases and getting familiar with product enhancements.

Check out the Summer ’24 release notes for a list of new features and available updates.

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Hero's Journey 101: How to Use the Hero's Journey to Plot Your Story

Dan Schriever

How many times have you heard this story? A protagonist is suddenly whisked away from their ordinary life and embarks on a grand adventure. Along the way they make new friends, confront perils, and face tests of character. In the end, evil is defeated, and the hero returns home a changed person.

That’s the Hero’s Journey in a nutshell. It probably sounds very familiar—and rightly so: the Hero’s Journey aspires to be the universal story, or monomyth, a narrative pattern deeply ingrained in literature and culture. Whether in books, movies, television, or folklore, chances are you’ve encountered many examples of the Hero’s Journey in the wild.

In this post, we’ll walk through the elements of the Hero’s Journey step by step. We’ll also study an archetypal example from the movie The Matrix (1999). Once you have mastered the beats of this narrative template, you’ll be ready to put your very own spin on it.

Sound good? Then let’s cross the threshold and let the journey begin.

What Is the Hero’s Journey?

The 12 stages of the hero’s journey, writing your own hero’s journey.

The Hero’s Journey is a common story structure for modeling both plot points and character development. A protagonist embarks on an adventure into the unknown. They learn lessons, overcome adversity, defeat evil, and return home transformed.

Joseph Campbell , a scholar of literature, popularized the monomyth in his influential work The Hero With a Thousand Faces (1949). Looking for common patterns in mythological narratives, Campbell described a character arc with 17 total stages, overlaid on a more traditional three-act structure. Not all need be present in every myth or in the same order.

The three stages, or acts, of Campbell’s Hero’s Journey are as follows:

1. Departure. The hero leaves the ordinary world behind.

2. Initiation. The hero ventures into the unknown ("the Special World") and overcomes various obstacles and challenges.

3. Return. The hero returns in triumph to the familiar world.

Hollywood has embraced Campbell’s structure, most famously in George Lucas’s Star Wars movies. There are countless examples in books, music, and video games, from fantasy epics and Disney films to sports movies.

In The Writer’s Journey: Mythic Structure for Writers (1992), screenwriter Christopher Vogler adapted Campbell’s three phases into the "12 Stages of the Hero’s Journey." This is the version we’ll analyze in the next section.

For writers, the purpose of the Hero’s Journey is to act as a template and guide. It’s not a rigid formula that your plot must follow beat by beat. Indeed, there are good reasons to deviate—not least of which is that this structure has become so ubiquitous.

Still, it’s helpful to master the rules before deciding when and how to break them. The 12 steps of the Hero's Journey are as follows :

• The Ordinary World
• The Call of Adventure
• Refusal of the Call
• Meeting the Mentor
• Crossing the First Threshold
• Tests, Allies, and Enemies
• Approach to the Inmost Cave
• Reward (Seizing the Sword)
• The Road Back
• Resurrection
• Return with the Elixir

Let’s take a look at each stage in more detail. To show you how the Hero’s Journey works in practice, we’ll also consider an example from the movie The Matrix (1999). After all, what blog has not been improved by a little Keanu Reeves?

#1: The Ordinary World

This is where we meet our hero, although the journey has not yet begun: first, we need to establish the status quo by showing the hero living their ordinary, mundane life.

It’s important to lay the groundwork in this opening stage, before the journey begins. It lets readers identify with the hero as just a regular person, “normal” like the rest of us. Yes, there may be a big problem somewhere out there, but the hero at this stage has very limited awareness of it.

The Ordinary World in The Matrix :

We are introduced to Thomas A. Anderson, aka Neo, programmer by day, hacker by night. While Neo runs a side operation selling illicit software, Thomas Anderson lives the most mundane life imaginable: he works at his cubicle, pays his taxes, and helps the landlady carry out her garbage.

#2: The Call to Adventure

The journey proper begins with a call to adventure—something that disrupts the hero’s ordinary life and confronts them with a problem or challenge they can’t ignore. This can take many different forms.

While readers may already understand the stakes, the hero is realizing them for the first time. They must make a choice: will they shrink from the call, or rise to the challenge?

The Call to Adventure in The Matrix :

A mysterious message arrives in Neo’s computer, warning him that things are not as they seem. He is urged to “follow the white rabbit.” At a nightclub, he meets Trinity, who tells him to seek Morpheus.

#3: Refusal of the Call

Oops! The hero chooses option A and attempts to refuse the call to adventure. This could be for any number of reasons: fear, disbelief, a sense of inadequacy, or plain unwillingness to make the sacrifices that are required.

A little reluctance here is understandable. If you were asked to trade the comforts of home for a life-and-death journey fraught with peril, wouldn’t you give pause?

Refusal of the Call in The Matrix :

Agents arrive at Neo’s office to arrest him. Morpheus urges Neo to escape by climbing out a skyscraper window. “I can’t do this… This is crazy!” Neo protests as he backs off the ledge.

#4: Meeting the Mentor

Okay, so the hero got cold feet. Nothing a little pep talk can’t fix! The mentor figure appears at this point to give the hero some much needed counsel, coaching, and perhaps a kick out the door.

After all, the hero is very inexperienced at this point. They’re going to need help to avoid disaster or, worse, death. The mentor’s role is to overcome the hero’s reluctance and prepare them for what lies ahead.

Meeting the Mentor in The Matrix :

Neo meets with Morpheus, who reveals a terrifying truth: that the ordinary world as we know it is a computer simulation designed to enslave humanity to machines.

#5: Crossing the First Threshold

At this juncture, the hero is ready to leave their ordinary world for the first time. With the mentor’s help, they are committed to the journey and ready to step across the threshold into the special world . This marks the end of the departure act and the beginning of the adventure in earnest.

This may seem inevitable, but for the hero it represents an important choice. Once the threshold is crossed, there’s no going back. Bilbo Baggins put it nicely: “It’s a dangerous business, Frodo, going out your door. You step onto the road, and if you don't keep your feet, there's no knowing where you might be swept off to.”

Crossing the First Threshold in The Matrix :

Neo is offered a stark choice: take the blue pill and return to his ordinary life none the wiser, or take the red pill and “see how deep the rabbit hole goes.” Neo takes the red pill and is extracted from the Matrix, entering the real world .

#6: Tests, Allies, and Enemies

Now we are getting into the meat of the adventure. The hero steps into the special world and must learn the new rules of an unfamiliar setting while navigating trials, tribulations, and tests of will. New characters are often introduced here, and the hero must navigate their relationships with them. Will they be friend, foe, or something in between?

Broadly speaking, this is a time of experimentation and growth. It is also one of the longest stages of the journey, as the hero learns the lay of the land and defines their relationship to other characters.

Wondering how to create captivating characters? Read our guide , which explains how to shape characters that readers will love—or hate.

Tests, Allies, and Enemies in The Matrix :

Neo is introduced to the vagabond crew of the Nebuchadnezzar . Morpheus informs Neo that he is The One , a savior destined to liberate humanity. He learns jiu jitsu and other useful skills.

#7: Approach to the Inmost Cave

Time to get a little metaphorical. The inmost cave isn’t a physical cave, but rather a place of great danger—indeed, the most dangerous place in the special world . It could be a villain’s lair, an impending battle, or even a mental barrier. No spelunking required.

Broadly speaking, the approach is marked by a setback in the quest. It becomes a lesson in persistence, where the hero must reckon with failure, change their mindset, or try new ideas.

Note that the hero hasn’t entered the cave just yet. This stage is about the approach itself, which the hero must navigate to get closer to their ultimate goal. The stakes are rising, and failure is no longer an option.

Approach to the Inmost Cave in The Matrix :

Neo pays a visit to The Oracle. She challenges Neo to “know thyself”—does he believe, deep down, that he is The One ? Or does he fear that he is “just another guy”? She warns him that the fate of humanity hangs in the balance.

#8: The Ordeal

The ordeal marks the hero’s greatest test thus far. This is a dark time for them: indeed, Campbell refers to it as the “belly of the whale.” The hero experiences a major hurdle or obstacle, which causes them to hit rock bottom.

This is a pivotal moment in the story, the main event of the second act. It is time for the hero to come face to face with their greatest fear. It will take all their skills to survive this life-or-death crisis. Should they succeed, they will emerge from the ordeal transformed.

Keep in mind: the story isn’t over yet! Rather, the ordeal is the moment when the protagonist overcomes their weaknesses and truly steps into the title of hero .

The Ordeal in The Matrix :

When Cipher betrays the crew to the agents, Morpheus sacrifices himself to protect Neo. In turn, Neo makes his own choice: to risk his life in a daring rescue attempt.

#9: Reward (Seizing the Sword)

The ordeal was a major level-up moment for the hero. Now that it's been overcome, the hero can reap the reward of success. This reward could be an object, a skill, or knowledge—whatever it is that the hero has been struggling toward. At last, the sword is within their grasp.

From this moment on, the hero is a changed person. They are now equipped for the final conflict, even if they don’t fully realize it yet.

Reward (Seizing the Sword) in The Matrix :

Neo’s reward is helpfully narrated by Morpheus during the rescue effort: “He is beginning to believe.” Neo has gained confidence that he can fight the machines, and he won’t back down from his destiny.

#10: The Road Back

We’re now at the beginning of act three, the return . With the reward in hand, it’s time to exit the inmost cave and head home. But the story isn’t over yet.

In this stage, the hero reckons with the consequences of act two. The ordeal was a success, but things have changed now. Perhaps the dragon, robbed of his treasure, sets off for revenge. Perhaps there are more enemies to fight. Whatever the obstacle, the hero must face them before their journey is complete.

The Road Back in The Matrix :

The rescue of Morpheus has enraged Agent Smith, who intercepts Neo before he can return to the Nebuchadnezzar . The two foes battle in a subway station, where Neo’s skills are pushed to their limit.

#11: Resurrection

Now comes the true climax of the story. This is the hero’s final test, when everything is at stake: the battle for the soul of Gotham, the final chance for evil to triumph. The hero is also at the peak of their powers. A happy ending is within sight, should they succeed.

Vogler calls the resurrection stage the hero’s “final exam.” They must draw on everything they have learned and prove again that they have really internalized the lessons of the ordeal . Near-death escapes are not uncommon here, or even literal deaths and resurrections.

Resurrection in The Matrix :

Despite fighting valiantly, Neo is defeated by Agent Smith and killed. But with Trinity’s help, he is resurrected, activating his full powers as The One . Isn’t it wonderful how literal The Matrix can be?

#12: Return with the Elixir

Hooray! Evil has been defeated and the hero is transformed. It’s time for the protagonist to return home in triumph, and share their hard-won prize with the ordinary world . This prize is the elixir —the object, skill, or insight that was the hero’s true reward for their journey and transformation.

Return with the Elixir in The Matrix :

Neo has defeated the agents and embraced his destiny. He returns to the simulated world of the Matrix, this time armed with god-like powers and a resolve to open humanity’s eyes to the truth.

If you’re writing your own adventure, you may be wondering: should I follow the Hero’s Journey structure?

The good news is, it’s totally up to you. Joseph Campbell conceived of the monomyth as a way to understand universal story structure, but there are many ways to outline a novel. Feel free to play around within its confines, adapt it across different media, and disrupt reader expectations. It’s like Morpheus says: “Some of these rules can be bent. Others can be broken.”

Think of the Hero’s Journey as a tool. If you’re not sure where your story should go next, it can help to refer back to the basics. From there, you’re free to choose your own adventure.

Are you prepared to write your novel? Download this free book now:

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So you are ready to write your novel. excellent. but are you prepared the last thing you want when you sit down to write your first draft is to lose momentum., this guide helps you work out your narrative arc, plan out your key plot points, flesh out your characters, and begin to build your world..

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A Mindful Guide To Spirituality For Beginners + 15 Steps For Beginning A Spiritual Journey

Maybe you’re looking to understand your purpose in this life, or you’re experiencing an existential crisis . 

Or perhaps you’re starting to examine the belief system you grew up with. Whichever the case, you’re contemplating a spiritual journey .

But where and how should you start?

To help you figure it out, we’ve created this beginner’s guide to spirituality.  

Below, we’ll unpack definitions, look at different spirituality types , review the process, and briefly discuss the available practice paths.

What Is Spirituality?

What is a spiritual journey, mystical spirituality, authoritarian spirituality, intellectual spirituality, service spirituality, social spirituality, they lack patience, they engage in enlightenment arrogance, they search for external answers, they crave external validation, they confuse spirituality and material goal-setting, the benefits of learning how to be spiritual, 1. declutter your spaces, 2. take stock of your current belief system, 3. develop a self-care routine, 4. read up on the possibilities, 5. decide whether you will share your plans, 6. reconnect with nature, 7. learn to be kind to yourself, 8. choose the path you want to try, 9. keep an open mind, 10. give everything you try a chance, 11. be on the lookout for scammers, 12. keep a record of your progress, 13. try rituals, 14. allow yourself to believe, 15. read, learn and absorb, path of knowledge, path of devotion, path of meditation, path of service, path of energy.

What are the basics of spirituality ? In some ways, it’s an impossible question to answer because spirituality means different things to different people. 

For some, it’s a religious pursuit. For others, it’s an individual exploration of spirituality.

The director of the George Washington Institute for Spirituality and Health, Christina Puchalski, MD, contends that “spirituality is the aspect of humanity that refers to the way individuals seek and express meaning and purpose and the way they experience their connectedness to the moment, to self, to others, to nature, and to the significant or sacred.”

Generally speaking, most forms of spirituality:

• Invite practitioners to connect with a higher power or source
• Encourage a transcendental end-goal through belief or energetic experiences
• Involve the search for greater meaning or feeling
• Feature a relationship between the practitioner and a divine force

What Are The 3 Elements of Spirituality? 

