An initiatory journey across the world and into the soul What if everything we call routine, comfort, or normality was just a cleverly disguised form of inner imprisonment? In 2012, Nicolas Genna left everything behind: his teaching job, his sports coaching career, his romantic relationship, and even the use of money. His goal: to travel around the world exclusively overland and overseas, without flights, without income, relying solely on one wealth: faith in humanity. Over eight years, he crossed dozens of countries, lived in 15 of them, and experienced life in all its extremes: shamanic rituals, sleeping under the stars, soul-stirring encounters, magical synchronicities, and moments of both exhaustion and ecstasy. This book recounts the first two years of that odyssey, from France to Nepal, entirely hitchhiking and without using money. But The Five Phases of Freedom is more than a travel memoir. It is a spiritual, philosophical, and political testimony, a quest for truth beyond masks, systems, and modern illusions. Through the symbolic stages of grief (denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance), Nicolas explores ego dissolution, emotional intelligence, the wisdom of the body, and the power of the present moment. He also shares his independent research into astrology, quantum physics, alternative medicine, education and economic systems, and the collective unconscious. Blending travel diary, philosophical essay, and heartfelt manifesto, this book invites you to walk your own path toward true freedom. An authentic, poetic, and powerful narrative for those who are ready to live with an open heart and mind.