Life's too short. Take the Trip. - UrbanUndercover

Life's too short. Take the Trip.

Posted by Sairey Gernes on

When I was younger, we didn’t travel much—at least not far. As a Minnesota native, our family getaways usually meant heading to northern Wisconsin. And to be honest, I still love it there. It’s beautiful. Peaceful. Familiar.

But growing up, I didn’t know much about the rest of the world. I didn’t yet know what it felt like to be completely outside of my comfort zone—someplace where the language, the food, the pace, and the perspective were all wildly different from my own.

I got my first taste of international travel as a high school freshman when I went to Cancun with my cousin’s family. It was fun—sun-soaked beach days, resort amenities, nightlife. But it was more of a vacation than a journey. I saw a place, but I didn’t really know it.

It wasn’t until my senior year that something shifted.

That year, I joined a mission trip to Guatemala, where we worked with a local orphanage. And that experience changed everything.

For the first time, I saw travel not just as an escape—but as a connection.
I wasn’t there to consume a place. I was there to meet it. To show up with open hands and an open heart. To learn about people, culture, community, and myself.

It was in Guatemala that I discovered the kind of travel I now crave. The kind where you’re invited into someone’s world for a moment. The kind that leaves you humbled, changed, and deeply grateful.

Since then, I’ve traveled in many different ways—to faraway countries and nearby cities, on solo getaways and family adventures. And every single time, I come home a little more aware of how much we all share.

Wherever you go, people are trying to do the same things:
To love and be loved.
To laugh and eat and rest.
To protect what matters.
To live a life that feels meaningful.

Travel—whether across the globe or just across town—has the power to soften our judgments and spark our curiosity. It reminds us that kindness is universal. That beauty lives in the unfamiliar. That connection is always possible.

I truly believe that if more of us took the time to step into someone else’s world—even briefly—we’d build a more compassionate, open-hearted one.

And that’s why I design what I do.

Every piece I create is made to support this kind of travel—the kind that stretches you and inspires you.

I want you to feel confident, light, and at ease whether you’re stepping into an airport or a winding cobblestone street. I want you to pack less so you can experience more.

And I want what you wear to help you show up in the world as the very best version of you.

So if you’ve been waiting for the perfect moment to go—this is your sign.

Take the trip.

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