Back in the day, the three pillars of spirituality were truth, goodness, and religiosity. People’s definitions, narratives, and rituals differed, but nearly everyone saw spirituality as a religious undertaking.

But things are different these days. Sociologically speaking, spirituality is no longer tethered to a theological framework. And while religion colors many people’s spiritual pursuits, growing numbers are severing that tie.

As contradictory as it may sound, it’s not uncommon to meet deeply spiritual atheists — which begs the question: What are the three new elements of spirituality in an increasingly secular world? We’d argue they’re connection, love, and faith.

Most people pursuing spiritual journeys want to feel deeper connections with themselves, others, and the Universe. For some, the bond is cosmic and otherworldly; for others, it’s about communing with nature, neighbors, and the galaxy’s physical realities.

It’s been said that love makes the world go round, and we’d agree. When people love instead of hate, offer grace instead of judgment, and collaborate instead of competing, everything — (and by extension everyone) — is better.  

Faith has myriad definitions and is expressed in disparate ways. For some, it’s a religious undertaking. For others, faith is linked to personal development and fostering humble confidence. 

Have you been wondering how to start a spiritual journey?

One of the most important things to understand is that going through one can take physical and emotional effort since most of us cruise through life on autopilot.

The energetic shift required to change spiritual gears can be more intense than people imagine.

But it’s well worth the endeavor. Navigating a spiritual journey can help us become comfortable with ourselves and live more meaningful, joyful, fulfilling lives.

With courage, forgiveness, and honesty, we can examine our true natures and develop greater capacities for love and compassion.

People who successfully go through a spiritual transformation tend to be more content, calmer, and self-confident.

What Are the Types of Spirituality?

There are several types of spirituality. Some folks pursue all of them; others pick one or two to master.

The choice is yours and may depend on a “soul contract” you signed before diving into this life.

Mystical spirituality focuses on cosmic and intuitive aspects of existence. People who subscribe to these types of esoteric belief systems have faith in a force more powerful than what we can see and touch.

They also believe in a universal unity that transcends the physical world.

Practitioners of mystical spirituality may say things like “everything happens for a reason” and “there’s a cosmic explanation behind everything.”

Authoritarian spirituality involves devotion to a hierarchical structure in the heavens and Earth. Fundamentalist commitment to a religion or belief system is the most common type of Authoritarian spirituality.

Sometimes, this type of journey can safely allow individuals to immerse themselves in their chosen faith, like monks living in ashrams and temples. Unfortunately, it can take a more violent, destructive turn, as is the case with some sects of fundamentalist cults and religious movements.

People who travel down the authoritarian spiritual path may believe that their belief system is the only right way.

Intellectual spirituality is rooted in the notion that knowledge is power.

People who choose this path enjoy reading about and discussing theories. They find their way to the unknown through learning.

All spiritual disciplines have an intellectual sect or path to enlightenment, and many people drawn to intellectual spirituality combine it with service, devotion, or mystical ritualism.

Service spirituality involves attending to others’ needs. Mastery of the craft comes when an individual genuinely helps others without expecting anything, not even a “thank you.”

It can be a tricky path because many folks don’t recognize that they serve performatively. They feast on the praise showered on them for being “good people.” However, healing through service can only happen in a pure state of generosity without a need or thought of recognition or reward.

Some people are introverted, and others are extroverted. Folks who fall under the former umbrella may appreciate individualized spiritual journeys, whereas those in the latter may seek out socially spiritual events — like group retreats.

If you pick this path, think long and hard about your relationship with dependency. Are you choosing to seek communal salvation because of fear or a genuine desire to live selflessly among others?

Common Mistakes on The Spiritual Journey for Beginners 

Ethereal journeys can be exciting and fulfilling — but nobody ever said they’re easy, especially in the beginning. Finding one’s spiritual sea legs can be a bumpy ride! 

With that in mind, let’s unpack a handful of mistakes many people make at the start of their spiritual awakening.

Have you ever tried spirituality for a week (or ten) and gave up when miracles didn’t immediately rain down in your lap? Please don’t feel bad; you’re not alone; it always happens. In fact, it’s more common than successfully establishing a mindfulness or spirituality routine.

Remember that devotional work — (both religious and secular) — isn’t a magic bolt that instantaneously ushers “the dream” into your conscious realm. Heck, monks practicing for decades have yet to experience bliss, much less enlightenment.

In other words, it takes time. Lots and lots…and lots of time. So cultivating patience early in your journey is wise.

The benefits of mindfulness (spirituality’s backbone) can sometimes lead to judgment. Bluntly stated, “baby spiritualists” can be “all ego and no insight.”

Many also approach the journey myopically and think: Well, if X worked for me, it can work for anyone. Then, when people fall short of expectations, newly minted “gurus” attribute their failure to some moral failing rooted in laziness and victimhood. 

But each life carves a distinctive path in the sands of time and space, and what’s good for the goose isn’t necessarily suitable or feasible for the gander.

It’s also a bad idea to cut people out of your life because they aren’t on the same exact track as you. Like stars, lives have singular trajectories — and judging another’s is rarely an excellent karmic idea. 

Bottom line: When it comes to spirituality, worry about yourself — and only yourself.

Spiritual newbies love to search for answers outside of themselves. Sure, the Universe throws people proverbial bones in the form of “signs” every so often, but the work of spirituality is internal. 

Forming a conscious bond with the world around you is about learning to recognize your divine spark.   

As discussed, novices frequently search for external answers. They also crave external validation, which defeats the purpose of a soulful journey. 

Ultimately, it’s best to avoid spiritual competition at all costs. Your quest for meaning, connection, and purpose should never be a status contest.

Another common mistake is conflating personal and professional goal-setting with spirituality. Goal-setting is about what you want your life to look like, materially and professionally. Spirituality is about how you want to feel, see, and experience the world. 

Please don’t read us wrong. Goal-setting and spirituality can work in tandem, but they’re different. The former requires external effort and feedback; the latter is an internal process.

Embarking on a spiritual journey for beginners can be disorienting at the start.

Think of it as if you’re a 16th-century explorer. When you leave port, you’re anxious, detached from what you know, nervous, and unsure of what awaits you. 

You’re out to sea for a long time. Then, one day, you discover a new land; you’re elated and rewarded handsomely. In most ways, a spiritual journey follows that same arc.

A spiritual journey has many potential benefits, including:

• Experiencing a cosmic-level of love and respect for all living people, animals, and plants, instead of only feeling connected with folks and things with which you’re most familiar and comfortable
• Moving through experiences with faith, optimism, and joy
• Being aware of life’s divine nature
• Getting to know and love yourself unconditionally, even when you mess up
• Being able to see magic in the ordinary
• Being aware of the divine grace that helps fuel your life
• Coping better with stress, anxiety, and depression
• Restoring a sense of hope and optimism about life

Spirituality for Beginners: 15 Steps for Starting Your Spiritual Journey

Some peoples’ spiritual paths are clear from an early age. The rest of us usually need to put in a little effort to find the road that most resonates with our eternal beings. In some ways, it’s a trial and error process.

However, there are things you can do to prepare and make the journey easier.

The Universe is, at its most basic level, a web of interconnected energy. Living and working in clean, uncluttered places attract healthy, positive vibes and wavelengths to your space and aura.

It’s beneficial to know where you’ve been to figure out where you’re going,

When embarking on a spiritual journey, take stock of the belief system you grew up with or currently subscribe to. Does it serve you? Is it comfortable? Do you practice it because that’s all you’ve ever known, or does it genuinely resonate with you?

A significant part of spiritual journeys is getting to know yourself. Getting it right takes self-compassion , honesty, and self-forgiveness — which isn’t always easy.

As such, you must care for yourself, and developing a self-care routine is wise during this period of your life. Moreover, we can control habits, which adds a bit of stress-lessening stability to a sometimes rocky time.

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Before you pick a path, read up on the possibilities. Think about your motivations and what you want to get out of the experience.

Don’t forget to consider the logistics of your life. Try not to pick something that doesn’t fit into your lifestyle. Sure, it’s fine to make some changes — like adding meditation and journaling.

But if you have a nine-to-five job, it’s not practical to pick a path that requires you to live in an ashram for 24 months straight.

You get to captain your spiritual journey and decide who gets to know. If it’s something you want to share with the world, post about it on social media. Start a blog about your journey.

And if you want it to be a personal experience between you and the higher forces, keep it 100% to yourself.

Nature plays a big role in spiritual journeys. After all, it’s the Earthly manifestation of otherworldly forces. Connecting with nature is akin to bonding with universal energy, and it helps during a spiritual transformation.

Spiritual journeys aren’t smooth sailing at all times. The waters can get rough, and you must learn to be kind to yourself to get through it.

Instead of listening to the negative voice in your head, give attention to the positive one. Learn to forgive yourself; understand that everyone messes up, including you — and that’s OK.

Once you’ve adjusted your mental facilities, done some research, and prepped your space for the journey, it’s time to pick a path you want to try.

Don’t worry about not picking right the first time. It happens to loads of people. Remember that this is a time of exploration and discovery, so feel free to try on different things till you find something that fits your soul.

Skepticism is bound to drop by for a visit during your spiritual journey. Do your best to keep an open mind. Some things you try may feel silly and improbable. But give it a shot anyway. Hey, you never know.

Giving everything a chance is another important aspect of a spiritual journey. You probably won’t get much out of the experience if you go through the motions half-heartedly.

So allow yourself to believe in magic and mysticism for a bit. Who knows, maybe there is a scientific explanation for why certain “spiritual” things work, and we just don’t understand it from a practical standpoint yet.

The spiritual market is filled with many aspiring cult leaders, grifters, and various types of scam artists. They prey on peoples’ vulnerabilities, and they’re usually skilled at leaching money from marks. So be careful about the orbits you inhabit.

Having a record of your journey is educational and fun. Think how satisfying it will be to go back a year or two from now and read how far you’ve come.

Rituals are a fun way to enhance the spiritual journey. Plus, they put you in the right frame. If you use candles, however, make sure to be safe.

One of the biggest hurdles some people face on their path to higher consciousness is that they refuse to believe.

But it’s a catch-22 because to perceive extra-sensory forces, you must believe in them. So try to put doubts aside and give yourself to the unknown for the time being.

Journeys can take decades. Heck, some people argue that one’s spiritual journey is never over as there’s always more to experience and learn.

Keeping up a reading and learning habit is the best way to keep your spiritual receptors tuned and receptive.

What Are The 5 Spiritual Paths?

Many paths can teach you how to learn about spirituality. Some people stick to one; others try on several.

The knowledge path is suited for people who gain depth and insight through wisdom and gathering knowledge.

Analytical meditation, contemplation, studying, and journaling are important tools for people on this path. They frequently delve into questions about self-knowledge and the greater good.

The path of devotion is all about surrendering to something greater than yourself. The ultimate goal is to liberate the soul from its ego. Praying, chanting, and using mantras are common.

Meditation is a spiritual path in and of itself. People who go this route usually are interested in connecting with a higher power. They also value stillness and calmness.

Active selflessness defines the path of service. But it can be a tricky road, as practitioners mustn’t focus on their efforts but instead on the needs of others. People who serve for the wrong reasons can find themselves in miserable places.

The energetic path is probably the least discussed and one of the most powerful. It combines several disciplines, including meditation and knowledge. People who go down the energy path typically use rituals.

We hope you found our guide to spirituality helpful. Whatever path you choose, and no matter how long it takes, your spiritual journey will help you have a deeper understanding of yourself and the meaning of your life. 

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How to understand, use, and build customer journey maps

A customer journey map is key to building a solid marketing strategy. We cover everything you need to know about customer journey maps, their different types, examples, and the steps to making your own.

What is a customer journey map?

Why do you need a customer journey map, characteristics of customer journey maps.

• What are touchpoints?
• Different types of customer journey map

Journey map variations

• How to create a customer journey map

Customer journey map tools

• How to build an empathy-based, data-backed customer journey map
• How to use empathy to create stronger customer journey maps
• Customer journey tools: Top rated and best available

The customer journey is a long and often unpredictable road. Understanding it can be even more complicated. 

That’s why customer journey maps were invented: to understand the roadmap of a customer, from the very first touchpoint throughout the lasting life of their relationship with your business. 

Customer journey maps (or user journey maps) can be an invaluable resource for companies, from marketing to sales to UX, and are known to help businesses increase their ROI by 13–22% if done correctly. 

Below we cover journey maps from top to bottom, their importance, characteristics, and review examples, along with what you need to make your own. 

Key takeaways: 

Customer journey mapping is a strategic (and successful) approach to truly understanding your customers.

There are real and valuable business reasons to journey map.

There are six basic types of customer journey maps.

Customer touchpoints are every instance of interaction or engagement that happens along the journey. 

There are current- and future-state customer journey maps that can help predict future behavior.  

A customer journey map (sometimes called a user journey map, UX map, or CJM) is a visualization of the steps and experiences a customer has with a brand, from first contact to ongoing engagement, revealing both seen and unseen interactions.

User journey mapping lets you create personalized experiences across all touchpoints —for every individual—across all channels.

Companies can use this shared understanding to identify opportunities for innovation and improvement.

These maps can be simple or complex, depending on what you're looking to gain from them.

For any company, a customer journey map helps to enhance the customer experience and increase customer loyalty. 

A customer journey map can prove invaluable for optimizing across multiple departments—marketing, sales, product, and customer service—in many, many ways. Mapping your customer journey can help you:

Promote a customer-centric culture internally and externally 

Identify your ideal buyer and connect with customer needs

Glean customer journey insights into your audience that can drive revenue

Improve sales funnels & conversion rates authentically 

Amplify customer experience by understanding the customer’s perspective 

Reduce customer support tickets by locating customer pain-points 

Aid in marketing campaigns

Generate repeat business

Decrease customer churn and increase customer lifetime value

Together, these advantages translate into higher sales for your business.

