Jess Wintz & Tales From The Road Less Traveled
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fter a year largely hulled up at home, we're all looking at travel differently. Years of jetting off from one place to the next feel like another lifetime — another era. Now, as we look forward to getting back into the world, many of us are considering more intentional travel. The kind of travel that's slower and more immersive. More connected and personal. A journey that fulfills all of the adventurous dreams we've been sleeping on for the past year.
Jess Wintz found herself on one of these journeys back in 2019 when a sabbatical with her photographer boyfriend, Pie Aerts, turned into the makings of a book. Instead of hopping from one place to the next, the two slowed down and immersed themselves in a place — from the deep jungles of West-Papua to the outskirts of Bolivia. The goal? To highlight the reality of everyday life and reveal the mysterious nature of being human.
While we may have a pile of unused vacation days, many of us can't afford to take the same time to see and experience the world on the road less traveled like Jess did. However, as the writer and publisher of the website Intentional Collective tells us, we can all still slow down and embrace these practices better to gain deeper exchanges.Read on to learn more about the book, the journey, and the biggest lessons from the road less traveled.
So what came first: the travels, or the idea for the book?
“The travels came first. We were planning a sabbatical across the world for some time already, and the opportunity of the book came up at exactly the right timing, beautifully aligning with the plans we had already and making them even better and more purposeful.”
The book is described as ‘presenting the world as it is – in its purest form.’ What does that mean to you?
“Tales from the Roads Less Traveled is about grasping the importance of the diversity of humanity and of living in balance with nature. It’s about a deeper connection, about venturing into the past and present, about feeling, appreciating, valuing, and fighting for the importance of individual beliefs, traditions, and differences. About showing the simple, imperfect, and mysterious nature of being human. About building the knowledge and appreciation of culture and nature to bring back a connection that has been long lost from much of humanity. A connection with the very things it relies on — nature, resources, wildlife and each other.”
Jess, authored the book, and Pie, photographed it.
What brought you to the places in the book? Did you have any leads, or an idea of the stories you wanted to tell ahead of time? Or did you travel and organically seek out people and their stories?
“Both. We had a rough plan of what we both wanted to see. In some places we were lucky enough to find beautiful stories along the way, other times we did extensive research beforehand, sometimes even months ahead.”
Tell us about the people and places you chose to highlight in Tales From The Road Less Traveled. How did you choose what stories to tell? What kind of tales can we find in the book?
“I think of Albert Odar, a former poacher-turned-ranger fighting for the future of wildlife in Uganda. Karin Valham, a Swedish Buddhist nun determined to share the Dharma with spiritual seekers from all over the world at a Nepali monastery. Victor Manuel Sharp and his family, fiercely holding onto local gaucho traditions while life tells them to let go.”
“Stories about people and places, all different, all special in their very own way, eager to make a contribution to people and the planet. ”
What is the tale that impacted you the most?
“For me, definitely the story of Albert Odar, a former poacher turned ranger from Uganda. We followed him around for some time, learning not only about his past, his work and his life, but also about his pure intentions and struggles to support his family. Last year the sad news reached us that Albert died during one of his patrols. So, we set up a fundraiser to help support his family, which is the least we can do. But, imagining that such a strong and beautiful soul has left way too soon is still heartbreaking.”
Did this journey impact your views on travel?
“This journey didn’t just impact my view on travel, but on life in general, really. It sounds cliche, but travel and seeing different ways of life really opens your horizons on a different level. Something which is hard to realize and easy to forget when simply living ‘your average life’ back home. Seeing the world and the people living their different lives has always made me feel a sense of awe and urgency at the same time. Awe for the incredible beauty of the world and the people around us and the urgency to contribute to a better world for all of us.”
Albert Odar, photographed by Pie Aerts, @because.people.matter
How can fellow travelers, seeking a deeper experience, find the ‘road less traveled?’
“Time. Take time to get to know a place and its people. It’s not just about going in and out, ticking off the boxes of what to see and what to do. It’s about the in-between moments, things you only get to see without looking and without rushing. It’s all about slow travel these days, and now I get why!”
You were on this mission to seek out stories and connect with people. So often when traveling, we meet interesting people, but it’s more of a fleeting moment than a deep exchange. What advice do you have for travelers who want to forge genuine connections and hear these tales for themselves?
“Again, the most important thing is to take your time. A place and its people won’t tell you about their life story the first time you meet them. Would you do that? Probably not.”
What was the most important lesson you learned? Whether that’s from a tale, or from the journey itself.
“That there is no right or wrong way to live your life, we all want and expect something different from life. But that it’s (mostly) in your own hands to create the life you want. ”
What do you think is the biggest takeaway from the book?
“That while, in essence, we are all the same, carrying the same insecurities, the same fears, and the same desires to be heard, it is our differences that undoubtedly make us special.”
Tell us about life after taking the road less traveled. Where has it led you to?
“Tales, as well as the travels of the last years, have, without a doubt, led me towards a more conscious life. Not only in terms of sustainability but also in actively building the life I want to live, rather than simply following the most comfortable and logical path. As a part of this, I recently created an online platform evolving around conscious travel & purposeful living: intentional-collective.com. A pure passion project for those who want to live, travel and shop intentionally, moving people and planet in the right direction.”
