I have so many stories about people I have met while traveling. One of the most memorable was in Iran. Most Americans think of Iran as a difficult and dangerous place, but as I traveled, I was surprised at how happy the Iranians were that I encountered. Because of this attitude, a few of the men in my group decided to go on a little adventure. What we encountered was amazing.

I had the honor to encounter a gentleman by the name of Claudio while trekking through Colombia, South America on Expedition 65. This seemingly random meeting happened because I was traveling with a curiosity about the people and places I was seeing. Because of this fundamental curiosity, I stopped a farmer and engaged him in conversation.

I soon found out we had so much more in common than I could have ever imagined!

Mongolia has always been a place of mystery and adventure. My travels there were no different. While there, my group stayed in a yurt camp which was an incredible experience in and of itself. However, we soon realized that the other guests at the yurt camp were not like us.

We decided to join a completely strange and foreign ritual and ended up having the time of our lives.

We couldn’t converse with words, but we communicated with actions, faces, and emotions.

My last story is about a small boy that made a huge impact on my perspective of other cultures and their outlook on life.

My group was excited to ride the “Death Road” in Bolivia, South America. We knew that it would be challenging and might even be treacherous. When we rode over the top of the pass, around 15,000 feet above sea level, it was icy with sleet and fog. There were places where we couldn’t see more than 30 feet in front of us. We stopped at the entrance to the “Death Road” to evaluate if we should go on. There we met a small boy who lived with his mom. We ended up interacting and connecting with him.

His attitude and gratitude at life was one of the most heartwarming things I have experienced.