A typical customer journey map includes: 

Actors—or potential profiles of customers—usually align with personas and their actions in the map are rooted in data . These actors will be the foundation of your map, and they will dictate the actions needed to create the desired outcome. 

Customer personas and buyer personas: What’s the difference?

A buyer persona is a profile that showcases your ideal customer based on existing customer data and market research. Buyer personas help humanize the ideal customer you are trying to attract, which helps you understand them better and pick the right marketing strategy to convert them.

A buyer persona is your ideal customer—they’re in research mode. You can have more than one buyer persona for your company, and understanding this buyer is the key to creating a successful customer experience. This buyer will turn into your customer.

Here’s what makes up your buyer persona: 

Demographics —including personal, professional, and specific (age, gender, location, education, income, marital status, skills, routines, etc.) 

Goals —including personal and professional, priorities, and challenges

Values —including personal and professional, and what they find to be important in products and companies

Preferences —including the content they consume, their communication choices, communities, groups, or associations, and how they spend their day, on and offline

All of these characteristics make up customer journey maps on the buying path. 

Journey phases

Journey phases are the different high-level stages in the customer roadmap. They provide organization for the rest of the information in the journey map (actions, thoughts, and emotions).

The stages will vary from scenario to scenario, and each organization will usually have data to help it determine what these phases are for a given scenario. Often you will see awareness, research, evaluation, and decision making in the customer phases. 

Customer expectations

Journey maps are best for scenarios that involve a sequence of events, describe a process, or might involve multiple channels.

Pain points are a specific problem that customers or prospective customers of your business are experiencing in the industry.

Scenarios can be real (for existing products and services) or anticipated—for products that are yet in the design stage. 

Actions, mindset, and sentiment

Every customer has a particular action that they take, because of a mindset that they have and will express it in their own sentiment. 

Actions: When a customer engages with your brand with a purpose. 

Mindset : Correspond to users' thoughts, questions, motivations , and information needs at different stages in the journey.

Emotions : How customers feel about your brand, whether positive, negative, or neutral. Plot these emotions in a single line across the journey phases, signaling the emotional highs and lows of the experience.

Opportunities

Opportunities of a customer journey map are desired outcomes. Maps should include key components, which can depend on the goal of the user journey mapping initiative.

Opportunities are also insights gained from mapping—they speak to how the user experience can be optimized.

To create a customer journey map, identify the personas, map the triggers that lead to desired outcomes, and discuss opportunities.

What are customer journey touchpoints?

Customer journey touchpoints are individual transactions through which the customer interacts with a business. 

Customer journey touchpoints for omnichannel brands are everywhere, here are a few examples:

Social media posts

Product demos

Advertisements

Brick and mortar visits

Website visits

You’ll also have the added returning customer touchpoints to consider—like how engaged they are with your product, if they are returning to your website or if they are attending your events for the second or third time. 

Examples of customer touchpoints 

Identifying each touchpoint is crucial for creating a customer journey map that will drive a better customer experience. Once you’ve identified the touchpoints, list out possible customer actions for each. 

Some actions that derive from customer touchpoints might be: 

Downloading an eBook

Clicking on your FAQ

Requesting a demo or call

Subscribing to your blog

Clicking a paid ad

It’s important to know which touchpoints to invest time and resources into. Your map maps out the areas you can improve, retain and scale. 

Types of customer journey maps

Each customer journey map has a different objective and business focus. There are six types to familiarize yourself with:

Current state —These illustrate what customers do , think, and feel as they interact with your business currently. 

Future state —These illustrate what customers will do, think, and feel as they interact with your business in the future. 

Day in the life —These examine everything that customers or prospects do, think, and feel (within a specific area), whether that involves your product or not. 

Service blueprint —This is a diagram that usually starts with a basic version of an existing or future state journey map. 

Circular —These are used for subscription-based models to visualize the customer journey as a circle or loop. This helps reinforce the importance of customer retention and lifetime value.

Empathy —These are used to create a shared understanding around the wants, needs, thoughts, and actions of a customer.  

Journey maps are meant to be used as a strategic planning tool. Use these definitions to guide you towards aspects of other methods that your team has not previously considered.

Journey map vs. Experience map

A journey map is specific to a product or service, while an experience map is more general and can be used outside of a business's scope.

Since experience maps are more generic in nature, they can also be used to find pain points in a product or service for a future journey map.

Journey map vs. Service blueprint

If journey maps are a product of experience maps, they will need a blueprint to direct them there. 

Service blueprints are a continuation of journey maps in the service industry. They lead the roadmap for service-based customer journeys. 

Journey map vs. User story map

User stories are used in Agile to plan features or functionalities, much like a future customer journey map.

In the user story map case, each feature is condensed down to a deliberately brief description from a user’s point of view. The typical format of a user story is a single sentence:

“As a [type of user], I want to [goal], so that [benefit].” 

How to create a customer journey map 

To create a customer journey map , it helps to have an idea of the steps involved. You can break the process of creating a customer journey map down into the following steps:

Define —Define your map goals with the customer’s journey in mind and your business goals at the finish line. 

Describe —Describe your customers and personas in detail from all aspects of their lives. 

Determine —Identify customer touchpoints from the beginning of the roadmap of engagement with your brand. 

Design —Lay out the customer journey every step of the way.

Designate —Mark customer milestones, motivations, frustrations, and turning points . 

Decide —Flag events that require action and make the necessary arrangements to fix any errors. 

Deploy —Adjust and optimize for a smoother customer experience.

Customer journey map templates 

Having a template is a great way to get started. There are a few different templates to choose from: 

Current state customer journey map 

The current state journey map visualizes the current experience with your product or service. It involves defining the scope of the customer experience with customer touchpoints.

This type of customer journey map is designed with the considerations, thoughts, feelings, and actions of your customers in mind. Current state mapping is a practical approach to identify existing pain points and create a shared awareness of the end-to-end customer experience. 

Day-in-the-life customer journey mapping 

A day-in-the-life journey map is another simple grid map based on time, created especially for the daily grind of the customer. Instead of different journey stages, it represents times in the day related to actions based on decisions in the path of purchasing. 

This template helps you visualize your customer’s daily routine even if these actions are outside your company. It typically is organized chronologically to systematically show the course of the habits of the day.

Day-in-the-life's are great for giving you insights into all the thoughts, needs, and pain points users experiences throughout their day. You can use this type of map to evaluate when your product or service will be most valuable in your customer’s day. 

Future-state customer journey map 

With a future-state journey map template, your goal is to learn how your customers feel about a new product launch or about how they will require your service in the future. 

Future-state journey mapping is a useful approach to explore possible customer expectations and to create new experiences. Mapping out a future customer journey helps to align your team around a common goal—the betterment of the customer experience.

Service blueprint customer journey map 

A service blueprint helps you design a roadmap of your service process—much like building a house. The goal is to be able to make projected changes to the service where needed and to be able to visualize each step in the eyes of the customer. 

Service blueprint maps reflect the perspective of the organization and its employees and visualize the things that need to happen behind the scenes in order for the customer journey to take place. 

Service blueprints are created when making procedural changes, or when trying to pinpoint solutions to roadblocks in the customer journey on a website.

Circular customer journey map 

A circular customer journey map is just that—circular instead of linear or graph-like to showcase a different type of business model. For instance, a SaaS company may find it more useful to visualize the customer journey as a loop or wheel. 

This subscription-based journey map does a nice job of portraying both the customer interactions and sentiments, as well as their journey from awareness to purchase. 

Empathy customer journey map 

The empathy journey map is a bit different because it aligns with the customer's feelings and emotions. Empathy is a big factor in the customer journey and this template is designed to help teams align their customer journey mapping exercise with these types of needs. 

With empathy, you can get into your customer’s shoes and truly feel what they feel as it pertains to your product or service. 

As with anything, you’ll need customer journey mapping tools to help you . The key is to find the right tool that works with your team and workflow. 

Here are a few tools to consider:

Custellence

PowerPoint or Google Slides

With the right map and the right tools, you can overcome roadblocks and open a path to scalability and success.

Enhance your journey mapping process with customer intelligence. Look at data points like heatmaps , scroll maps , and other insights you can glean from session replay . Combining these quantitative and qualitative insights will help you in your journey mapping process.

Using journey maps to drive organizational change

It may not be easy to get buy-in to support the changes in strategic planning that result from customer journey mapping. 

You can use what insights you’ve gleaned from the current state journey map in these beneficial ways:

Align your organization around the customer viewpoint. Engage with each department and set up a commitment to put the customer experience moments top of mind with an initiative for growth.

Enlist team members and partners to generate empathy for customers. Use your journey map to bring together relevant teams to train on customer experience best practices. 

Supplement a new strategy with internal communications that encourage better customer service. As new initiatives roll out, use internal channels to communicate how you’re improving the experience of the customer, and how team members can help.

Optimize your user journeys with Fullstory

Understanding your users' digital experience and optimizing your most important touchpoints can be make-or-break.

With Fullstory Journeys, you can easily see how users explore your site or app and see step-by-step page navigations and other key interactions along the way. This lets you identify if users are using your site how you intended; what the most common navigation paths are; and how users typically arrive at your most critical pages. 

It's no longer a guessing game—it's data-driven and actionable.

Fullstory's DXI platform combines the quantitative insights of customer journeys and product analytics with picture-perfect  session replay  for complete context that helps you uncover opportunities.

Sign up for a free 14-day trial  to see how Fullstory can help you combine your most invaluable quantitative and qualitative insights and eliminate blind spots.

Frequently asked questions about customer journey maps

Who uses customer journey maps.

For any brand or company that wants to learn their customer, from the point of motivation to the turning point of frustration, a customer journey map is the best tactic to do so. Journey maps are best for scenarios that describe a sequence of events. You might want to map multiple scenarios for one persona, depending on your project goals.

How often should I update a customer journey map?

If business goals change, so could your customer’s goals. If you roll out a new product or service, you may want to edit or update your customer journey map. Keeping your maps updated can help you reach your goals as a team. 

How many customer journey maps do I need?

The number of different customer journey maps needed all depends on your target audience. If you have multiple customer personas, it would be best to create different journey maps to suit each one. 

At the very least, be sure to create a customer journey map for the current and future state so you can aid in predicting future trends of the customer journey in alignment with your product and service.

Who should be involved in the mapping process?

Anyone that is involved in making your product or service successful should have a hand in the mapping process. Sales, marketing, customer success, and product teams all should be involved in customer journey mapping. Every team member will benefit from truly understanding their customers to make for a better customer experience. 

What is a user journey map in design thinking?

User journey maps for design thinking is an iterative process of studying the user so that they can engage with a system with more agility. It redefines customer problems in an attempt to identify alternative solutions that might not be obvious with the initial level of understanding.

Related resources and further reading

Map out how your customers navigate your website or app—and determine where you need to improve.

Jennifer Pyron from brand performance agency Mighty & True on building a customer journey map.

What is a customer journey map, how does it relate to product and marketing teams, and where can empathy help? Let's find out.

Fullstory helps you visualize customer interactions so you can understand and improve customer experience, one glowing review at a time.

A comprehensive guide to product analysis and analytics platforms, how important they are, and why they’re a valuable asset for your bottom line.

Journey mapping tools help marketers identify pain points, tailor interfaces, and cultivate efficient, enjoyable experiences for customers.

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77 Beautiful Journey Quotes & Captions To Inspire An Inner Awakening

Searching for some words to accompany your own journey? I’ve compiled the best list out there of the most beautiful journey quotes to inspire and uplift you…

Maybe the most famous quote about journeys that millions across the globe know is from Lao Tzu.  The ancient Chinese philosopher once said, “a journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” And since then, adventurers, journeyers and wanderers have passed on their own journey inspiration. 

Whether your journey is a metaphorical or literal one, you will love my list of the best journey quotes that are guaranteed to lift you up and propel you forward. 

These are the 77 best journey quotes.

The Best Journey Quotes 

You may recognize a number of these quotes about journeys, as they come from the minds of some of the greatest individuals throughout history. These writers, leaders, musicians and adventurers understand the power of a life changing journey. 

1) “If you can’t fly, then run, if you can’t walk run, then walk, if you can’t walk, then crawl, but by all means keep moving.” – Martin Luther King Jr. 

2) “the road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination.” –  don williams, jr., 3) “the best part of life is to decide to make the journey through life like a best selling book. tell a fantastic story when you are ready to tell others how you did it. make sure life the best story ever written through a journey filled with overcoming obstacles, taking risks, and continuing to develop.” – catherine pulsifer, 4) “we are travelers on a cosmic journey, stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity. life is eternal. we have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share. this is a precious moment. it is a little parenthesis in eternity.” – paulo coelho.

5) “If ever there was a metaphor to illustrate the importance of the journey over the destination, it is life itself. For everyone who departs from birth is destined for death, so the journey IS life. Savor it!” – Michele Jennae

6) “life is a journey, and if you fall in love with the journey, you will be in love forever.” – peter hagerty, 7) “the secret of getting ahead is getting started. the secret of getting started is breaking your complex, overwhelming tasks into small manageable tasks, and then starting on the first one.” – mark twain, 8) “it is good to have an end to journey toward; but it is the journey that matters, in the end.” – ernest hemingway.

9) “To finish the moment, to find the journey’s end in every step of the road, to live the greatest number of good hours, is wisdom.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson

10) “our battered suitcases were piled on the sidewalk again; we had longer ways to go. but no matter, the road is life.”  ― jack kerouac, 11) “in order to complete our amazing life journey successfully, it is vital that we turn each and every dark tear into a pearl of wisdom, and find the blessing in every curse.” – anthon st. maarten, 12) “this thing we call life is not a destination with an end but a path down which we continue to journey as long as we can breath. life is to be lived not squandered or to give away waiting for the end to close upon us.” – byron pulsifer.

