Through my lens
Life is one big field trip.
I travel because I want first-hand experiences of what life is truly like for people all over the world. I never went anywhere without my camera. I wanted to capture the essence of humanity. Travel keeps me grounded in how people everywhere are thriving and struggling, and it's the reason behind everything I do.
Select a place to see its photos.
Why I travel
I refuse to live in a bubble.
Travel has kept me grounded in the real ways people are thriving and struggling all over the world. I've walked through the slums of Kibera in Nairobi, the streets of India, Thailand, and Vietnam, and the hills of El Salvador, where my sister served in the Peace Corps.
Some of my most eye-opening moments came in places where, by every measure we're taught to value, people shouldn't be content with life. And yet they were. In many ways, I've come to believe the rest of the world has figured out more about wellbeing than we have in the United States.
People are fascinating and highly complex. But at the end of the day, the essence of what we all want is the same: to feel fulfilled, and to live our days with more joy, more connection, and more curiosity. Everywhere I go, I find that same humanity in all of us, and I feel I can connect with anyone, in any country.
I've also seen so much suffering, and it breaks my heart, because so much of it doesn't have to exist. Every trip leaves me more overwhelmed by the beauty of the world and its people, and more committed to my work.
That's why I do what I do. I've made it a point to understand the world and fall in love with humanity, so I can help unlock the potential and happiness every person deserves, wherever they happen to be born.
"There is a safety in connectedness."
People always asked if I was scared or bored traveling alone. I never was. Being alone actually makes me more connected to everything. When you see someone as just another human being with the same fears, desires, and needs as you, suddenly you're not alone at all.
What the road taught me
I haven't gotten an MBA or a PhD, but I think the people of the world are the best teachers.
And a smile goes a really long way. When there's a language barrier, the instant familiarity a smile creates is priceless.
"You are here to pay attention. That is enough."
Tara Mohr
"Whatever you can do, or dream you can, begin it. Boldness has genius, power and magic in it."
John Anster, from his 1835 translation of Goethe's Faust
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