One of the questions I hear most often is whether I have ever been afraid traveling alone. The honest answer is... very rarely. That doesn't mean I walk through the world without caution. It simply means I have always believed that most people are good.
Over the years, I've been invited into homes, shared tea with families, celebrated holidays with people I had met only hours before, and left places feeling as though I had gained friends instead of simply visited another country. One afternoon in Marrakech, a man I met near my riad invited me to his home for tea. He wanted me to meet his wife. Many people would have politely declined, I didn't. Not because I ignore risk, but because something about the invitation felt genuine. There was no pressure. No rush. Just warm hospitality.
We sat together, drank tea, talked about our lives, and before I left, I realized I had experienced something no guidebook could have arranged. That wasn't the only time. In Uzbekistan, I found myself attending a family celebration, then was invited to someone's home for tea. In villages across the world, complete strangers have welcomed me as though I belonged there. Those moments have become some of my richest travel memories.
People often ask what my favorite country is. I usually struggle to answer, because my favorite memories rarely begin with a monument, they begin with a person. Perhaps that's why I have always found it easy to travel. Drop me into almost any group, in almost any country, and before long I'll be talking with someone, asking about their family, their traditions, what they cook, what makes them proud of where they live.
I've discovered that curiosity is one of the world's most universal languages. I've also learned something else. Many of the people who have changed my life began as strangers. Not everyone remained in my life. They didn't need to. Sometimes the greatest gift another person gives us is simply one unforgettable afternoon.
Travel has taught me that while countries may introduce us to new landscapes... People introduce us to the world.