13) “Don’t judge each day by the harvest you reap, but by the seeds that you plant.” – Robert Louis Stevenson

14) “life should not be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside in a cloud of smoke, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming “wow what a ride”” – hunter s. thompson, 15) “sooner or later we must realize there is no station, no one place to arrive at once and for all. the true joy of life is the trip.” — robert j. hastings.

Short Journey Quotes 

Quotes don’t have to be lengthy to capture the spirit of what they are trying to convey. These short journey quotes say so much with so little words. 

16) “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu

17) “learn to trust the journey, even when you do not understand it.” – lolly daskal, 18) “a journey is time suspended.” –  louis l’amour, 19) “take voyages. attempt them. there’s nothing else.” ― tennessee williams.

20) “I’m an idealist. I don’t know where I’m going, but I’m on my way.”  — Carl Sandburg

21) “stop worrying about the potholes in the road and celebrate the journey.” – fitzhugh mullan, 22) “life’s a journey, not a race.” – unknown, 23) “life is a journey. when we stop, things don’t go right.” – pope francis.

24) “It is good to have an end to journey toward, but it is the journey that matters in the end.” ― Ursula K. Le Guin

25) “you must remain focused on your journey to greatness.” – les brown, 26) “i tramp a perpetual journey.” ― walt whitman, 27) “the real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new landscapes, but in having new eyes.” – marcel proust.

28) “It’s not the years in your life that count. It’s the life in your years.” – Abraham Lincoln 

29) “life is about waking up. it is a journey of discovery and you’ve already bought the ticket and are sitting on the train.” – michael sheridan,, 30) “the only impossible journey is the one you never begin.” – tony robbins, 31) “without music, life is a journey through a desert.” – pat conroy.

32) “What you learn in tough times can be used in many ways to bless your personal life journey.” – Scott Gordon

33) “accomplishments will prove to be a journey, not a destination.” – dwight d. eisenhower.

Inspiring Journey Quotes  

Searching for the courage to take the first steps on your own journey? These inspiring journey quotes will light a fire under you, guaranteed to give you the courage you seek.

34) “I discovered that a fresh start is a process. A fresh start is a journey – a journey that requires a plan.” – Vivian Jokotade

35) “if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” – unknown, 36) “you don’t have to understand my journey. you just need to respect it.” – izey victoria odiase, 37) “when setting out on a journey do not seek advice from someone who never left home.” – rumi, 38) “to get through the hardest journey we need take only one step at a time, but we must keep on stepping.” – chinese proverb, 39) “you have learned a lot, but there are still lots of learning for you as you journey through life. never stop learning.” – kate summers, 40) “when you’re on a journey and you come to a wall, always throw your pack over first, because then you will be sure to follow.” – yongey mingyur rinpoche, 41) “ big things have small beginnings.” – prometheus.

42) “Life is a journey that have a lot different paths, but any path you choose use it as your destiny.” ― Ryan Leonard

43) “this is your journey, your body, your mind, and your spirit. dig deep, own it, and start doing things for you and by you.” – unknown author, 44) “as you journey down the path, don’t forget to be present moment-by-moment and absorb the beauty and richness of simply being alive.” – cary david richards, 45) “life is a journey of either fate or destiny. fate is the result of giving in to one’s wounds and heartaches. your destiny unfolds when you rise above the challenges of your life and use them as divine opportunities to move forward to unlock your higher potential.” – caroline myss.

46) “Temporary setbacks create opportunities for fresh commitment and renewal. There are seasons of sunshine as well as rain.” – T. D. Jakes,

47) “i believe that life is a journey, often difficult and sometimes incredibly cruel, but we are well equipped for it if only we tap into our talents and gifts and allow them to blossom.” – les brown, 48) “to find your confidence, get out of your comfort zone, overcome your fears, and begin the journey to discover and accomplish what you want to do with your life.” – doretha dingler.

Journey Instagram Quotes & Captions  

Need a fantastic quote about journeys to accompany your own inspiring Instagram upload? These Instagram journey captions and quotes say so much in just the right amount of characters. 

49) “Good company in a journey makes the way seem shorter.” – Izaak Walton

50) “always say yes to new adventures.”, 51) “it is better to travel well than to arrive.” –  arthur c. custance, 52) “always take the scenic route.”.

53) “Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer.”

54) “don’t listen to what they say, go and see it for yourself.”, 55) “what’s on my bucket list everywhere.”, 56) “on a hard jungle journey, nothing is so important as having a team you can trust.” – tahir shah.

57) “Travel not to find yourself, but to remember where you have been all long.”

58) “don’t spend your money on things. spend it on experiences”, 59) “leap and the net will appear.” – zen proverb, 60) “all journeys have secret destinations of which the traveler is unaware.” ― martin buber, 61) “life is journey, travel it well.” – unknown.

Funny Journey Quotes 

These funny quotes about journeys are short, punchy and shine a humorous light on some of the many obstacles a journey may come up against. 

62) “Before you embark on a journey of revenge, dig two graves.” – Confucius

63) “me: “i want to travel more”, the bank account: “”like, to the park”, 64) “i have panicked unnecessarily in all four corners of the globe.” – jon ronson, 65) “good things come to those, who book flights.”.

66) “A journey is like marriage. The certain way to be wrong is to think you control it.” –  John Steinbeck

67) “i crossed a time zone and i feel younger already. if i keep traveling west, i can become immortal” – jarod kintz, 68) “sometimes the road less traveled is less traveled for a reason.” – jerry seinfeld.

Celebrity Journey Quotes 

Actors, entrepreneurs, musicians and more are the minds behind these poignant celebrity journey quotes that are sure to inspire and make you smile. 

69) “The key to realizing a dream is to focus not on success but significance, and then even the small steps and little victories along your path will take on greater meaning.” – Oprah Winfrey

70) “sometimes it’s the journey that teaches you a lot about your destination.” – drake, 71) “you can handle just about anything that comes at you out on the road with a believable grin, common sense and whiskey.”– bill murray, 72) “you can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backward. so you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. you have to trust in something; your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. this approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life.” – steve jobs.

73) “The main thing that you have to remember on this journey is, just be Nice to everyone and always smile.” – Ed Sheeran

74) “you take people, you put them on a journey, you give them peril, you find out who they really are.” – joss whedon, 75) “if all difficulties were known at the outset of a long journey, most of us would never start out at all.” – dan rather, 76. “every day is a new journey for me, and i feel like, in my lifetime, i’ve been blessed to experience such a lot.” – bindi irwin, 77) “not everyone will understand your journey. that’s okay. you’re here to live your life, not to make everyone understand.” – banksy.

Did I miss any great journey quotes?

Is there a journey quote I missed off my list that is one of your personal faves and that you want to share? Reach out to me with the quote, and I’ll see if I can add it to the my list of the best quotes about journeys!

Looking for inspiration for your next travel journey?

The quotes that made my list could really sum up so many journeys travelers take every day across the world. I’m a travel blogger who has traveled across the globe, and as a result my site has a huge variety of inspiring travel content. Accommodation guides, music festival guides, itineraries, city guides and so much more await you. Get started with some of my most popular travel content. 

• 37 California Music Festivals That’ll Keep You Dancing All Year Long
• The ULTIMATE Bali Itinerary | How to Plan the Perfect Bali Vacation
• 30 Music Festivals in Europe to Experience Before You Die
• Thailand Itinerary 10 Days | How to Spend the Perfect 10 Days in Thailand
• 16 Amazing Japan “Off the Beaten Path” Destinations & Hidden Gems
• EDM FESTIVALS | The 20 Best Electronic Music Festivals in the USA
• The Ultimate 2 Days in Barcelona Itinerary & Travel Guide
• The Ultimate 2 Days in Kuala Lumpur Itinerary & Travel Guide
• The Ultimate 4 Days in Paris Itinerary & Travel Guide
• 51 Fun & Inspirational Sunset Quotes To Inspire Your Next Adventure

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Happy Journey Wishes | Best Safe Journey Messages

Happy journey wishes & bon voyage message.

Are you looking for the perfect words to send your loved one off on a journey with a smile? Look no further! In this post, we’ve curated a collection of heartfelt happy and safe journey messages, Bon voyage wishes messages, Good journey wishes and warm wishes greeting for happy journey to convey your love and well-wishes as they embark on their new adventure. Whether it’s a short trip or a long journey, these messages are sure to touch their heart and make them feel cherished. Join us as we dive into the world of happy journey wishes for friends, family and loved ones and make their travel experience even more special.

Happy Journey Wishes Message

Happy Journey. Reach home safely and come back soon with more strength and happiness. I will be waiting for you!

I hope to see you return healthy and happy. Have a wonderful time and enjoy your trip.

Enjoy your time and please try to have a lot of fun. I miss you, But Very Happy For You. Happy Journey!

I wish you a superb trip that is filled with lots of sweet memories. Have a great time. Bon voyage!

May your journey be filled with joy, Have a blast and enjoy your journey. Safe Journey!

Thinking of you for every step you take, Remembering your smiles for every move you make, Wishing you a very happy journey. I love you and missing you already!

Wishing a my dear friend, a safe journey! May the joy of this journey bring sweet memories for the rest of your life!

Wishing you smooth travels, exciting adventures, and beautiful memories on your journey. Have a blast!

Bon voyage! May your journey be filled with amazing discoveries, breathtaking sights, and wonderful experiences. Have a safe trip!

May every mile you travel bring you closer to the destination of your dreams. Enjoy the journey to the fullest!

Safe Journey Wishes Sms For Friends And Family

Have a safe journey, Enjoy the true taste of traveling, Enjoy the real passion.

May your journey go well! Enjoy your trip and come back safe!

I am very happy for you my dear, Your dream was always discovering the world, Make it unforgettable holiday. Happy Journey!

Read More: Inspirational Travel Quotes

Goodbye to you and Welcome in advance. Take good care of yourself and enjoy the thrills of the moments. See you when you are back. Safe Journey!

I hope everything will go wonderful on your trip. Bon voyage!

Safe journey cannot be bought, but it can be wished, it can be in form of prayer for your loved one. Happy Journey!

It was great to see you and catch up again. Enjoy the rest of your journey. Have a Safe Journey!

As you embark on this new journey, may you find joy in every step and happiness in every destination you reach. Safe travels!

Sending you warm wishes for a journey filled with laughter, love, and unforgettable moments. Create memories that will last a lifetime! (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});

Greeting For Happy Journey

May you have a fun and memorable lifetime experience! Happy Journey!

May only good things happen, in your trip. Safe Journey!

Go in the way of safety, and be back in the way of love. I believe this Journey will end in your favor. Happy Journey Sweetheart!

May only good things happen on your trip. Happy Journey!

I wish you have a Safe and Happy Journey, hoping to see you lovely and safe again soon.

May your journey be free of risk. Enjoy every bit of travels. Happy Journey!

My love will reach you no matter where you go! May your journey filled with best things.

Check More: Journey Quotes

Hope you have an amazing time and hope you make amazing memories, I am looking forward to hearing the stories of your superb journey. Happy Journey!   I am very glad that you are finally going on a journey. May Your journey be smooth and fantastic.

Happy Journey.Have fun and come back soon! because I miss your beautiful,smiling face every day.

May this journey bring you new perspectives, open doors to new opportunities, and leave you with a heart full of beautiful stories to share. Enjoy every moment!

Wishing you the most amazing adventure as you set off on this journey. May you meet incredible people, experience different cultures, and make lifelong memories.

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Last updated on Aug 10, 2023

The Hero's Journey: 12 Steps to a Classic Story Structure

The Hero's Journey is a timeless story structure which follows a protagonist on an unforeseen quest, where they face challenges, gain insights, and return home transformed. From Theseus and the Minotaur to The Lion King , so many narratives follow this pattern that it’s become ingrained into our cultural DNA. 

In this post, we'll show you how to make this classic plot structure work for you — and if you’re pressed for time, download our cheat sheet below for everything you need to know.

FREE RESOURCE

Hero's Journey Template

Plot your character's journey with our step-by-step template.

What is the Hero’s Journey?

The Hero's Journey, also known as the monomyth, is a story structure where a hero goes on a quest or adventure to achieve a goal, and has to overcome obstacles and fears, before ultimately returning home transformed.

This narrative arc has been present in various forms across cultures for centuries, if not longer, but gained popularity through Joseph Campbell's mythology book, The Hero with a Thousand Faces . While Campbell identified 17 story beats in his monomyth definition, this post will concentrate on a 12-step framework popularized in 2007 by screenwriter Christopher Vogler in his book The Writer’s Journey .

The 12 Steps of the Hero’s Journey

The Hero's Journey is a model for both plot points and character development : as the Hero traverses the world, they'll undergo inner and outer transformation at each stage of the journey. The 12 steps of the hero's journey are: 

• The Ordinary World. We meet our hero.
• Call to Adventure. Will they meet the challenge?
• Refusal of the Call. They resist the adventure.
• Meeting the Mentor. A teacher arrives.
• Crossing the First Threshold. The hero leaves their comfort zone.
• Tests, Allies, Enemies. Making friends and facing roadblocks.
• Approach to the Inmost Cave. Getting closer to our goal.
• Ordeal. The hero’s biggest test yet!
• Reward (Seizing the Sword). Light at the end of the tunnel
• The Road Back. We aren’t safe yet.
• Resurrection. The final hurdle is reached.
• Return with the Elixir. The hero heads home, triumphant.

Believe it or not, this story structure also applies across mediums and genres (and also works when your protagonist is an anti-hero! ). Let's dive into it.

1. Ordinary World

In which we meet our Hero.

The journey has yet to start. Before our Hero discovers a strange new world, we must first understand the status quo: their ordinary, mundane reality.

