Surprise Travel Company: The Pack Up + Go Story with Founder Lillian Rafson |#132

About this episode

Lillian Rafson discusses her journey in founding a surprise travel company that emphasizes discovery over planning.

What if you didn’t know where you were traveling until the day you left? Lillian Rafson, Founder and CEO of @packupgo_travel, shares how a random conversation in a hostel in Riga led her to move back to Pittsburgh and start a surprise travel company at 23. Turning a simple idea into a company that has sent more than 50,000 travelers to 300+ destinations across the U.S. takes more than good marketing — it requires trust, logistics, and a deep understanding of how people actually want to travel. The conversation explores how surprise travel works, why travelers willingly give up control, and what it takes to design trips that prioritize discovery over endless planning. Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/globetrotters-podcast--5023679/support .

People in this episode

Hosts: Jonathan Otero, Chelsea Pelsone

Guest: Lillian Rafson

Topics covered

• surprise travel
• entrepreneurship
• travel logistics
• discovery
• travel planning

Keywords

• surprise travel
• travel company
• Lillian Rafson
• Pack Up + Go
• travel logistics
• travel planning
• entrepreneurship

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Pack Up + Go

Places: Pittsburgh, Riga, U.S.

More episodes of Globetrotters Podcast

• From Guest to Co-Host: One Last Goodbye - With Chelsea Pelsone | #140 · June 10, 2026 · 22 min
• Life at 3 MPH: Finding Connection in a World That Moves Too Fast - With Melissa Clover | #139 · June 3, 2026 · 40 min
• Someday Isn’t Coming: Building a Life You Love - With Liz Long | #138 · May 27, 2026 · 1h 4m
• SoFe Travel: Building the World’s Largest Solo Female Travel Community - With Amanda Black | #137 · May 20, 2026 · 35 min
• The Points Partner: Turn Points Into Free Travel & First Class Upgrades – With Owen Beiny | #136 · May 6, 2026 · 57 min
• Why “Service Vacations” Are Redefining Meaningful Tourism – With CEO Kimberly Haley-Coleman | #135 · April 22, 2026 · 50 min