word
Greek
Odyssey
ὀδύσσειαGreek/ˈɒd.ɪ.si/lit. “the tale of Odysseus”
A long, eventful journey of transformation.
Origin
Direct from Homer's epic. The word migrated from the proper noun to mean any wandering adventure with personal stakes.
Modern usage
Used loosely for any prolonged journey — physical, emotional, or professional.
In the wild
Getting this product to market was a five-year odyssey.— common usage