It’s up to this opening leg to set the stage, introducing the Hero to readers. Importantly, it lets readers identify with the Hero as a “normal” person in a “normal” setting, before the journey begins.

2. Call to Adventure

In which an adventure starts.

The call to adventure is all about booting the Hero out of their comfort zone. In this stage, they are generally confronted with a problem or challenge they can't ignore. This catalyst can take many forms, as Campbell points out in Hero with a Thousand Faces . The Hero can, for instance:

• Decide to go forth of their own volition;
• Theseus upon arriving in Athens.
• Be sent abroad by a benign or malignant agent;
• Odysseus setting off on his ship in The Odyssey .
• Stumble upon the adventure as a result of a mere blunder;
• Dorothy when she’s swept up in a tornado in The Wizard of Oz .
• Be casually strolling when some passing phenomenon catches the wandering eye and lures one away from the frequented paths of man.
• Elliot in E.T. upon discovering a lost alien in the tool shed.

The stakes of the adventure and the Hero's goals become clear. The only question: will he rise to the challenge?

3. Refusal of the Call

In which the Hero digs in their feet.

Great, so the Hero’s received their summons. Now they’re all set to be whisked off to defeat evil, right?

Not so fast. The Hero might first refuse the call to action. It’s risky and there are perils — like spiders, trolls, or perhaps a creepy uncle waiting back at Pride Rock . It’s enough to give anyone pause.

In Star Wars , for instance, Luke Skywalker initially refuses to join Obi-Wan on his mission to rescue the princess. It’s only when he discovers that his aunt and uncle have been killed by stormtroopers that he changes his mind.

4. Meeting the Mentor

In which the Hero acquires a personal trainer.

The Hero's decided to go on the adventure — but they’re not ready to spread their wings yet. They're much too inexperienced at this point and we don't want them to do a fabulous belly-flop off the cliff.

Enter the mentor: someone who helps the Hero, so that they don't make a total fool of themselves (or get themselves killed). The mentor provides practical training, profound wisdom, a kick up the posterior, or something abstract like grit and self-confidence.

Wise old wizards seem to like being mentors. But mentors take many forms, from witches to hermits and suburban karate instructors. They might literally give weapons to prepare for the trials ahead, like Q in the James Bond series. Or perhaps the mentor is an object, such as a map. In all cases, they prepare the Hero for the next step.

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5. Crossing the First Threshold

In which the Hero enters the other world in earnest.

Now the Hero is ready — and committed — to the journey. This marks the end of the Departure stage and is when the adventure really kicks into the next gear. As Vogler writes: “This is the moment that the balloon goes up, the ship sails, the romance begins, the wagon gets rolling.”

From this point on, there’s no turning back.

Like our Hero, you should think of this stage as a checkpoint for your story. Pause and re-assess your bearings before you continue into unfamiliar territory. Have you:

• Launched the central conflict? If not, here’s a post on types of conflict to help you out.
• Established the theme of your book? If not, check out this post that’s all about creating theme and motifs .
• Made headway into your character development? If not, this character profile template may be useful:

Reedsy’s Character Profile Template

A story is only as strong as its characters. Fill this out to develop yours.

6. Tests, Allies, Enemies

In which the Hero faces new challenges and gets a squad.

When we step into the Special World, we notice a definite shift. The Hero might be discombobulated by this unfamiliar reality and its new rules. This is generally one of the longest stages in the story , as our protagonist gets to grips with this new world.

This makes a prime hunting ground for the series of tests to pass! Luckily, there are many ways for the Hero to get into trouble:

• In Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle , Spencer, Bethany, “Fridge,” and Martha get off to a bad start when they bump into a herd of bloodthirsty hippos.
• In his first few months at Hogwarts, Harry Potter manages to fight a troll, almost fall from a broomstick and die, and get horribly lost in the Forbidden Forest.
• Marlin and Dory encounter three “reformed” sharks, get shocked by jellyfish, and are swallowed by a blue whale en route to finding Nemo.

This stage often expands the cast of characters. Once the protagonist is in the Special World, he will meet allies and enemies — or foes that turn out to be friends and vice versa. He will learn a new set of rules from them. Saloons and seedy bars are popular places for these transactions, as Vogler points out (so long as the Hero survives them).

7. Approach to the Inmost Cave

In which the Hero gets closer to his goal.

This isn’t a physical cave. Instead, the “inmost cave” refers to the most dangerous spot in the other realm — whether that’s the villain’s chambers, the lair of the fearsome dragon, or the Death Star. Almost always, it is where the ultimate goal of the quest is located.

Note that the protagonist hasn’t entered the Inmost Cave just yet. This stage is all about the approach to it. It covers all the prep work that's needed in order to defeat the villain.

In which the Hero faces his biggest test of all thus far.

Of all the tests the Hero has faced, none have made them hit rock bottom — until now. Vogler describes this phase as a “black moment.” Campbell refers to it as the “belly of the whale.” Both indicate some grim news for the Hero.

The protagonist must now confront their greatest fear. If they survive it, they will emerge transformed. This is a critical moment in the story, as Vogler explains that it will “inform every decision that the Hero makes from this point forward.”

The Ordeal is sometimes not the climax of the story. There’s more to come. But you can think of it as the main event of the second act — the one in which the Hero actually earns the title of “Hero.”

9. Reward (Seizing the Sword)

In which the Hero sees light at the end of the tunnel.

Our Hero’s been through a lot. However, the fruits of their labor are now at hand — if they can just reach out and grab them! The “reward” is the object or knowledge the Hero has fought throughout the entire journey to hold.

Once the protagonist has it in their possession, it generally has greater ramifications for the story. Vogler offers a few examples of it in action:

• Luke rescues Princess Leia and captures the plans of the Death Star — keys to defeating Darth Vader.
• Dorothy escapes from the Wicked Witch’s castle with the broomstick and the ruby slippers — keys to getting back home.

10. The Road Back

In which the light at the end of the tunnel might be a little further than the Hero thought.

The story's not over just yet, as this phase marks the beginning of Act Three. Now that he's seized the reward, the Hero tries to return to the Ordinary World, but more dangers (inconveniently) arise on the road back from the Inmost Cave.

More precisely, the Hero must deal with the consequences and aftermath of the previous act: the dragon, enraged by the Hero who’s just stolen a treasure from under his nose, starts the hunt. Or perhaps the opposing army gathers to pursue the Hero across a crowded battlefield. All further obstacles for the Hero, who must face them down before they can return home.

11. Resurrection

In which the last test is met.

Here is the true climax of the story. Everything that happened prior to this stage culminates in a crowning test for the Hero, as the Dark Side gets one last chance to triumph over the Hero.

Vogler refers to this as a “final exam” for the Hero — they must be “tested once more to see if they have really learned the lessons of the Ordeal.” It’s in this Final Battle that the protagonist goes through one more “resurrection.” As a result, this is where you’ll get most of your miraculous near-death escapes, à la James Bond's dashing deliverances. If the Hero survives, they can start looking forward to a sweet ending.

12. Return with the Elixir

In which our Hero has a triumphant homecoming.

Finally, the Hero gets to return home. However, they go back a different person than when they started out: they’ve grown and matured as a result of the journey they’ve taken.

But we’ve got to see them bring home the bacon, right? That’s why the protagonist must return with the “Elixir,” or the prize won during the journey, whether that’s an object or knowledge and insight gained.

Of course, it’s possible for a story to end on an Elixir-less note — but then the Hero would be doomed to repeat the entire adventure.

Examples of The Hero’s Journey in Action

To better understand this story template beyond the typical sword-and-sorcery genre, let's analyze three examples, from both screenplay and literature, and examine how they implement each of the twelve steps. 

The 1976 film Rocky is acclaimed as one of the most iconic sports films because of Stallone’s performance and the heroic journey his character embarks on.

• Ordinary World. Rocky Balboa is a mediocre boxer and loan collector — just doing his best to live day-to-day in a poor part of Philadelphia.
• Call to Adventure. Heavyweight champ Apollo Creed decides to make a big fight interesting by giving a no-name loser a chance to challenge him. That loser: Rocky Balboa.
• Refusal of the Call. Rocky says, “Thanks, but no thanks,” given that he has no trainer and is incredibly out of shape.
• Meeting the Mentor. In steps former boxer Mickey “Mighty Mick” Goldmill, who sees potential in Rocky and starts training him physically and mentally for the fight.
• Crossing the First Threshold. Rocky crosses the threshold of no return when he accepts the fight on live TV, and 一 in parallel 一 when he crosses the threshold into his love interest Adrian’s house and asks her out on a date.
• Tests, Allies, Enemies. Rocky continues to try and win Adrian over and maintains a dubious friendship with her brother, Paulie, who provides him with raw meat to train with.
• Approach to the Inmost Cave. The Inmost Cave in Rocky is Rocky’s own mind. He fears that he’ll never amount to anything — something that he reveals when he butts heads with his trainer, Mickey, in his apartment.
• Ordeal. The start of the training montage marks the beginning of Rocky’s Ordeal. He pushes through it until he glimpses hope ahead while running up the museum steps.
• Reward (Seizing the Sword). Rocky's reward is the restoration of his self-belief, as he recognizes he can try to “go the distance” with Apollo Creed and prove he's more than "just another bum from the neighborhood."
• The Road Back. On New Year's Day, the fight takes place. Rocky capitalizes on Creed's overconfidence to start strong, yet Apollo makes a comeback, resulting in a balanced match.
• Resurrection. The fight inflicts multiple injuries and pushes both men to the brink of exhaustion, with Rocky being knocked down numerous times. But he consistently rises to his feet, enduring through 15 grueling rounds.
• Return with the Elixir. Rocky loses the fight — but it doesn’t matter. He’s won back his confidence and he’s got Adrian, who tells him that she loves him.

Moving outside of the ring, let’s see how this story structure holds on a completely different planet and with a character in complete isolation. 

The Martian 

In Andy Weir’s self-published bestseller (better known for its big screen adaptation) we follow astronaut Mark Watney as he endures the challenges of surviving on Mars and working out a way to get back home.

• The Ordinary World. Botanist Mark and other astronauts are on a mission on Mars to study the planet and gather samples. They live harmoniously in a structure known as "the Hab.”
• Call to Adventure. The mission is scrapped due to a violent dust storm. As they rush to launch, Mark is flung out of sight and the team believes him to be dead. He is, however, very much alive — stranded on Mars with no way of communicating with anyone back home.
• Refusal of the Call. With limited supplies and grim odds of survival, Mark concludes that he will likely perish on the desolate planet.
• Meeting the Mentor. Thanks to his resourcefulness and scientific knowledge he starts to figure out how to survive until the next Mars mission arrives.
• Crossing the First Threshold. Mark crosses the mental threshold of even trying to survive 一 he successfully creates a greenhouse to cultivate a potato crop, creating a food supply that will last long enough.
• Tests, Allies, Enemies. Loneliness and other difficulties test his spirit, pushing him to establish contact with Earth and the people at NASA, who devise a plan to help.  
• Approach to the Inmost Cave. Mark faces starvation once again after an explosion destroys his potato crop.
• Ordeal. A NASA rocket destined to deliver supplies to Mark disintegrates after liftoff and all hope seems lost.
• Reward (Seizing the Sword). Mark’s efforts to survive are rewarded with a new possibility to leave the planet. His team 一 now aware that he’s alive 一 defies orders from NASA and heads back to Mars to rescue their comrade.
• The Road Back. Executing the new plan is immensely difficult 一 Mark has to travel far to locate the spaceship for his escape, and almost dies along the way.
• Resurrection. Mark is unable to get close enough to his teammates' ship but finds a way to propel himself in empty space towards them, and gets aboard safely.
• Return with the Elixir. Now a survival instructor for aspiring astronauts, Mark teaches students that space is indifferent and that survival hinges on solving one problem after another, as well as the importance of other people’s help.

Coming back to Earth, let’s now examine a heroine’s journey through the wilderness of the Pacific Crest Trail and her… humanity. 

The memoir Wild narrates the three-month-long hiking adventure of Cheryl Strayed across the Pacific coast, as she grapples with her turbulent past and rediscovers her inner strength.

• The Ordinary World. Cheryl shares her strong bond with her mother who was her strength during a tough childhood with an abusive father.
• Call to Adventure. As her mother succumbs to lung cancer, Cheryl faces the heart-wrenching reality to confront life's challenges on her own.
• Refusal of the Call. Cheryl spirals down into a destructive path of substance abuse and infidelity, which leads to hit rock bottom with a divorce and unwanted pregnancy. 
• Meeting the Mentor. Her best friend Lisa supports her during her darkest time. One day she notices the Pacific Trail guidebook, which gives her hope to find her way back to her inner strength.
• Crossing the First Threshold. She quits her job, sells her belongings, and visits her mother’s grave before traveling to Mojave, where the trek begins.
• Tests, Allies, Enemies. Cheryl is tested by her heavy bag, blisters, rattlesnakes, and exhaustion, but many strangers help her along the trail with a warm meal or hiking tips. 
• Approach to the Inmost Cave. As Cheryl goes through particularly tough and snowy parts of the trail her emotional baggage starts to catch up with her.  
• Ordeal. She inadvertently drops one of her shoes off a cliff, and the incident unearths the helplessness she's been evading since her mother's passing.
• Reward (Seizing the Sword). Cheryl soldiers on, trekking an impressive 50 miles in duct-taped sandals before finally securing a new pair of shoes. This small victory amplifies her self-confidence.
• The Road Back. On the last stretch, she battles thirst, sketchy hunters, and a storm, but more importantly, she revisits her most poignant and painful memories.
• Resurrection. Cheryl forgives herself for damaging her marriage and her sense of worth, owning up to her mistakes. A pivotal moment happens at Crater Lake, where she lets go of her frustration at her mother for passing away.
• Return with the Elixir. Cheryl reaches the Bridge of the Gods and completes the trail. She has found her inner strength and determination for life's next steps.

