True Ink: Personal Experience & Extraordinary Adventure

Speaking with Geoffrey Gray is inspiring to say the least. After working as a storytelling writer often documenting the untold and unsolved, his desire to create real life unusual experiences for others has led to the creation of True Ink, a magazine dedicated to adventure.

Gray admits to being a serious kid who was into activism and politics, which led to his first forays into writing opinion pieces. However, when he put his words out there for the world to read, the response was that he was wrong in his approach and opinions. Instead of arguing back, he listened to what people had to say and realized, maybe they were right. These revelations led to a shift in his desire to write about his own thoughts, and instead, he began to write about the stories and opinions of others.

After moving to New York to pursue journalism, Gray faced a slew of rejections and failures. But in his own words “you can only fail so much” and eventually, his prospects began to change. He gained a position and made a name for himself writing long-form narrative pieces for the New York Times, in the style of print documentary and storytelling, that told of hope and the lives of people who fight for what they want and believe in.

In the midst of writing about underdogs and unsolved crimes, Gray stumbled across True, a gentlemen’s magazine from the 1930s, containing stories of adventure by the likes of Hemingway. He decided to reinvent True as a magazine for the modern reader, but instead of just telling stories, he wanted people to be a part of them. And so True Ink was born.

True Ink is a point of difference in today's online writing world, where stories are often written for the click and share instead of the wonder of storytelling and engagement with the subject of the article. Gray aims to connect the readers of True Ink directly to the sources of inspiration, the masters of craft and experts in their areas, and he does this through organizing group trips for members.

Planning group trips comes with a lot of administration concerns, and Gray decided to use WeTravel to help him with the practicalities of taking payments. It means that he can concentrate on creating a trip for True Ink members that shows them an authentic side of their destination, without having to worry about the administration.

“The logistics of getting people to amazing places in the world is difficult, especially on a multi-day trip. WeTravel is our ally in doing that. It’s the group member that just doesn’t come on the trip."

True Ink isn’t just about learning the where, but the when, and the why. Members are given the opportunity to uncover the world's treasures through their own experiences. By partnering with WeTravel, True Ink is able to use the online booking system labeled with their own brand, that users know and trust.

Gray is currently planning a group trip to Mexico that will see True Ink members visiting colonial houses, and learning to cook authentic cuisine, among other experiences.

"Nothing is more valuable than extraordinary adventure and experience and having the opportunity to see the world from an insiders point of view. WeTravel has been a great partner is making that happen for True Ink readers.”

Check out True Ink's upcoming trips on WeTravel to experience life in the front row, and extraordinary adventure for yourself!