The Escape of Mark Russell

Thanks to Reader C for drawing our attention to the story of Mark Russell who cashed in his Pokémon cards in a successful bid for escape.

With the money, he quit his job in PR to travel New Zealand in a camper van.

As a result of the windfall … he’s been able to buy the 2019 ex-rental Carado RV, while boosting the bank accounts of his family. He’s quit fulltime work, packing in corporate life for rolling countryside.

The inspiration to travel — pay attention, kids — came not from sudden wealth but from reading:

“Many years ago, I was captivated by the book Blue Highways [by William Least Heat-Moon], a story about his journey around the back roads of the United States, and I guess that’s what I’m doing here,” says Russell.

Mark now spends his time (over 100 days now) experiencing beauty and talking to fellow travellers. And, naturally, he reflects that:

your working life may not have been as important as you thought at the time.

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There’s a brilliant article about vanlife in the forthcoming Issue 16 of New Escapologist. Order now for prompt shipping in November.