There are countless other stories that could align with this template, but it's not always the perfect fit. So, let's look into when authors should consider it or not.

When should writers use The Hero’s Journey?

The Hero’s Journey is just one way to outline a novel and dissect a plot. For more longstanding theories on the topic, you can go this way to read about the ever-popular Three-Act Structure or here to discover Dan Harmon's Story Circle and three more prevalent structures .

So when is it best to use the Hero’s Journey? There are a couple of circumstances which might make this a good choice.

When you need more specific story guidance than simple structures can offer

Simply put, the Hero’s Journey structure is far more detailed and closely defined than other story structure theories. If you want a fairly specific framework for your work than a thee-act structure, the Hero’s Journey can be a great place to start.

Of course, rules are made to be broken . There’s plenty of room to play within the confines of the Hero’s Journey, despite it appearing fairly prescriptive at first glance. Do you want to experiment with an abbreviated “Resurrection” stage, as J.K. Rowling did in Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone? Are you more interested in exploring the journey of an anti-hero? It’s all possible.

Once you understand the basics of this universal story structure, you can use and bend it in ways that disrupt reader expectations.

Need more help developing your book? Try this template on for size:

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When your focus is on a single protagonist

No matter how sprawling or epic the world you’re writing is, if your story is, at its core, focused on a single character’s journey, then this is a good story structure for you. It’s kind of in the name! If you’re dealing with an entire ensemble, the Hero’s Journey may not give you the scope to explore all of your characters’ plots and subplot — a broader three-act structure may give you more freedom to weave a greater number story threads. ​​

Which story structure is right for you?

Take this quiz and we'll match your story to a structure in minutes!

Whether you're a reader or writer, we hope our guide has helped you understand this universal story arc. Want to know more about story structure? We explain 6 more in our guide — read on!

6 responses

PJ Reece says:

25/07/2018 – 19:41

Nice vid, good intro to story structure. Typically, though, the 'hero's journey' misses the all-important point of the Act II crisis. There, where the hero faces his/her/its existential crisis, they must DIE. The old character is largely destroyed -- which is the absolute pre-condition to 'waking up' to what must be done. It's not more clever thinking; it's not thinking at all. Its SEEING. So many writing texts miss this point. It's tantamount to a religions experience, and nobody grows up without it. STORY STRUCTURE TO DIE FOR examines this dramatic necessity.

↪️ C.T. Cheek replied:

13/11/2019 – 21:01

Okay, but wouldn't the Act II crisis find itself in the Ordeal? The Hero is tested and arguably looses his/her/its past-self for the new one. Typically, the Hero is not fully "reborn" until the Resurrection, in which they defeat the hypothetical dragon and overcome the conflict of the story. It's kind of this process of rebirth beginning in the earlier sections of the Hero's Journey and ending in the Resurrection and affirmed in the Return with the Elixir.

Lexi Mize says:

25/07/2018 – 22:33

Great article. Odd how one can take nearly every story and somewhat plug it into such a pattern.

Bailey Koch says:

11/06/2019 – 02:16

This was totally lit fam!!!!

↪️ Bailey Koch replied:

11/09/2019 – 03:46

where is my dad?

Frank says:

12/04/2020 – 12:40

Great article, thanks! :) But Vogler didn't expand Campbell's theory. Campbell had seventeen stages, not twelve.

Comments are currently closed.

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65 Beautiful Quotes to Wish Someone a Safe Journey

Know someone who is about to set off on holiday or go abroad? Here are 65 creative and thoughtful ways to say ‘Have a safe trip’. Copy and paste these safe journey wishes to show them that you care.

Saying goodbye to someone who’s about to depart on a journey can be difficult. Even as a writer, I often struggle to find the right words to say.

These days, I’m usually on the receiving end of goodbyes – but I’ve had to say my fair share of farewells, too.

While ‘Have a safe journey’ will sometimes suffice, quoting a simple message, a beautiful saying or even a traditional blessing is an easy way to make a farewell more meaningful and memorable.

I’ve searched books, song lyrics and inspirational sites to come up with this list of 65 safe journey wishes . You can say these out loud, or you can copy and paste your favourite into an email, use it in a caption on social media, or better still, jot it down on a hand-written note!

• The best quotes about travelling with friends
• The best quotes about travelling alone
• The best quotes for travelling with family
• Inspiring quotes about adventure & hiking
• Beautiful sunset captions for social media

Please note: This post contains affiliate links, meaning I may earn a commission if you make a purchase by clicking a link (at no extra cost to you). Learn more.

Tips for wishing someone a safe journey

Goodbyes are often emotional and can be overwhelming, especially when they take place at the airport or at the station. These tips can make saying farewell that much easier.

• Don’t leave your goodbye until the last minute. If you want to make it meaningful, make sure you set aside enough time to say everything you want to say.
• Focus on the next time you’ll meet. Whether it’s catching up for a meal or picking them up from the airport, make a plan and remind them (and yourself) that it’s only a matter of time before you see each other again.
• Make a time to speak. If you know you’ll hear their voice when the flight lands or the train pulls in, you’ll feel much better about sending them off.
• Remember, the person travelling is excited for the journey ahead – but they’re probably just as emotional as you!
• Reassure them that you’ll be thinking of them. These safe journey wishes are perfect for just that.
• It’s not only about what you say, it’s also what you do. Depending on your relationship, a warm hug or a hand on the shoulder can mean a lot.

Short and sweet safe journey wishes

These safe journey messages are thoughtful but to the point. They’re especially good for saying a quick goodbye on social media or by text message.

• Best wishes for a safe, happy and fulfilling journey.
• May the road be kind to you.
• Go safe, move safe, leave safe, home safe.

This goodbye message comes from a Middle English phrase meaning ‘May you prosper’.

When NASA astronaut John Glenn made the first manned orbital flight in 1962, mission control used the word ‘Godspeed’ to wish him a safe journey.

• Catch you on the flip side!

We often use this friendly way of saying goodbye in Australia. It comes from late-night radio DJs, who would use the phrase before they put on a vinyl record.

Listeners knew they wouldn’t hear from the DJ again until the record had played through and they had ‘flipped’ the vinyl to the B side.

• Stay out of trouble!

A cheeky way of saying ‘Have a safe journey’, appropriate for someone you know well!

• Smooth sailing!

First coined in the 14th Century, this phrase prophesied calm waters free from rough waves for someone who was about to set sail on the high seas.

It doesn’t just apply to water travel – nowadays, it can be used as a generic saying to wish someone a breezy journey.

• “May the air be clear, your flight smooth, the plane ride safe, and the sky blue!” – Unknown
• “May angels fly with you wherever you roam and guide you back safely to family and home.” – Traditional Irish blessing
• “The more you weigh, the harder you are to kidnap. Stay safe. Eat cake!” – Unknown

• “The world is waiting for you. Good Luck. Travel Safe. Go!” – Phil Keoghan (The Amazing Race)
• “I don’t want you coming back empty-handed – I want you coming back with a head full of tall tales, absurdities, and little moments of beauty. Have a safe trip!” – Unknown

How to wish someone safe travels in a different language

Are you saying goodbye to someone who is travelling overseas? Why not wish them a safe journey in the local language of their destination.

• Bon voyage! – French
• Buon viaggio! – Italian
• Gluckliche reise! – German
• Viaje seguro! – Spanish
• Boa viagem! – Portuguese

• Tsetchem leshalom (נסיעה בטוחה) – Hebrew
• Chuyến đi an toàn – Vietnamese
• Anzen’na tabi (安全な旅) – Japanese
• Yīlù píng’ān (一路平安) – Chinese
• Surakshit yaatra (सुरक्षित यात्रा) – Hindi
• Mae alsalama (مع السلامة) – Arabic
• Safari salama – Swahili

Inspiring safe journey wishes

Are you wishing a safe journey to some who is feeling nervous or anxious? Or maybe you just want to offer some parting words of wisdom that will inspire them to make the most of their trip. Travelling is a life-changing experience , and these quotes perfectly capture that sentiment.

These inspirational journey quotes and travel affirmations are suitable for family, friends or your significant other.

• “It’s time to say goodbye, but I think goodbyes are sad and I’d much rather say hello. Hello to a new adventure.” – Ernie Harwell
• “Not I, nor anyone else can travel that road for you. You must travel it by yourself. It is not far. It is within reach. Perhaps you have been on it since you were born, and did not know. Perhaps it is everywhere – on water and land.” – Walt Whitman, Leaves of Grass
• “If you’re brave enough to say goodbye, life will reward you with a new hello.” – Paulo Coelho

• “As with most phobias, the fear of flying does make some sense, but if ever there was a fear worth quashing then this is it. After all, life is short, and there’s a great big world to explore out there.” – Beth Ditto
• “The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it. The reason birds can fly and we can’t is simply that they have perfect faith, for to have faith is to have wings.” – J. M. Barrie (Peter Pan)
• “Embrace what you don’t understand, what you can’t see just yet, experience something new.” – Unknown
• “Life is a journey, not a destination.” – Ralph Waldo Emerson
• “There was nowhere to go but everywhere, so just keep on rolling under the stars.” – Jack Kerouac, On the Road

• “What is that feeling when you’re driving away from people and they recede on the plain till you see their specks dispersing? It’s the too-huge world vaulting us, and it’s good-bye. But we lean forward to the next crazy venture beneath the skies.” – Jack Kerouac, On the Road
• “Today is the first step on a brand new journey. All you have to do is keep moving.” – Unknown
• “Most people spend their lives dreaming about somewhere else, go there.” – Unknown
• “Ships may be safest docked in the harbour, but that is not what they were designed to do.” – Unknown
• “Wherever you go, go with all your heart.” – Confucius
• “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing at all.” – Helen Keller

• “Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travellers don’t know where they’re going.” – Paul Theroux
• “A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.” – Lao Tzu
• “The world is open to an endless stream of potential experiences; it’s up to you to navigate that raging torrent of possibilities and find your own destination.” – Unknown
• “Remember that true contentment comes from stepping out into the unknown and beating back the ghosts of insecurity. Enjoy this trip and all that it has to offer and let your mind be open to new experiences.” – Unknown
• “Get ready for the unexpected, for the trivial and mundane to be turned into the profound and insightful.” – Unknown
• “Travel makes one modest, you see what a tiny place you occupy in the world.” – Gustave Flaubert
• “Travel is about the gorgeous feeling of teetering in the unknown.” – Anthony Bourdain

• “Travel far enough, you meet yourself.” – David Mitchell
• “Though we travel the world over to find the beautiful, we must carry it with us or we find it not.” – Henry David Thoreau

Safe journey wishes for your significant other

Saying farewell to the person you love – be they a girlfriend or boyfriend, husband or wife – is often the hardest goodbye of all.

These romantic quotes can help you convey your feelings while wishing your loved one a safe journey.

• “How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard.” – A.A. Milne (Winnie-the-Pooh)
• “Distance means so little when someone means so much.” – Unknown
• “Goodbyes are only for those who love with their eyes. Because for those who love with heart and soul there is no such thing as separation.” – Rumi

• “The reason it hurts so much to separate is because our souls are connected.” – Nicholas Sparks (The Notebook)
• “You’re my favourite hello, but my hardest goodbye.” – Unknown

And if it’s you who’s saying goodbye…

• “Close your eyes and I’ll kiss you Tomorrow I’ll miss you Remember I’ll always be true And then while I’m away I’ll write home every day And I’ll send all my lovin’ to you” – The Beatles, All My Loving
• “So kiss me and smile for me Tell me that you’ll wait for me Hold me like you’ll never let me go ‘Cause I’m leavin’ on a jet plane Don’t know when I’ll be back again Oh babe, I hate to go” – John Denver, Leaving on a Jet Plane

Thoughtful safe journey wishes for friends & family

These friendly travel quotes are perfect if you’re parting ways with a friend or family member.

• “Though miles may lie between us, we are never far apart, for friendship doesn’t count miles, it’s measured by the heart.” – Unknown
• “There are no goodbyes for us. Wherever you are, you will always be in my heart.” – Mahatma Gandhi

• “Nothing makes the earth seem so spacious as to have friends at a distance; they make the latitudes and longitudes.” – Henry David Thoreau
• “Goodbyes are not forever, are not the end; it simply means I’ll miss you until we meet again.” – Unknown
• “The pain of parting is nothing to the joy of meeting again.” – Charles Dickens

Traditional safe journey messages from around the world

Every culture and religion has its own beautiful and poetic ways of saying farewell. Here are just a few of my favourites.

• “May the road rise to meet you, May the wind be always at your back, May the sun shine warm upon your face, The rains fall soft upon your fields and, Until we meet again, May God hold you in the palm of His hand, May Angels fly with you wherever you roam and guide you back safely to family and home.” – Traditional Irish blessing
• “May good luck be your friend in whatever you do and may trouble be always a stranger to you.” – Traditional Irish farewell

• “Goodbye, goodbye, loved one, goodbye. We’ll meet again, God willing.” – Kwa Heri by Libana, a Swahili goodbye song
• “May you ride comfortably and tirelessly on the road you travel! May your golden way be filled with prosperity! Please go easy and well on your way! Please go well!” – Traditional Mongolian farewell

Beautiful safe travel blessings & prayers

• For He shall give His angels charge over you, To keep you in all your ways. In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone. – Psalm 91:11-12
• “Arise with you in the morning, travel with you through each day, Welcome you on your arrival. God, be with you all the way.” – Christian prayer
• “Be mindful, O Lord, of those who travel by land, by sea, and by air… upon them all send forth Thy mercies, for Thou art the Giver of all good things.” – Orthodox Christian prayer

And there you have it – 65 thoughtful and heartfelt ways to say farewell to someone who’s travelling. What are your favourite goodbye quotes?

