Founder's Story Ep 271: Why the Most Remote Journeys Are the Ones We Need Most

Guest: Monika Sundem, Founder of Adventure Life
Host: IBH Media
Date: October 21, 2025

Episode Overview

In this episode, the Founder's Story podcast explores the value and transformative impact of remote, adventurous travel with Monika Sundem, founder of Adventure Life. Monika shares personal stories, discusses the logistics and emotional journeys behind visiting destinations like the Galapagos Islands and Antarctica, and reflects on the deeply personal motivations that drive people toward unique adventures. The discussion also delves into entrepreneurship, the challenges and ethics of the travel industry, the aftermath of COVID-19, and the impact of social media on global tourism.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. The Magic of Remote Destinations

[03:03-05:04]

• Galapagos Islands: Monika initially visited out of professional obligation but was "blown away" by the experience, comparing the islands to a "living zoo or aquarium."
  • "I was so blown away that I just remember feeling like, oh my gosh, I didn't know a place like this existed." (Monika, 03:24)
  • Emphasizes the untouched, pristine nature; wildlife unafraid of humans.
• Antarctica: Similarly awe-inspiring; underscores the vastness, the feeling of being on the planet's edge, and climate change concerns.
  • "It just feels like the sky is so big... 360 views. I can see so far, no civilization, nothing. I'm just in the middle of nothing. And it's gorgeous and pristine and feels very untouched."
• Both destinations are "urgently" recommended due to looming environmental shifts.

2. The Logistics and Reality of Difficult Journeys

[05:40-07:29]

• Getting to Antarctica: Monika details her travel method—flying to King George Island to avoid the treacherous Drake Passage, then embarking on a nine-day cruise.
  • Highlights the unpredictability: daily plans shift with weather, routes may change, resulting in unique, unplanned adventures.
  • "You just never know what the day holds. It's like, oh my gosh, let's look and see what we can do today. So it's a different kind of travel." (Monika, 07:16)

3. Who Seeks Out Adventure Travel?

[07:55-08:42]

• Adventure Life’s clientele are "up for an adventure," not necessarily extreme athletes, but people drawn to movement, activity, and flexibility.
  • "It's not about physical stamina; it's about a heart for adventure. Most of those kinds of people are willing to be flexible... and turn any kind of day into a fun adventure."

4. Unusual & Deeply Personal Traveler Requests

[08:51-12:24]

• Adventure Life specializes in custom trips, including emotionally significant journeys:
  • Retracing battlefield steps in Vietnam, commemorative trips to tragic sites, and life-affirming travel for those with terminal diagnoses.
  • Notably, Tom Barrett, a traveler with stage four cancer, embarked on meaningful trips that inspired his book Living While Dying.
  • "We sent him all around South America...it just completely changed his life." (Monika, 10:11)
  • Team’s willingness to "patch together this crazy custom thing that nobody's ever done" sets Adventure Life apart from competitors.

5. Travel as Connection, Healing, and Self-Discovery

[13:09-14:32]

• Travel fulfills diverse human needs: escape, exploration, ancestral connection, or emotional closure.
• Host shares personal stories about connecting with heritage, emphasizing travel's role in personal identity and healing.

6. Leading Through Crisis: Navigating the Pandemic

[14:32-17:32]

• Monika candidly discusses the turmoil of COVID-19—balancing staff welfare with customer care, prioritizing transparency and integrity.
  • Detailed explanations of risks and options for travelers were key to retaining trust.
  • Maintained an impressive rebooking rate (~80%) through transparent, customer-focused communication.
  • "If we don't do right by our travelers, we don't have a company anymore... We need to be transparent with them. We need to share their risk and their options." (Monika, 14:54)

7. Social Media’s Double-Edged Sword in Travel

[17:32-20:46]

• Social media fuels desire for remote travel but can cause overtourism, sometimes to destinations' detriment.
• Monika champions responsible travel, guided by advice from the Adventure Travel Trade Association:
  • "We need to not promote what travelers want, we need to promote what destinations need." (Monika, 19:24)
  • Focus on lesser-known, welcoming places, benefiting local communities and enriching travelers’ experiences.

8. The Future of Adventure: To Space, and Beyond?

[21:10-23:00, 25:30-26:10]

• The host speculates on space tourism as the next adventure frontier.
• Monika shares Adventure Life's cautious openness to future space experiences, weighed with ethical and environmental considerations.
• Personally, Monika confesses hesitancy toward such high-risk adventures without strong purpose.
  • "I guide all of my decisions around prayer... I probably would not [go to Mars]. I am not a crazy jump off the cliff type person." (Monika, 25:32)

9. Learning from Direct Experience

[23:00-24:57]

• Both host and Monika emphasize the irreplaceable value of first-hand experience versus second-hand reputation or media portrayals.
  • Host’s experience in Finland: “They say Finland is the happiest country...but 100% of the people that I asked are not happy.”
  • Monika recalls her formative trip to Guatemala, discovering happiness and gratitude in poverty, overturning preconceptions.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the magic of remote places:
  "It felt like a living zoo or aquarium that you're walking around in and exploring." —Monika, [03:27]

• On the unpredictability of Antarctic travel:
  "You just never know what the day holds. It's like, oh my gosh, let's look and see what we can do today." —Monika, [07:16]

• On adventure travel mindset:
  "It's not about physical stamina; it's about a heart for adventure." —Monika, [07:59]

• On custom, meaningful journeys:
  "We get some real heart-wrenching stories like that sometimes...He decided I need to get out and explore. That's going to bring purpose and meaning right now. It just completely changed his life." —Monika, [08:51; 10:11]

• On navigating the pandemic:
  "There was a real pull there between doing right by our travelers but also retaining our top talent... If we don't do right by our travelers, we don't have a company anymore." —Monika, [14:35-15:01]

• On responsible tourism:
  "We need to not promote what travelers want, we need to promote what destinations need." —Monika, [19:24]

• On the limits of reputation:
  "Almost everything is spin unless you experience it yourself personally...there's something else to be said for our preconceived notions and then when you go and you see what reality is, you're like, oh, wow, I had that totally wrong." —Monika, [23:57]

Key Timestamps

• 03:03 – Monika's awe at Galapagos and Antarctica
• 05:40 – Logistics of getting to Antarctica
• 07:55 – What makes an Adventure Life traveler
• 08:51 – Most unusual and meaningful adventure requests
• 14:32 – Navigating the travel industry through COVID
• 19:07 – Social media’s impact and ethical tourism
• 21:46 – Discussion of space travel as a future adventure
• 23:00 – Learning from direct experience
• 25:30 – Monika’s personal approach to risk and space tourism

Conclusion & Contact

Monika encourages listeners interested in transformative travel to reach out directly to Adventure Life for personalized service and real-human connection.

"They can just go to our website, adventure life.com, give us a call. We love people calling in. We still staff everything with humans." —Monika, [26:56]

This episode is a deep dive into the power and profound value of remote journeys, the emotional drivers behind travel, and the integrity needed to thrive in turbulent and ethically complex industries. Monika’s candor and stories offer listeners a powerful window into purposeful entrepreneurship and adventure.