My Personal Travel Philosophy
“Tourists don’t know where they’ve been, travelers don’t know where they’re going.” – Paul Theroux
I love (make that live!) to travel. I delight in exploring this amazing world we live in and meeting other members of our beautiful human family. I choose my trips carefully, looking for special destinations around the globe that excite me – places that have a good mix of fascinating sights, beautiful scenery, and rich vibrant history and cultures.
I want to experience the “essence” of a place and its people by more immersive, “beyond the guidebook” travel – going deeper than just visiting the normal tourist sites in a quick, impersonal “drive by” way. Whenever possible, I seek ways to have genuine, heartfelt interactions with the local people – learning about their lives, hearing their stories and meeting their family, including their always adorable children.
When His Holiness the Dalai Lama (the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism) was asked how can we help achieve a more peaceful world, he responded with the simple but profound answer: “Travel & Make Friends!” I deeply believe in the transformative power of international travel to open hearts and minds and build bridges of common understanding, greater respect and friendship among the diverse people of this world!