World’s best and golden words I’ve read here . I wanted to wish my crush and this site helped me a lot . Thank you very much.

Thank you for sharing 🙂

Just a little note on the Portuguese wishes, “Viagem segura” is grammatically correct but no one really says it that way, we say “Boa viagem”

Obrigado, Rita! I’ve just updated it 🙂

Amazing, these are cute wishes and I think best way to say good-bye to anyone in a beautiful way. Keep sharing good stuff!

Great page! Very inspiring. Very meaningful. Very informative.

Please note typo: Buon viaggion! – Italian should be Buon viaggio! (There is no letter n.)

Keep up the good work,

Whoops, fixed! Thanks for pointing out the typo.

Kindest, Emily

Your words are amazing!

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'The world has changed': WeChat, snakeheads and the new era of global migration

JACUMBA HOT SPRINGS, Calif. — Shortly after dawn, in the desert east of San Diego, a group of migrants huddled around a campfire. They had come together on this desolate stretch of the U.S.-Mexico border from four different continents: Young men from India shared snacks with women from Nicaragua, while a man from Georgia stood next to a family from Brazil.

A volunteer with a local humanitarian group hauled over a beverage cooler filled with papers: legal information printed in 22 different languages. As he handed them out — in Gujarati, Spanish, Portuguese and Russian — he said, “Welcome to the United States.”

This is the new normal of migration to the southern border: What was once mostly a regional phenomenon has become truly global, with the share of migrants coming from the four closest countries dropping and the number from elsewhere around the world increasing.

An NBC News analysis of newly released data from the Department of Homeland Security shows a fundamental shift. Before the pandemic, roughly 9 in 10 migrants crossing the border illegally (that is, between ports of entry) came from Mexico, Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador — the four countries closest to the border. Those countries no longer hold the majority: As of 2023, for the first time since the U.S. has collected such data, half of all migrants who cross the border now come from elsewhere globally.

The greatest numbers have come from countries farther away in the Americas that have never before sent migrants to the border at this scale. In the 2019 fiscal year, for example, the number of Colombians apprehended illegally crossing the border was 400. In fiscal 2023, it exploded to 154,080 — a nearly four-hundred-fold increase.

But they come, too, from countries in Africa, Eastern Europe and every region in Asia. There have been dramatic increases in the number of migrants from the world’s most populous countries: Between fiscal 2019 and 2023, the number of migrants from China and India grew more than elevenfold and fivefold, respectively. And some countries that previously sent negligible numbers of migrants to the U.S. border have seen staggering increases. In fiscal 2019, the total number of people from the northwest African nation of Mauritania apprehended at the border was 20. Four years later, that number was 15,260. For migrants from Turkey, the number went from 60 to 15,430. The list goes on: More than 50 nationalities saw apprehensions multiplied by a hundred or more.

Experts and U.S. government officials attribute this explosive growth in large part to the pandemic, which provoked mass migration around the world, adding serious challenges to an immigration system already beleaguered by a decade of severe backlogs. Another major factor is the massive expansion of transcontinental smuggling networks, itself fueled by widespread digital technology.These shifting migration flows account for a significant portion of the record-breaking numbers at the border that have dominated this year’s election cycle. They amount to a major reorganization of global migration patterns — and a paradigm shift for U.S. immigration policy and international relations.

“Fundamentally, our system is not equipped to deal with migration as it exists now, not just this year and last year and the year before, but for years preceding us,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in an interview with NBC News. “We have a system that was last modified in 1996. We’re in 2024 now. The world has changed.”

A sophisticated Chinese snakehead network illustrates a new era in migration

The landscape around Jacumba Hot Springs, a town of fewer than 600 people near the eastern edge of San Diego County, is rocky and mountainous. The steel border fence stops at several points where the ground rises into sharp, ragged inclines dotted with boulders, leaving spaces easy for migrants to squeeze through. Border authorities routinely block these gaps with razor wire only for smugglers to snip them open again.

One afternoon in March, a group of about 30 migrants from China clambered through one such gap and into the United States. Among them was Wei Bin, a middle-aged man from the port city of Tianjin who traveled with his 14-year-old son. Wei said the economic damage wrought by the pandemic, coupled with China’s repressive zero-Covid policies, had led him to the conclusion that his home country offered no viable future for his son.So they took off for the United States. In an interview with NBC News, Wei described their 45-day journey: They flew first to Ecuador, one of the few countries in the Americas that accept visa-free travel from China, and from there they moved painstakingly north.

The trip was arranged by Chinese smugglers known as snakeheads. Wei never saw his snakeheads, and he knew nothing about them — he communicated with them exclusively via WeChat and paid for everything online. The smugglers’ services cost him around $10,000 per person, and in return, he received precise instructions on where and how to meet with an interlocking series of local contacts, often members of pre-existing criminal smuggling networks based in each of the countries he traveled through. It was these smugglers — Ecuadorians, Colombians, Mexicans — who did the actual work of moving Wei and his son from one place to another.

The journey was not easy. Somewhere in Colombia, the first snakehead stopped responding to Wei’s messages, scamming him out of thousands of dollars and leaving him stranded until he got the contact for a new snakehead from another Chinese migrant on the trail. And while Wei and his son were in a small boat circumventing a portion of the infamous Darien Gap — a dense stretch of jungle between Colombia and Panama — they watched another boat full of migrants capsize.

“I would not recommend anyone undertake the route that we just took,” Wei said. “It’s too perilous.”

China offers one of the most illustrative examples of this new era of global migration. Between 2014 and 2022, the average number of Chinese citizens who crossed the southern border without papers in a given year was around 1,400. In 2023, that number grew to 24,050.This would not have been possible without transcontinental smuggling networks like the ones used by Wei and his son. Though these networks have existed in some form for decades, they have grown dramatically in scale and organization.

“Different networks often specialize in specific nationalities,” said Adam Isacson, an expert on migration to the U.S.-Mexico border at the Washington Office on Latin America think tank. “So if you’re Somali, you arrive in Quito and join a group of Somalis that’s already underway. One smuggler hands you off to another, and the network of relationships goes all the way up to the U.S.-Mexico border.”

The industry owes much of its growth to technology. The world’s migrants are now equipped with cheap smartphones that allow for frictionless communication and payments. Smugglers advertise widely on TikTok, WeChat, WhatsApp or whichever platform is popular in the country they’re targeting.

NBC News obtained access to the WeChat profile of one Chinese snakehead who claims to have moved over 100 people to the U.S. in the last year. He regularly posts videos of migrants on the trail meant to entice new customers. The videos make the journey look easy: smiling men flashing a thumbs-up outside hotels in Mexico, families riding calmly on buses. In one video, a woman crosses the border into the U.S. and shouts, “We finally crossed!” in Mandarin as her small child shouts joyfully in the background.

Experts and U.S. law enforcement officials describe these networks as loosely but intricately connected, comprising both illicit actors and legitimate businesses like travel agencies and bus lines. At certain key junctures, they are controlled by the most powerful criminal organizations in the Americas.

The Colombian side of the Darien Gap , for example, was recently taken over by the Gulf Clan, a notoriously violent narco-paramilitary cartel widely thought to be the largest cocaine exporter in the world. As a result, the Darien jungle, once considered nearly impassable, is now a route for mass migration traversed by hundreds of thousands of people a year. The opening up of this stretch of jungle alone likely accounts for a substantial share of the rise in global arrivals at the border.

“In 2021, the gateway to the Darien was just local Afro-Colombian and Indigenous people working as guides.” Isacson said. “By 2022, the Gulf Clan took over, and you suddenly had a clear route. They were advertising, there were people there ready to take your money, and it was all much more organized.”

It was this vast, global network of interlocking smugglers that moved Wei and his son along their way to the U.S. They eventually made it to Tapachula, in southernmost Mexico, where they boarded a domestic flight to Tijuana. There, once again, they were in the hands of powerful criminal organizations: According to U.S. officials, the smuggling business on the south side of the U.S.-Mexico border is currently dominated by the Sinaloa and Jalisco New Generation cartels.

Along with the larger group of about 30 Chinese migrants, Wei and his son spent the night in a run-down safehouse minutes from the border. “Conditions were very poor, and we only got the basics, like water and soup,” Wei said. “If we wanted anything more, we had to pay.”

The next day, smugglers piled them into a three-row van, drove them to the border, pointed at the gap in the fence, and told them to walk across.

An inflection point to overhaul an ill-equipped system

In the last decade, there have been two paradigm shifts on the border, according to current and former U.S. immigration officials. The first began in 2014, with the arrival of unprecedented numbers of families and children from the Northern Triangle of Central America (Guatemala, Honduras and El Salvador).

In a break from decades’ worth of migration coming almost entirely from Mexico, these migrants did not attempt to evade the Border Patrol. Instead, they willingly surrendered in order to apply for asylum — and they quickly overwhelmed a system designed for something else entirely.

“Our existing infrastructure, processes and personnel were no longer matching what was happening on the ground,” said Theresa Cardinal Brown, director of immigration policy at the Bipartisan Policy Center and a former longtime official with DHS and Customs and Border Protection.

The system was optimized to apprehend and quickly deport single adults from Mexico. It was badly ill-equipped to process families and children and move them through complex legal asylum proceedings. Immigration courts were soon bogged down in yearslong backlogs.

The second paradigm shift is happening now. Beginning around 2018, there were spikes in the number of migrants from Cuba, then Haiti, then Venezuela. Then the pandemic happened: Economies cratered and borders closed, and when they reopened, it unleashed pent-up waves of migration across the globe. And that initial surge triggered by the pandemic is now sustained by the smuggling networks that greatly expanded to facilitate it.

This has piled more weight onto an already buckling system. The U.S. only has the capacity to deport people quickly and in large numbers to Mexico and the Northern Triangle, according to a senior CBP official who spoke to NBC News on the condition of anonymity in order to speak freely. Deportations are expensive and logistically challenging — they require airplanes, personnel and time to arrange for travel documents, and so on — and there is no such infrastructure in place, the official said, to deport people en masse to Africa, Asia or even South America.

The position of Mayorkas and the Biden administration is that these problems can only be meaningfully addressed by a congressional overhaul of the immigration system, such as the one proposed in February in a now defunct bipartisan Senate bill.

“We cannot process these individuals through immigration enforcement proceedings very quickly — it actually takes sometimes more than seven years,” Mayorkas told NBC News. “The proposed bipartisan legislation would reduce that seven-plus-year waiting period to sometimes less than 90 days. That’s transformative.”

Even with a reformed system, the U.S. would remain a single country confronting a phenomenon that directly involves a large share of the world.

“To manage regional migration flows, you need to get the cooperation of a few countries,” Brown said. “To deal with hemispheric migration flows, you need about 20 countries. To deal with global migration flows — now you’re talking about hundreds of countries.”

Those countries need persuading to do anything from restricting visas to physically interdicting migrants with armies and police forces. And many countries, especially those historically hostile to the U.S., are reluctant to be persuaded.

Nicaragua, for example, allows visa-free travel from more than two dozen African countries and several from Asia as well; that makes it a major point of arrival in the Americas for migrants who then move north to the U.S.-Mexico border. And some geopolitical adversaries — notably China — do not routinely accept deportees from the U.S. Though Mayorkas told NBC News he is engaged in high-level talks with Chinese officials to change that, such an agreement would only partially fix a small part of a much bigger problem.

“We’re at an inflection point,” Brown said. “We have to recognize that what’s happening at our border is a microcosm of what’s happening everywhere. This is not a U.S.-Mexico border problem. This is now a worldwide issue.”

Crackdowns and Loopholes

Shortly after Christmas, when border crossings once again hit record highs, Mayorkas and Secretary of State Antony Blinken made an official state visit to Mexico City. In the weeks that followed, Mexico’s National Guard cracked down on migrant routes.

This immediately and substantially reduced the number of people who managed to get across the border. But average daily crossings remain high compared to prior years, and in the Border Patrol’s San Diego sector, the drop was negligible.

Sam Schultz, a humanitarian volunteer who lives near the border and delivers supplies to migrants every day, said smugglers now simply avoid the National Guard patrols and send migrants to more remote and rugged crossings.

In the last few months, Schultz has learned a lot about how people the world over find their way to these isolated mountains.

“They’re very aware of what they’re getting into and where they’re going,” he said. “This was never true before everybody had a phone in their pocket.”

Schultz said crackdowns — whether by American or Mexican authorities — ultimately do little to deter migrants from attempting to cross into the U.S.

“Any person on American soil — and it doesn’t matter how they got here — is allowed to start due process on an asylum case,” Schultz said. “Anyone. So as long as that is true, people are going to attempt to cross the border and get on American soil. Why would it ever be any other way?”

David Noriega is an NBC News correspondent based in Los Angeles.

Aarne Heikkila is a producer and digital journalist for NBC News. 

Adiel Kaplan is a reporter with the NBC News Investigative Unit.

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Lifelong best friends complete 600-mile journey in motorized toy cars

KEY WEST, Fla. (Gray News) – Two lifelong best friends have just completed a nearly 600-mile journey in motorized toy cars.

Cassie Aran and Lauren Lee, both 29, drove 596 miles from Jacksonville to Key West, Florida – a trek along the entire east coast of the state.

The women began their record-long journey over three months ago and arrived at their final destination in Key West on Saturday.

In a Facebook post , the City of Key West Government posted photos of Aran and Lee celebrating their arrival.

The best friends chronicled their adventure on social media to support their fundraiser aimed at helping animal shelters.

According to a report from WJXT , Aran and Lee were attempting to set a Guinness World Record for “Longest Distance by Toy Cars.”

However, the two will not officially be certified by Guinness World Records because of a financial dilemma.

During their journey, the women received a notification from Guinness that they were “no longer allowed to raise money towards saving animals unless they paid them $16,000,” according to Aran.

