About
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A Journey Toward Meaningful Transformation
empowered.travel is a four-stage program that guides you through a sabbatical experience designed to foster personal growth and a deeper connection to others and the world. It consists of a virtual guidebook and 1:1 live coaching. True transformation requires more than self-reflection—it demands stepping into discomfort, facing challenges, and discovering new ways to navigate life’s complexities with courage and purpose.
This program isn’t about quick fixes—it’s about building the mental wellness tools, resilience, and clarity needed to face discomfort, navigate change, and unlock a sense of purpose that ripples out into every area of life. This self-paced program blends guided reflections, practical exercises, and experiential challenges to help you uncover your values, build resilience, and reconnect with what truly matters. Its structure encourages not just self-discovery but also a sense of interconnectedness and contribution to the broader world.
The Four Stages of the Journey (of 5-7 days each, 20-28 days in total):
- Rest and Introspection: Begin your sabbatical with intentional pause. Slow down, release stress, and reconnect with yourself through rest and reflection, creating the foundation for meaningful change.
- Purpose: Dive inward to explore fears, values, and aspirations. Confront inner obstacles and build resilience through focused reflection and intentional action.
- Action: Step outside your comfort zone and explore new perspectives. Whether through physical travel or symbolic exploration, this stage helps you rediscover clarity, purpose, and connection.
- Integration: Bring the insights and growth from your journey into daily life. Create a sustainable plan to align your actions with your values and contribute meaningfully to your community and the world.
empowered.travel includes two 1:1 coaching sessions to ensure your journey is tailored and impactful.
- Session 1: Setting the Course
- Identify your goals, explore the themes most relevant to you, and receive personalized recommendations for your journey.
- Session 2: Anchoring the Insights
- Reflect on your experiences and craft a plan to integrate your growth into your post-sabbatical life, with support and accountability for lasting impact.
empowered.travel virtual guidebook and 1:1 coaching offers the tools, structure, and support you need to make your sabbatical a catalyst for meaningful and lasting transformation—both for yourself and the world you return to.
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Take the time to honor
your life transition,
celebrate important life event,
heal burnout, (re)discover life purpose,
and welcome a fresh start.
Have you never traveled solo before?
Welcome home.
Grounded in Timeless Wisdom, Designed for Modern Transformation
This do-it-yourself sabbatical program draws on the foundational philosophies of Japanese psychology, the Heroine’s Journey, and a regenerative approach to life, creating an engaging, practical guide for women navigating life transitions. Rooted in action and purpose, it empowers you to move beyond introspection—combining daily habits, experiential exercises, and guided practices to inspire meaningful change here and now.
Inspired by Japanese psychology, the program emphasizes exploration through doing, offering tools to build resilience, embrace discomfort, and act with intention. The Hero’s Journey serves as the program’s backbone, inviting you on a transformative path from disconnection—whether from yourself, others, or the world—to healing, reconnection, and stewardship. Along the way, regenerative principles encourage you to view personal growth as inseparable from your relationships and environment, helping you cultivate a sense of purpose that ripples outward.
By blending these rich traditions with nature-based learning and whole systems thinking, the program offers a reflective yet action-oriented pathway to transformation, helping you navigate change with tools, clarity, and a supportive framework for deeper connection to life.
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Meet Monika Lewicka, founder of empowered.travel
Monika approaches her work with unwavering passion and authenticity, offering women the encouragement, structure, guidance, and tools necessary to embark on transformative sabbaticals — and successfully integrate their experiences. She is driven by the belief that every woman has the power to rewrite her story and unlock self-empowerment—not in isolation, but through profound self-reflection, constructive action in the present, and a deeper connection to the world around her.
Monika is not your typical sabbatical and solo travel coach—she’s the most understanding and encouraging one you’ll find. With an authentic passion for empowering women, she combines her vast travel experience with a compassionate, hands-on approach. Monika’s work is deeply rooted in connection—not only with ourselves but with the world around us. Her travels have taken her off the beaten path, staying with local families, collaborating with NGOs, and building relationships that have shaped her belief in transformative, authentic travel. For Monika, travel is about more than just seeing new places—it’s about reconnecting with ourselves, rediscovering our purpose, and, most importantly, being of service.
Having journeyed through 55+ countries across five continents, Monika’s own solo adventures—from cycling thousands of kilometers through the Balkans to trekking the Himalayas and hitchhiking through Latin America—have taught her the value of courage, vulnerability, and the transformative power of stepping outside our comfort zones.
Professionally, Monika has dedicated her career to helping others tap into the life-changing potential of travel. She’s served as Partnership Director for the Transformational Travel Council and Manager at Connections Adventure, and as a Brand Ambassador for Synergy – The Retreat Show, Women Travel Leaders, and Swedish outdoor brand TENSON. She has had the honor of speaking at global events, including alongside the President of the European Travel Commission, on the role of people in tourism and its ability to inspire purpose and transformation.
Monika’s insights have been shared on global platforms, including:
- LATA Expo (London, 2023): Panelist on “The Power of Tourism – The Transformational Effect of Travel on a Traveller.”
- Walking Mentorship Podcast: “Keep Walking with Me.”
- Wanderlust Magazine, Community with Purpose, and more
Why choose empowered.travel
The world’s first sabbatical framework for women traveling solo: Do it yourself.
1:1 coaching for personalization: Clarify your goals and sustain your breakthroughs.
Practical tools for life transitions rooted in the psychology of action and purpose: Think less, do more.