The opinions expressed in the following episode do not necessarily reflect those of the minds

of Madness podcast.

Listener discretion is advised.

Backpacking around the world, very few ideas bring to mind such a sense of adventure,

independence and romantic idealism.

For one young woman, in November 2018, traveling the world before jumping into a career was

a dream come true, but she never could have imagined the danger in store for her, in

what is widely considered one of the safest countries in the entire world.

Join me now, as we take a look at the sudden disappearance of British backpacker Grace

Malaine in Auckland, New Zealand.

You'll hear how a young woman looking for romantic connection crossed paths with a

manipulative con man, never to return home again.

Outside North America, the concept of a gap year or an overseas experience for students

or recent graduates is far more culturally encouraged than in the US or Canada.

In countries like New Zealand, Australia, Israel and the UK, taking a year off from school

or work to travel the world isn't seen as particularly rebellious or something only

reserved for the extremely adventurous.

Instead for many, it's seen as a right of passage, in the UK alone, nearly 250,000 young

people take a gap year each year, with more than half of those dedicating themselves to

traveling.

Britain's rich history of religious pilgrimage dates back more than a thousand years,

and is one of the reasons travel and adventure is so deeply ingrained into British culture.

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