Although they said it was heartbreaking to give up their dream of holding a Guinness World Record, the women said it was far more important to them to donate the money they raised to animals in need.

So, they forfeited the Guinness title.

“We are so incredibly sad that we had to make the decision to choose between the record title and saving animals...but I know we made the right move,” Aran said in a post on her YouTube Channel . “I hope so many animals get saved from kill shelters and get the life they deserve because of this very sad decision. I hope you guys will still stay here for our 600-mile journey to the finish line in Key West. I love you guys and I’m going to go cry now..but I still stand by my decision 1000%.”

Aran and Lee have been best friends since kindergarten. They said the toy car journey was a way to honor their childhood memories, as they used to ride them around the neighborhood growing up together.

The women told WJXT that the adventure was so much fun that they plan on taking another long journey in toy cars again soon.

Copyright 2024 Gray Media Group, Inc. All rights reserved.

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Media Center 5/9/2024 3:00:00 PM Susanna Weir

Gabbie Ewing’s journey from athlete to advocate

Former division ii soccer standout uses experiences to advance the lives of student-athletes.

For Gabbie Ewing, the impact of being a student-athlete will last a lifetime. 

"I think my student-athlete experience has shaped me in every possible way," she said. "Without it, none of what I'm doing now exists." 

The former soccer student-athlete at Concordia Portland had a highly successful college athletic career, scoring 22 goals and adding 18 assists in her 76 games with the Cavaliers. A Division II All-American, Ewing was named the Great Northwest Athletic Conference Player of the Year in 2017 and signed a contract to play professional soccer in Sweden following her graduation in 2019.

While Ewing eventually left her playing career behind, she never drifted very far from the athletic world and the community that left a lasting impact on her during her time as a student-athlete. Earning a master's degree in sports management from Solent University in the United Kingdom in 2022, Ewing eventually decided to channel her passion for the student-athlete experience into a career in college athletics. 

A pivotal first step came in 2023 as Ewing was named a recipient of the NCAA's Ethnic Minorities and Women's Internship Grant. Awarded annually, the grant is designed to provide financial assistance to Division II and III member schools and conferences that are committed to enhancing representation in entry-level athletics administrative positions. This provided Ewing with the opportunity to take on the role of digital media and championships assistant for the Great Northwest, the same conference in which she competed as a student-athlete.

"Being named a recipient of this grant was so important because I (got) to be part of a group that is often underrepresented," Ewing said. "For me, as an Asian American woman, I think it is so important to have that representation. … This grant has helped give me the basic foundation to set me up for success later down the road." 

While Ewing continued to develop her career as a sports professional at the conference, she also took on another monumental project within the athletic community: the founding of The Athlete Confidential. 

Developed in 2023 by Ewing, The Athlete Confidential serves as a "community hub" where athletes can come together to tell and share stories about their experiences. Storytelling and discussion take place through a variety of channels, including Instagram, a podcast and a blog. It is a platform that was born out of Ewing's own experiences after finishing her athletic career, as well as her passion for bettering the lives of student-athletes. It focuses on exploring topics such as mental health, relationships, equality, athlete identity and life after sport. 

"I decided to form my platform, The Athlete Confidential, really because I had my own struggles with mental health," Ewing said. "I needed a place to talk about it. I didn't know who to talk to, I didn't know how to talk about it. I just felt that I (couldn't) be the only one feeling this, and I didn't want other people to feel like they were alone in what they were going through." 

Individuals are free to discuss sport-specific topics on the platform, such as performance goals, training plans and game tactics, but they are also encouraged to dive into human experiences and identities that exist outside of sport. 

While the platform has allowed Ewing to connect with current and former NCAA athletes, it has also opened conversations with professional athletes, coaches and athletic trainers from across the country and throughout the world who understand and recognize the universal language of sports.

"We as individuals who play sports and have grown up playing sports — the way that we see the world is often through the lens of sport," she said. "That shapes a lot of our experiences and who we are. So The Athlete Confidential is really trying to communicate (with) people that can understand us and relate to us on a different level." 

Since the platform was launched in January 2023, Ewing has received positive feedback and witnessed tremendous success. The platform has continued to grow and evolve rapidly both on a national and global scale. 

"I think that this platform has made more of an impact than I anticipated when I first started," she said. "It just validates that people need to hear these stories. … It's important to continue sharing and keep moving the needle forward on these topics." 

While The Athlete Confidential has continued to grow, Ewing's professional career has also continued to take steps forward, allowing her to continue to use her passion for bettering the student-athlete experience in her everyday life. Recently named the assistant athletic director for marketing at Western Washington, she has the opportunity once again to make an impact on student-athletes within the Great Northwest, an athletic community that has played a significant role in her development as an individual. 

Wherever Ewing's career may take her in the future, she plans to rely on her own student-athlete experience to fuel her work while continuing to be an advocate for student-athletes everywhere.  

"My long-term career goals are to continue helping and supporting student-athletes in whatever form that takes," she said. "I'm able to relate to the student-athletes because I've been there and I've experienced what they've been through. I think that is just going to help to propel me into a lot of success in the future." 

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The Journey Is the Destination - The Crosswalk Devotional - May 7

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The Journey Is the Destination By Whitney Hopler

“Now listen, you who say, ‘Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money.’ Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’” – James 4:13-15 NIV

Excitement turned to disappointment for me as I read a sign saying the road to Mount Mitchell was closed. My husband and I had planned to visit the summit of Mount Mitchell, the highest mountain in the eastern United States. Hiking at the mountain’s summit was the highlight of our trip itinerary. We had been looking forward to it for a long time. But when we arrived, we encountered many other disappointed people turning their cars around after reading that the road was closed. It was such a windy day that a tree may have fallen over the road, but the sign gave no official reason for the closure. I struggled to stay positive as we drove away from the one destination I had wanted to visit the most on our trip to North Carolina. But farther down the Blue Ridge Parkway, we discovered a visitor center that was open. In the gift shop, we found souvenir hoodies that featured this slogan promoting the parkway: “The journey is the destination.” Reflecting on that changed my mindset. What’s most important on our journey through life isn’t a specific destination. It’s the journey itself – the adventure we go on with Jesus from day to day. 

We can make all sorts of bucket list plans . But those individual goals are far less important than simply enjoying the journey with Jesus. Rather than focusing on a specific destination, we grow in holiness as we follow where Jesus leads us. We can find ourselves in unexpected, surprising places. Our best, most carefully crafted plans can be completely changed. 

Our future is uncertain. From our perspective, we can’t predict it. But from God’s omniscient perspective, everything is clear. Only God knows what will happen in our lives from day to day. God has great purposes for our lives, and he will help us fulfill those purposes no matter what happens.

So, when we make plans, we need to do so with flexibility. We shouldn’t expect that our plans will never fall through. James 4:15 urges us: “Instead, you ought to say, ‘If it is the Lord’s will, we will live and do this or that.’” Every plan we make in our fallen world is uncertain. But God’s good plans for us are certain. God tells us in Jeremiah 29:11 : “‘For I know the plans I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.’” God alone holds our future in his hands . As Proverbs 19:21 points out: “Many are the plans in a person’s heart, but it is the Lord’s purpose that prevails.” 

When we acknowledge God’s sovereignty in our plans, it transforms our perspective. We begin to see our lives not as a series of calculated moves, but as a journey guided by God’s purposes. We learn to hold our plans loosely. We allow room for God to intervene and redirect our paths according to his will. That frees us from the anxiety that’s tied to our desire for certainty. We release the burden of trying to control every outcome and instead rest in the assurance that God is orchestrating every detail for good purposes. 

So, as we make plans, let’s do so with hearts surrendered to God’s will. We can find joy in the journey even when our path seems uncertain. God will be with us every step of the way! 

Intersecting Faith & Life:

As you reflect on making flexible plans, consider these questions: 

• How often do you consider God’s will when making plans for the future?
• How do you react when your plans are disrupted or thwarted? What will help you trust that God has a greater purpose in those moments? 
• In what areas of your life do you struggle to surrender your plans to God’s will? How can you invite God to work in those areas? 
• What steps can you take to cultivate a mindset of humility and dependence on God in your daily planning? 
• How can you incorporate seeking God’s guidance through prayer into your decision-making process? 

Further Reading: Proverbs 16:9 Psalm 37:5 Matthew 6:34 Ecclesiastes 3:1

Photo Credit: © Getty Images/Bayram Gürzoğlu 

Check out fantastic resources on Faith , Family , and Fun at Crosswalk.com ! 

Read More The Crosswalk Devotional

• Up on a Mountainside - The Crosswalk Devotional - May 10 May 10, 2024
• 3 Hopes to Cling to While Waiting on God to Answer Prayer - The Crosswalk Devotional - May 9 May 09, 2024
• 3 Ways to Be Encouraged If You Find Your Faith Wavering - The Crosswalk Devotional - May 8 May 08, 2024
• When Life Starts to Crumble - The Crosswalk Devotional - May 6 May 06, 2024

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Hannah Marks on the Long Journey To Bring John Green’s ‘Turtles All the Way Down’ To the Screen

By Jenelle Riley

Jenelle Riley

Deputy Awards and Features Editor

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Hannah Marks started acting when she was 6 years old, after seeing her mother’s acting reel. And she’s pretty much worked nonstop, from roles in the films “Accepted” and “The Runaways” to the cast of “Dirk Gently’s Holistic Detective Agency.” In fact, just last year she took her first vacation — though she confesses to recording several self-tapes during it.

Popular on Variety

After years of delays due to COVID and turnarounds and life in general, “Turtles All the Way Down” makes its debut today on Max and is evidence that some things are worth waiting for. In a film told with frankness and sensitivity, Marks has found a way to communicate Aza’s obsessive mindset while also capturing the joy of young love and celebrating female friendship. It’s a tricky balancing act, told with heart and a surprising amount of humor. Variety spoke to Marks about the long journey and what’s ahead.

She owes a debt of gratitude to Saoirse Ronan and Ariana Grande. Landing the “Turtles” job was a six-month process for Marks, who admits “being at the beginning of my filmmaking career; I knew it would be an uphill battle.” Marks put together a speech, a look book and a fake trailer using videos she ripped from YouTube. “I used a lot of Saoirse Ronan and Timothée Chalamet looking into each other’s eyes,” she says of the film’s romantic moments. She also communicated her vision for Aza’s obsessive thought spirals. “I used a lot of microscopic imagery with staticky sounds,” she notes. “But I wanted it juxtaposed with upbeat pop music, so it didn’t feel like a downer. I think Ariana Grande’s ‘Breathin’ had just come out, so that became the foundation for the trailer.” Marks says that trailer, made in 2018, actually feels surprisingly similar to the final product. “Of course, the shots and music are different, but the soul is definitely the same,” she notes.

Despite the fact the film wasn’t shot until 2022, all three were cast in the beginning and stayed with the project through its delays. “Ironically, they felt a bit too young then,” Marks says. “But we loved them so much, we went with it.” The additional time gave her cast more of an opportunity to bond — though Merced and Cicchino have actually known each other for years. “The chemistry between the best friends is just as important as the romantic chemistry,” says Marks. “And they just instantly felt right together.” Since it was during the pandemic, the reads took place over Zoom. “That’s every actor’s nightmare, trying to have chemistry over a computer screen,” Marks admits. She took a chance with Mallard, an Australian actor seen in “Ginny & Georgia” and “Neighbours.”  “You know, he has a tough role in this movie,” Marks praises. “I think playing a billionaire’s son is not inherently an empathetic thing. He deserves all the credit for being charming and supportive and for pulling off a perfect American accent. As someone who struggles with accents, I was blown away.” Marks, like everyone, is a “Succession” fan. The film also features turns from some veteran actors, including J. Smith-Cameron, a two-time Emmy nominee for her role as Gerri Kellman on “Succession.” Cameron plays a professor that Aza admires who, in one scene, elaborates on the meaning of the film’s title. “I am a ‘Succession’ die-hard, and I wanted Gerri from day one for this role,” Marks admits with a laugh. “So I wrote her a letter saying, ‘I’m a huge fan, please come and say the title.’ And she was so intelligent and warm and funny and soulful — everything you could want.” Judy Reyes also appears as Aza’s mother, and one has to note that she also appeared on “Succession” — did that have anything to do with her landing the role? Marks laughs. “No, she had a wonderful reel and can do such a range of genres and mediums — I was thrilled to have her,” she states. “But I’m not going to lie; it didn’t hurt.”

As an actor, she understands the struggle.

Having been on the other side of auditions, Marks wants actors to know there are so many factors at play when it comes to being cast. “It’s not just about your ability,” she says. “We saw thousands of people for ‘Turtles,’ and they’re all talented. I know it sounds simple, but only one person can get the job and it comes down to what fits right with all the other pieces of the puzzle.” She encourages actors to be true to their own spirit when walking into the room. “No two people have the same interpretation as the other. I spent a lot of time as an actor wondering how I could set myself apart. It turns out, I am different just by being me. My face is different. I come in with different baggage and experiences. Just be you.”

As both actor and filmmaker, she is hoping for a return of more in-person auditions. “Zoom is great because you can see people all over the world,” she acknowledges. “But it can be hard on an actor’s spirits to send a tape into the void and not know if someone even hit play.”

She’s also a John Green fan… like everyone.

The acclaimed author of novels like “The Fault in Our Stars” and “Paper Towns,” Green has been very upfront about how much “Turtles” means to him, having endured his own mental health struggles. He was also a producer on the film and always present on set. But rather than be intimidated, Marks says the hardest part was “not fangirling out” on the author. “He was so generous and so willing to step back and let me take the reins and hear my ideas,” Marks recalls. “He was a dream collaborator.”

And now he’s become even more. “The day the film opens, we’re going to celebrate together,” she reveals. “This movie gave me so much but one thing I will always cherish is that I get to plan friend things with John Green. It still blows my mind.”

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