Travel Responsibly

Nothing brings me quite as much joy as travel. Planning and executing travel is just irresistible. It’s my escape, and the planning and researching is nearly as potent as the journey itself.

But if we’re honest with ourselves, traveling can also be quite problematic. When we enter a new ecosystem, we leave a mark. That mark is on the communities we interact with, the narratives we create, the built world we demand, and the natural world we stress in the process.

In natural settings, it’s common best practice to “leave no trace.” Since leaving some trace is unavoidable, my goal is to attempt to actively counteract any damage I may inadvertently do: pick up trash on a hike, support small businesses, authentically connect with a place, and spread kindness and goodwill.

Be polite. Learn a bit of the local language and etiquette. Don’t be the loudest person in the room. Listen. Be aware of your carbon footprint and take steps to minimize and offset it. Apply the “what if everyone did that” test. Research the history and context of a place. Avoid places you have been asked not to enter. Let others’ sacred places remain sacred and private. Get to know your own home as though you were a tourist there and treat it with the same honor and enthusiasm.