Dear Traveller

I’ve reached out to Delta Airlines.

Not for leisure. Not for luxury. But for something far more significant: the chance to prove a theory I’ve been building — quietly but deliberately — over the past few months. A theory that ties together everything I’ve seen, felt, and lived across three decades of purposeful travel.

It’s called: The Science of Travel: Motion as the Fundamental Principle of Existence.

You can read the foundation here: The Science of Travel

This theory isn’t abstract. It’s rooted in physics, behaviour, and systems — from gravitational waves to ancient trade networks to the everyday workings of the travel industry. It proposes that motion is not an outcome of life, but the origin of meaning.

In a world fixated on arrival, I’ve come to believe that it’s movement, not milestones, that tells the real story.

Then something remarkable happened.

Justin Posey, creator of Gold & Greed: The Hunt for Fenn’s Treasure, launched a new global treasure hunt. The only rule?

To claim the treasure, you must physically retrieve it.

No emails. No middlemen. Only motion.

Suddenly, my theory had a proving ground. Not a metaphorical test — but a literal one.

And that brings me here.

I’m a South African. Born and bred. And while my business, CoTravel, continues to serve clients across the world with precision and care, I’ve stepped out from behind the curtain. Because this story, this theory, this moment — it’s personal.

I’m asking for support not “Just” as a travel professional, but as a woman proving that travel is not a product — it’s a principle, and every story matters. I believe in Ubuntu, and I carry this journey not alone, but on behalf of every traveller who’s ever felt a shift deep within them, the moment they moved.

This is Case Study Zero. The theory is alive. Travel, witnessed — motion, measured in meaning.

Because Delta tells stories, they quietly thread connections into systems. Their 2025 Centennial Trading Card series, where pilots hand out collectable aircraft cards, is one of the most thoughtful cultural gestures in aviation today.

Many South Africans are unaware of their existence. But I do. I’ve always known.

And if I make this journey, I’d like to collect those cards not for myself, but to bring them home. To share Delta’s legacy with my community. As a bridge. A story. A small gesture of motion becomes meaningful. And because, if you have read Travel with Purpose, you will know that Dad would love it too.

And yes, time feels strange these days. Because when you move with purpose, the clock starts to stretch. Or, as I wrote in this piece, sometimes the Avo says it better: Avos, Herbs & the Meaning of Time

So now, I’ve written to Delta. And I’m writing to you.

Not because I expect the world to give. But because I believe in showing up — with story, with clarity, with purpose.

If you work in the travel industry, in media, in a space where purpose meets platform — please connect with me. If you know someone who can help me move — tag them, call them, remind them: Travel is not dead. It’s waking up again. And stories like mine are ready to move it forward.

This is not about treasure. It’s about truth. And proving that travel still matters.

Because when you’ve got nothing-no savings, no cushion, no backup plan — you realise you’ve got the most powerful thing of all: a hope, a dream, and a story that matters.

If we do anything in this lifetime, let it be this:

That no matter what, giving up is never an option.

That’s legacy. And that’s precisely why I created Travel with Purpose in the first place.

Yours in Travel

Paula Martini