I was supposed to climb Kilimanjaro with a group. They pulled out at the last minute. Which is how I found myself beginning a seven-day climb up the highest mountain in Africa entirely alone. It turned out to be one of the most profound experiences of my life.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

The difference between the right cruise line and the wrong one is not incremental. It is the difference between one of the best trips of your life and a week you are quietly relieved to have finished.

There is a version of my life where I stayed at Qantas. Seventeen years in, senior executive roles, a career most people in aviation would consider the destination rather than the journey. I walked away anyway. Here is why.