Former NBC Broadcaster Luke Russert Reveals the Cover of Memoir: 'It Forced Out Some Hard Truths'

Courtesy Luke Russert

Former NBC News correspondent Luke Russert stepped away from his successful career to pursue a three-year journey around the world — and is now releasing a book to document his tale.

After unexpectedly losing his dad in 2008, news icon Tim Russert, the 37-year-old journalist threw himself into his career, following in his father's footsteps. However, after eight years, he started questioning why he was chasing his father's legacy, and decided to quit his job and travel the world.

Six continents and three years of travel later, Russert compiled his travel journals into a memoir, Look For Me There. PEOPLE can now exclusively reveal the cover featuring Russert looking out onto a vista.

RELATED: Luke Russert Delivers His 'Dad's Last Speech'

Harper Horizon, imprint of HarperCollins Focus

"I reached a crossroads in my early thirties where I felt empty and unfulfilled. I wanted to know—why?" Russert tells PEOPLE. "So I set out into the world, hoping to feel something. The reward of travel was that it made me much more aware of my surroundings — the beauty of nature, the weight of history and the common good of the larger human family."

He adds, "It also forced out some hard truths about losing my dad, my relationship with my mom, grief, inadequacy and ignorance. Though it's my own unique story, the themes I touch on are universal. I hope somebody reads it and feels a little less lost."

Courtesy Luke Russert

RELATED: Luke Russert Recalls Father Tim

Russert filled "dozens" of journals during his travels, including not only his introspective self-reflective thoughts, but also observations of the countries he traveled and the people he met along the way.

"Journalists don't like to shine the light just on themselves," Russert admits. "My goal was to provide a little context on a country and how its people, history and culture contributed to my personal inward journey. The skills I learned in the field ended up helping me to better understand myself, they pushed me to be more raw."

Courtesy Luke Russert

With the pressure of his family's legacy lifted — his mother is Vanity Fair journalist Maureen Orth — Russert detailed his newfound freedom to discover himself and his faith in the book.

During his odyssey, Russert also found the time to truly process his grief over his father's premature death — something he said he wouldn't have been able to accomplish without the "power of vulnerability."

Courtesy Luke Russert

"[Vulnerability is] something I felt and saw everywhere I went," Russert says. "Whether through faith or just a meaningful moment, when I became more vulnerable things became clearer. It took a while to get there though, and it still takes work!"

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Look For Me There will hit bookstores on May 2.